SCHOOL CHILDREN

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9788, 11 October 1917, Page 7

SCHOOL CHILDREN

CONVEYANCE TO AND PEOJI SCHOOL. STATEMENT BY MINISTER FOH EDUCATION. A printed reply was given by the. Minister for Education (the Hon. J- A. Hanan) in the Eouso of Representatives yesterday to a Question by Mr W. H. Field (Otaki) aa to the conveyance of school children to and from schools. Mr Honan's reply was as follows: "While the Department appreciates the action taken by the Wellington and other Education Boards in providing for the conveyance of children to central schools, thereby avoiding the undue multiplication of email inefficient schools it.mulst ha pointed out that the capitation of 6d per day plus half the board's expenditure in excess of this capitation, which is paid at present for conveyance, was never intended to cover the whole cost. Tlie circular issued by the Department in November. 1912, announcing the present system of grants emphiscis the fact that these grants are merely to assist in the mating of arrangements for conveyance. There is, therefore, apparently no reason why board’s in this, as in, the case of grants to assist for other, purposes, should regard the capitation of 6d as, their only source of revenue for'the conveyance of children. The Education Act, section £l. is also explicit on this point, end requires boards, instead of establishing new schools, to arrange where practicable for the conveyance of children to and from existing schools;' and, further, where a board fails to carry out its dutyin this respect the Minister may, upon the advice of 'the Opnncil"'of : -Eduea{ion. provide for tlw.cooV( V3i!CO and-’dediiet the cost from, the general .grants-.to tho board. The, Jwprds. ha,vo,.a ..revenue in their general of the cost of general administration, and the eonveyaMO' OT'thildr^a'is'ohe'cf the purposes to "Which''■part of flic' surplus, amounting to nearly JE13.000 per" annum, should appropriately bo applied. It is recognised that the fixed allowance made bv the Department falls short in many cases of the actual cost of conveyanco. especially at • thp- present - tirno while price® are enhanced, but ffc-is-to-be noted that oply one half of the excess falls upon the boards. In the Wellington education district, for the quarter ended June 30th last, the charge to the. board’s general fund Ch" account' 'of its half share of this excess’amounted to jBI3 6s 6d. and -for the year 1916 was Z 42 17s fid. It is understood, however, that contracts more recently entered into involve a considerable increase, on these amounts, due largely "to 'teinporarv increased cost of conveyance. Later. when conditions more nearly normal prevail, the excess expenditure will be substantially reduced. Any material alteration in the scale of allowances.! am afraid could hot, under existing .circumstances, be- entertaimklMembers again ' strongly pleaded fci more liberal expenditure by the Government for education; - - - -