SECONDARY SCHOOLS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10292, 29 May 1919, Page 2

SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CONVEYANCE AND BOARDING ALLOWANCES.

A deputation waited upon the. Hon. J. A. Hanan, Minister for Education, yesterday, to request the payment by the Government. of conveyance allowance to pupils who travel by coach or other vehicle to attend technical or secondary schools. Pupils who travel by rail are conveyed free to secondary schools and technical high schools •it was pointed out; and it was urged that pupils using other means of conveyance should be similarly treated. ; > In reply, Mr Hunan stated that last year £0503 was paid for the conveyance of pupils by rail to secondary schools; £1144 to district high schools, and £3139 to technical schools. It would be impossible without making special inquiry, so his department advised him, to estimate the cost of paying conveyance allowance to pupils who travel by other means to secondary and technical high schools. Roughly speaking ho was disposed to think that £SOOO or £6OOO annually would be required. In regard to a further claim that a boarding allowance of, _ say, 6s per week should be made, thi® item, he said, would run into a very largo sum. from some rough figures that the department had supplied to him, he ventured to think that it would be about £33,000 or £25, 000 annually. To agree to these two proposals—to extend tho conveyance and boarding allowances to pupils of secondary and technical high schools —would mean; that an additional sum of not less than £28,000 or £31‘,000 would have to be found each year. The two* proposals made the subject s very large question for consideration. Ho would-go into the matter further with his department, with a view to coming to a conclusion on* the matter.