BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 276, 29 May 1875, Page 2

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

A special meeting of the Board of Education was held on May 19th. The report was read and adopted and ordered to be presented to his Honor the Superintendent. — Resolved : — “ That under the powers vested in |he Board of Education by clause 6 of the Education Act 1872, and in pursuance of provisions of clause 4 of the Education /Vet 1872 Amendment Act 1874, the education rate to be paid by every householder within the province of Auckland for the year 1875 shall and is hereby fixed at twenty shillings ; aud further, that in pursuance of clause 6 of the Education Act 1872 Amendment Act 1874, the rate to be levied for the year 1875 upon every male person of the age of 21 years and upwards residing within the province of Auckland who shall not be liable to pay the household rate hereinbefore fixed for the year 1875 shall be and is hereby fixed at ten shillings for every such person. Resolved, that the following resolution be forwarded for the information of His Honor the Superintendent: “ That the Board in fixing the extreme rates authorised by the Act hereby records its opinion that the whole probable proceeds of such rates for the year 1875 will not be sufficient to pay liabilities already incurred and current expenses to the 31st August.” A very elaborate report drawn up by Mr. Moss the Secretary to the Board, which had been revised at a previous meeting, was submitted for adoption. As the results brought out are exceedingly interesting, we give the salient points of the report:— SCHOOL FEES. The report states that the settlers displayed a willingness to subscribe towards school buildings and fittings that they have not done since the household tax was imposed; that experience had proved school fees to be insufficient to support schools in country districts. That liberal aid from the revenue would always continue to be necessary, whether fees were imposed or no. PREVIOUS POSITION OF EDUCATION. Under the Common Schools’ Act there had been formed up to the 31st December, 1871, seventy schools, with 1990 pupils on the roll, and an average attendance on the roll of 1327 ; teachers, 70. School fees were also paid for 245 poor children at a cost of £7OO. The expenditure for the year, from public funds, was £3,135 ; other sources, £3,180. Total, £6,315. The cost per pupil was 63/6 for the number enrolled during the year. THE ACT OF 1872. Under the present Act 108 districts have been created. The number of schools actually opened in the various districts on 31st March, 1875, was 140; the highest attendance on the roll, 8,284 ; the average attendance, 4,929; the number of teachers, 178. FINANCE. . The financial year, not ending till 30th June, the accounts of expenditure are not attached, but from April, 1874, till March, 1875, the expenditure and liabilities for the twelve months for tuition were :—

SHORTNESS of funds. On this subject the report stated that constant appeals for funds to the Provincial Government were undesirable. The expenditure of the Board from March 31, 1874 to 31st March 1875, for all purposes, was £21,375 4s 2d. The proceeds from rates £10,540 13s Id ; revenue from endowments £4BB 7s 4d. The balance of £10,346 3s 7d, was obtained from advances by the Provincial Government or the bank. Owing to the delay in levying the last rate, the Board cannot legally strike the next one till the 14th June, 1875, by which time the amount accruing will be forestalled to the extent of £6,500 ; but this may be reduced £lOOO by collections from the old rates. It will thus be impossible for the Board to carry on for another year unless befitting funds are provided. The endowments are so scattered and of such small present value as to offer no HMMM

BUILDING FUND. The report stated that it was imperative that a building fund should be placed at the disposal of the Board, if a building fund of £15,000 were supplied the expenditure could be kept down to £20,000 per annum. The school buildings are now so crowded that tuition has been refused at some schools in consequence, a state of things which is unbearable. The report also states that the adult population of Gisborne is 554; that there are 113 children between the ages of 5 and 15, of which number there are 65 on the public school rolls.

£ s. d. Teachers’ salaries 16,707 1 0 Grants to Committee for Buildings, Rents, &c., 1,976 11 8 Departmental Expenditure and Inspection of Schools including Travelling, Printing, Advertising and Rent Provincial Scholarships ... 1,220 10 2 150 0 0 Maps, Books, &c., supplied to Schools free 377 5 8 Contingencies, including Examinations of Teachers, Pupils, &c., 62 12 1 Training Teachers 36 13 4 £20,530 14 11