HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1058, 23 August 1930, Page 16

HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL

SUCCESS OF EX-PUPILS From Our Own Correspondent HAMILTON, Friday. The successes of two past pupils of the Hamilton High School were mentioned by the principal, Mr. Eben Wilson, at a meeting of the Board of Governors today. Mr. Wilson said that Mr. Norman S. Alexander, who won a University National Scholarship from the school in 1922, had been awarded a Colonial Exhibition Scholarship, tenable for two years, at Trinity College, Cambridge. Mr. G. Watt, another old boy, had been nominated by the Auckland University College for a Rhodes Scholarship. It was decided to forward letters of congratulation to the two old boys. The Minister of Education wrote stating that in the Education Act, provision was made for the payment of grants, in accordance with regulations, to secondary school boards for repairs and maintenance of school buildings, and a regulation was made, many years ago, providing a capitation of £1 a pupil for this purpose, either from special grants or endowment income. At the time the regulation was made only one board was affected, and the numbers of pupils attending secondary schools were small. Since then the position had altered very materially, and it was now found that so large a provision was unnecessary. He was considering the question of revising the regulation with a view to providing for the maintenance of buildings only such sums as were necessary and approved by the Minister. Before taking action, he sought the board’s comments.

“It seems to be another scheme for centralisation.” remarked the chairman, Mr. C. L. Mac Diarmid. “Apparently the idea is for the department to decide how much maintenance we require.” It was decided to send the following reply:—“That in the opinion of this board, the annual grants for maintenance should not be in the discretion of the Minister, but should be fixed on some definite and general principle (such as a capitation basis), and that the various boards should be entitled to grants on the principle which may be established and shou!_d be at liberty to expend such grants in their discretion. In the case of this school, the board considers that a capitation grant of at least 35s a pupil is required for w»*hit«nanc« and nenai>•« *•