BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 34, 26 January 1884, Page 6

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

„ . Thk Board of Education are in a rather bad financial Hx. They have been calculating upon receiving about £14,000 or £15,000 out of the Government grant for school buildings this year, and they are now informed that the sum of only £t),US'2 has been awarded. The Board find, this amount insufficient to cover outstanding liabilities, without providing for the urgent requirement.* of the ensuing year, which are estimated at an additional 113.451. The follow ing epitome u ill show the exact state of the building fund :—

Deiic-icney to bo met by grant for 1881-5 .. . .. ..£14.481 It was resolved yesterday to send a remonstrance to the Minister of Education, but it is very doubtful what success Mill attend this appeal. Auckland has been unfortunately situated throughout with lespect to the Education vote. It began to administer the system with very inadequate buildings, and with a larger number of scattered settlements to provide for than any other educational district in the colony. It has never been able to obtain funds to overcome the original inequality between the Auckland schools and those of the rest of New Zealand. One year some .slight advantage was given to Auckland on account of its exceptional circumstance.", but the Otago Education Board, although every school in that district was provided with a teaohei's residence, held various indignation meetings-, and kicked up such a row that Ministers weic afraid to continue administering the vote on a colonial basis — erecting school buildings where they were required — instead of dividing the money accouling to provincial boundaries, irrespective of the public wants. Otago, which lias had the impudence recently, through its press, to preach to the re^t of the colony the duty of setting aside provincial jealousies in representation, was the only district in NewZealand which proclaimed the doctrine that provincial divisions, and not educational necessities, should govern the expenditure of the vote for school buildings. It has not yet been announced here what amount the other educational districts of the colony will receive from the building grant, but in all probability the allocation has been made, and will be hard to alter. Unless fome concession can be obtained, Auckland willbeleftin a most unsatisfactory position. The rapid growth of population has led to the over-crowding of the city schools, and some provision must be made for the hundreds of children who are now shut out. The wants of the country in many districts are also very pressing, and the Board must either refuse to listen to even the most urgent claims, or must run into debt.

3\cvdraftat Hank . Buildings under contract Grants etc. LMay^rounds . ■s u nary accounts, say K'J oto U a 7,03(5 7 S) 700 0 0 I.JOO 0 0 K)0 i> 0 13 11

LIUUMTIK'*.

Grant to 31st March, ISSI For pla> ground ])uc by Mount Eden . . £0,082 1,101) 40 £11,122 Deficiency Buildings projected and needed .. £1,000 urgently .. 13,481

AhSE'l^.