WELLINGTON EDUCATION BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 191, 16 August 1900, Page 3

WELLINGTON EDUCATION BOARD.

THE PROPOSALS FOB ENTRENCHMENT. [PER PBBSB ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, August 15. The circular recently sent out by the Education Board to sohool committees and teachers in connection with the proposed retrenchment in the Board's expenditure has had a beneficial effeot, and a great improvement has already been made in the attendance at many of the schools whose rolls had previously been at low water.

A special meeting of the Education Board was held to-day to consider the state of the Board's finances. Mr. Riley, director of technical instruction, presented a report on the work of the Teohnical School duriDg 1899. He showed that the debit balance for the technical classes for the year was only £69, and said the cost of these classes was a very small charge upon the Board's funds, and not, as stated, the cause of its present difficulties, while invaluable instruction was imparted to a very large number of persons in connection with their various occupations. The earlier history of these classes had been one of continuous struggle in the matter of organisation, and now that they were fairly established after fifteen years of laborious work he should be sorry to see any retrenchment in this most necessary part of our educational Under the heading of "Training of teachers and instruction connected with the primary school system," there was a debit balance of I £904. Commenting upon this, Mr. Riley says" The recent reports published by the Educational Institute show a large expenditure on what is called ' technical education,' but there are two distinct sections of workone primary, the other technical. It is the primary section that is a burden I upon the finances of the Board, while teachers themselves receive substantial educational benefits. A very considerable amount is annually expended in giving free instruction to primary school teachers and in paying their expenses to and from centres of instruction, and, further,ingenerally strengthening the most important part of our work. The primary education system amounts expended in this direction nave no right to be charged to technical education. Instruction, inspection, ind examination of primary school teachers and scholars is a fair charge upon the ordinary revenue of the Board. I would suggest, however, that the training of teachers should be a special charge under the heading of training school?, and should be largely contributed to by the Government of the colony. The cost of cookery instruction should be largely borne by the Government in the case of training of teachers, and not be a charge upon the ordinary primary school vote. I trust that the Technical Instruction! Bill will this session be passed into law, ind so relieve the difficulties of the Board, and enable the work of the Technical Instruction Committee to be continued and improved to the fullest possible extent." After some discussion, a committee was appointed to draw up an exhaustive report upon the whole question oE finance. The Retrenchment Committee of the Board has resolved, in view of the promise of the Premier to make provision for technical instruction and the probable increase of the capitation grant, that the retrenchment proposals submitted be postponed.