THE DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 13, 16 January 1902, Page 2

THE DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL QUESTION.

A.T the Education Board meeting on Wednesday, a letter from the Secretary for Education was read as follows:—" The proposal either 1o 'ttablish a District High School a'. New Plymouth, or to give free education at the New Plymouth High School to a certain number of pupils who hive paused Standard VI, has been under the Minister's consideration, together with applications of the same kind From other places similarly situated. I urn now directed to inform you that the magnitude of the interests involved has led the Minister to the conclusion that decision with regard to these questions must be postponed until the next session of the General Assembly." Mr Allsworth considered that the Board ought; to tike some action in the matter, and he therefore moved "That the letter be acknowledged, and the Minister's attention called to the disadvantage which the children of the New Plymouth district are suffering, owing to the withholding from. tham of the privilege of secondary education." He mentioned that the number of ihildren qualified for free tuition at secondary schools was far greater than She dep irtmont anticipated, and payment of the proposed grant of £9 a head meant an expenditure of something like £IO,OOO by the Government. A.t the s*me time he considered the Board should enter a protest against She treatment the children of Shis district are receiving. There was no doubt the scheme wan iecided on hastily, and though the lim was a very satisfactory one in general >h-j tcheme did not work ou<; beneficially in places like New Plymouth. He was in hop-s that tbeoorrespindence with the department would lead to a re opening of the question, which he considered would not he sati ifantoi ily sett'ed until the high

schools were placed on a capitation basis. Mr Wade, in seconding the motion, expressed an opinion that, considering the enormous endowments attaobed to the higb school?, the governots of these r .» ..■ ..■ ■■ ■« • i < r r »«. .my-ma-in the, matter of free scholarships. The Chairman pointed out that the New Plymouth governors already gave fifteen scholarships. Mr Faull siid the question was whether the high school* were doing what it was originally intended they should. There was also another question : Would the Government pay two subsidies ? I The motion was then can ied. I