EDUCATION QUESTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 January 1921, Page 4

EDUCATION QUESTIONS.

DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER. VARIED LIST OF REQUESTS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A deputation representing the Dominion Education Boards waited on the Minister of Education to-day. Mr. Purdy (Auckland) urged the great necessity for codifying the regulations bearing on educational matters. Mr. Swanger (Wanganui) pointed out that owing to the Department’s mistake seconcLyear pupil teachers had been overpaid, and he held it was a hardship that they should now be called upon to refund the money. Mr. Lane (Canterbury) asked that the matriculation and D examinations should be held earlier, so that, the results could be announced sooner. Under present conditions the work of training colleges was dislocated. Mr. Munn (Napier) urged a revision of the capitation regulations regarding the loss in attendance through epidemics.

Mr White (Taranaki) complained that in his district the increase in the buildings maintenance grant averaged 25 per cent., whereas costs had gone up 200 per cent. Mr. Andrews (Canterbury) stressed the necessity for a bigger grant than eightpence a head for conveying children to school. The contract prices had gone up, with the result that Nel-on was losing £lOO a year, Canterbury nearly £3OO, and Otago £4OO. The Minister emphasised the difficulties of the present financial oos'tion, but said ho would give the various matters serious consideration.