ECONOMY IN EDUCATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 September 1922, Page 5

ECONOMY IN EDUCATION.

PROTEST TO THE MINISTER. CHEAPER SCHOOL BOOKS PROBABLE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A deputation from the annual conference of the federation of School Committees’ Association interviewed the Minister of Education to-day. Mr. Hennessey said the federation was against economies which had affected the efficiency of education. He also said the school committees thought they should receive more funds from the Government instead of having to appeal to the public. The Minister said this would cost £lOO,OOO. Mr. Hennessey said it would probably save the people £500,000. The Minister asked how the money could be raised without extra taxation. Mr. Hennessey replied that if parents were saved the great cost of school books they could afford to pay indirect taxation. Another request of the deputation was that capitation be paid on the roll number and not on the average attendance. The Minister, in reply, said that of 25 remits submitted to him 23 entailed increased expenditure amounting to about £500,000. He reminded the deputation of the increased expenditure on education, and said no Government and no country was doing more. He intended to keep up tho present expenditure, but there might be demands for economy which he would have difficulty in resisting. It was embarrassing him by calling for extra expenditure, and that must be his answer to the requests involving expenditure. Regarding the proportion of male teachers, the Minister said this was improving, due to better pay and emoluments. Capitalism, . he knew, was a vexed question, but the department told him that if it were paid on roll numbers there would be difficulty in guarding against stuffing the roll. With payement on the roll number, also, committees would be no better off. The annual grant for school committees had increased from £42,000 in 1914 to £96,000. The Minister said the department was now going into the question of obtaining supplies of school books wholesale for the sale to schools. The chief inspector estimated there would be a saving of 40 to 50 per cent., but there would be heavy initial cost. He hoped shortly to announce a programme for the standardisation of school books.