SCHOOL SUBSIDIES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 27 November 1913, Page 7

SCHOOL SUBSIDIES.

NEW BILL CRITICISED. A question affecting the subsidising of schools, and arising out of a clause" in the Education Amendment Bill, was under consideration at the Education Board meeting on* Tuesday, when Mr A. W. Hogg moved, in accordance with notice s That the board's general approval of the Education Amendment Bill be rescinded in relation to clause 4, and that the board express the opinion that the proposal in the clause mentioned, to limit subsidies on voluntary contributions payable to district high schools to subsidies ou contributions made in aid of the secondary department only, will seriously injure the primary classes conducted in these schools, by the withdrawal of the State aid to which the.? have been accustomed in the past, without materially helping the secondsiv classes, which is the object apparently intended. Mr Hogg said he thought the Government's proposal was an unwise one. He was satisfied that if the Minister only appreciated the effect which the passing of the clause would have, he would not have allowed it to appear in the Bill. He would like to know why primary school children attending district high schools shouM be specially selected for the withdrawal of the subsidies, Why shouldthey, of all others, be sacrificed? A great many of the primary pupilwere children of poor parents. If U;f Minister only contemplated the ■cruet ■ ty of punishing those young children, infants belonging, in the majority oi cases to the working" classes, ho would readily withdraw the clause from the Bill. There were seven district "high* schools in the Wainrapa district and to illustrate th? effect which the passing of tho clause would have on one school, hi* would take the case of Masterton. There were §nly 55 pupils attending the secondary department, but there were 816 children in the primary department. Why should those 55 big boys and girls bo awarded subsidies on voluntary contributions, while the young children wore to be deprived of the assistance they had received in the past from the State. Mr W. Allan seconded the motion pro forma. He said the Masterton school was a very large one and had had a good deal in voluntary gifts, but the whole of the other primary schools in the district would not be affected, by th*e clause. The. motion was lost, only the mover voting for it. Mr Hogg that ho had attained -what 'ho had wanted—to give full publicity to the position.