Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 6892, 25 June 1883, Page 2

From a Parliamentary paper just published, and headed “Education—Secondary Schools,” we notice that some striking anomalies, if not irregularities, exist in the present arrangements of the colony with regard to secondary instruction. We find that though almost all the institutions specified in this paper have endowments from the State, and every year receive the rentals of these endowments, several of them—Wellington College among the number—do not, apparently, have their accounts audited even by any private auditor. Those presenting audited balance-sheets are as follows :—Auckland College and Grammar School, Auckland Girls’ High School, Thames Boys and Girls’ High School, Whangarei High School, New Plymouth High School, Nelson College, Rangiora High School, Ashburton High School, Waitaki High School, Otago Boys’ and Girls’ High Schools, and Southland Boys’ and Girls’ High Schools, On the other hand, the following do not appear to have their accounts audited by any one :—Wanganui High School, Wanganui Industrial School, Wellington College, Christ’s College Grammar School, Christchurch Boys’ High School, Christchurch Girls’ High School, Akaroa High School, and Timaru High that eleven of these institutions for secondary instruction get their accounts audited and eight do not. The omission on the part of the latter seems irregular, but there may, perhaps, be aome_ reasonable way of accounting for it which does not occur to us. Then, also, there does not seem to bo any ratio observed between the average school attendance and the staff employed or the salaries paid. Thus we notice in the secondary schools of the cities the following peculiarities in this respect:— Auckland Grammar School, staff, 13; average attendance, 157 ; annual salaries, £3650. Wellington College, staff, 10; average attendance, 113 ; annual salaries, £ISOO. Nelson College, 9 ; average attendance, 104 ; annual salaries, £1650. Christ’s College Grammar School, staff, 11; average attendance, 159 ; annual salaries, £2400. Christchuich Boys’ High School, staff, 9 ; average attendance, 116 5 annual salaries, £3365,. Otago Boys’ High School, staff, 13; average attend*

anoe, 254 ; annual salaries, £3126. Auckland Girls’ High School, staff, 23 ; average attendance, 169 ; annual salaries, £1795. Christchurch Girls’ High School, staff, 0; average attendance, 71 ; annual salaries, £llßs. Otago Girls’ High School staff, 14; average attendance, 161 ; annual salaries, £IBOS. Other apparent anomalies requiring explanation also appear. Fur instince, we find that in the case of Wellington College, where the tuition fees show up remarkably well when compared with the amount paid in salaries, the adverse balance against the institution seems actually to have increased, nevertheless, from £597 8s lOd, at the end of 1881, to £639 19s 4d, at the end of 1882.