CO129-534-3 Report of Retrenchment Commission 4-5-1931 - 19-2-1932 — Page 140

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their ordinary scholastic duties are responsible for :-

(a) The drawing up of the monthly paysheets and payment

of the teachers' salaries.

(0)

The collection of pupils' fees, and the payment of

these into the Bank.

(c)

The disbursement of moneys in account of the school

monthly bills.

The Commissioners understand that these financial duties are

a source of aggravation to the Heads of Schools, especially

in large schools with an attendance roll of over six hundred

pupils, and a large staff of teachers of varying salary

grades. They consider that these duties more properly belong

to the clerical staff of the Education Office,

(a) The duty of the drawing up of the monthly paysheets has only of recent years devolved upon the Heads of Schools.

This devolution adds unnecessarily to the burdens of the

Heads by making them share unduly in the financial responsibil-

ity of the Department.

(b) In regard to the collection of pupils' fees by the

Heads of Schools, the Commissioners consider that the present

plan is cumbersome and ill -managed. During the sessions of

the Commission it was tentatively proposed by the Commissioners that the pupils' fees should be paid at the Head Office instead of at the Schools, but the proposal was

condenmed as too difficult of execution. The Commissioners

consider that the proposal is not impossible of execution.

In the British schools the pupils have for long paid their

fees termly not monthly; thus the payment of these at the

Head Office should present no great obstacles. It was stated

that in the case of Chinese schools it would not be

practicable to collect fees termiy, and that therefore the

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