CO129-581-6 Government grants to vernacular schools 30-1-1939 - 6-2-1940 — Page 12

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saving (if any) secured from this principle is both inequitable and unwise; inequitable, because it fails to recognize that, like the married man, the celibate is a member of a family; unwise, because if there is no margin for the maintenance of this "family", it will not reproduce its kind, and the successive generations of magnificent educators which have come from these family sources into the Colony will cease.

The Orders, however, recognize that they have in some respects relatively smaller commitments, and are willing that these should be taken into account in assessment of Grant; e.g. they are willing to forego any allowance for Passages or Provident Fund.

Composition of Staff.

We accept the principle of Paragraph 16 of the Report that the composition of the staff should be subject to the approval of the Director of Education, both on the introduction of the new Code and periodically thereafter.

If, however, any discrimination be made with regard to the type of teachers on the staff, it should be on the basis of 50% local or locally trained teachers in all schools, if available, as against any other class.

It should, moreover, be at the discretion of the Governing Bodies of the schools to fix the salaries of European teachers on an incremental basis, should they so desire.

Whenever vacancies occur, new teachers appointed should be of the standard required by the Code, provided that teachers of such qualifications and in the necessary sympathy with the practice and spirit of the school are available.

Plea for Retention of Grant in Aid Relationship on a Block Grant basis

We wish to substitute for the marginal principle of calculating suggested in the Report (par.29) the Block Grant System. This sort of Grant is enjoyed at the present time by the Hongkong University, and is also in use for similar schools to our own in Africa; it is moreover, the prevailing system for proprietary schools in the British

Isles.

Fixed Grant for Three Years.

We would further suggest that the Block Grant should be fixed for a three year term, and be then subject to revision. Alteration in Grant during the period such as is envisaged in Paragraph 33 of the Report, could be simply made, whether the additional demands on the school resulted from a new course, or from a change of staff.

Possible Methods of Calculation.

There are several possible methods of calculation of a Block

Grant/