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46
ascertained that the standard is only too often
departed from. The origin of this practice will be
best understood by a perusal of the following extracts
from a Report to the Sanitary Committee dealing
with the question.
Conditions
relating to
(a) premises
staff, furniture,
and
apparatus
The "places provided" in any school are determined in accordance
with Article 85 (a) of the Code, the portions of that Article pertinent
to the present case being as follows :—
85.— The Department must be satisfied :—
(a) that the school premises are healthy, are properly
and constructed and arranged for teaching, lighted, warmed, cleaned
atus drained, and ventilated, are supplied with suitable offices, and contain
sufficient accommodation for the scholars attending the school,
and that the school has a sufficient staff (Art. 73), and is properly
provided with furniture, books, maps, and other apparatus of
elementary instruction.
N.B.— Subject to the conditions laid down
in the body of this Article (85 (a) ) schools already
receiving annual grants will be regarded as accommodating
the number of scholars for which they have been
hitherto recognised by the Department, provided that in
no case there shall be less than 80 cubic feet of internal
space, and 8 square feet of internal area for each unit of
average attendance.
No room may be habitually used for a larger number
of scholars than that for which it is passed by the
Department.
But for the concluding paragraph of the above extract, the matter
would be very simple and clear. In elucidation of the last paragraph
reference may be made to the 73rd Article of the Code, in which permission
is given to have an excess attendance of scholars to an extent of
not more than 15 per cent, above the number for which the Teaching
Staff is deemed to be adeauate. The Article is as follows :—
Minimum
school staff
73.—In determining what is the minimum school staff required, the
Department consider the principal certificated teacher to be sufficient
for an average attendance of 60, each additional certificated
teacher for an average attendance of 70, each assistant teacher for an
average attendance of 50, each additional teacher approved
under Article 68, and each pupil teacher employed during the whole
of the school hours in the general instruction, for an average attendance
of 30, and each probationer for an average attendance of 20.