SOME CRITICS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19332, 9 June 1928, Page 16

SOME CRITICS.

OPEN-AIR SCHOOLS. COUNCIL OF EDUCATION DIVIDED. (THE PEEBS Special Service.] WELLINGTON, June 8. , "That in view of the success that has attended the adoption of the principle of the open-air school in Canterbury and other parts of the Dominion, this Council recommends the Education Department to advocate this principle as a general policy in the building of new echools," was the text of a motion proposed by Miss E. A. Chaplin (Christehurch) at to-day's meeting of the Council of Education. She emphasised the success that the experiment had been in Christchurch, the children being in better health and brighter, teachers were unanimous in their praise of the open-air school, and such schools received the endorsement of the medical profession. This view was endorsed by Mr W. A. Banks, who said that he was convinced from what ho had seen in Christchurch that the open-air school was the school o{ the,future. No teacher, once having taught in an open-air school, wanted to go back to tho old-style schools. "The Department is not antagonistic to open-air schools," said Mr A. Bell, Assistant-Director of Education, "but it is feeling its way, as the open-air school is not beyond the experimental stage. When making health comparisons the newest type of'school erected by the Department has to be considered. In our modern schools there are windows on both "sides, ensuring adequate cross-ventilation, and I deny that they are not open-air schools." Question of Space. There was the question of space, too. Tho open-air type of school took up a lot of room, class-rooms being dotted all round the place. In towns there often , was .not the space available; in fact, . so restricted were they that schools often had to be of two storeys. Another drawback was the difficulty of • Seating. The central type of heating • used m the modern school would not be possible in bad weather. Communication between isolated class-rooms was not easy, and the cost, when a teacher ' a residence was added, seemed to be about equal. "If it is proved that there _' is a substantial benefit to the health of ' the children jn open-air schools," coneluded Mr Bell, "the Department will offer no opposition." '- •. M ' .J* ?' ™* ( An <*land) said that ..* visit to Christchurch' had not convinced him of the virtue of the open•.mr school. The amount of space re- . ouired. was certainly a drawback; as was • also the fact that children in. .them seemed to sit in their own light, While 'the teacher was always fating a glare. He advocated caution and guidance by' the results. ' ' * . J "Modern Tjrpe the Best." ■;' ' After referring to open-air -schools ;•• in Canada, Mr J. B. Kirk (Gisborne) .said he thought" that for our climatic .conditions the modern type of school as being erected by the Department, was . the best. ..... • "The experiment has been tried in Wellington and was a failure," remarked Mr P. H. Bakewell (Wellington). ■ * The open-air classroom, which was to , inaugurate: a new system . and which was thought so ranch of bythe Health '..■; Department is now. walled up." He thought that the Department was doing . * he ri thing in going warily,, there being a certain amount of prejudice to overcome./,. "The. Open-air school is logical outc6nie; oi! the Plunket Society, on v which. New Zealand prides itself so much ) '»declared<Miss Carnachan '(Auckland). She mentioned an exchange - teacher from South Africa who said: If ■ I have nothing else to take-back with : . from New: Zealand I have the idea the open-air school. ft.^';s.':.^>' ; v..-, Absence of Noise. ": ;^:( ';^f:;^r : E. : XJ. : Banks (Auckland) stressed !"■•' .the' absence.' of noise which the openi ; W school provided, saying that > v;■;;■•. ■ he:' was sorry 'to see waverers sitting round the table. ■■■.-'. • Mr J. E. purchase (Christchurch) said •,'..-■;.'.';,'•■ .that-there was insufficient data to go by. 7 He was of theopinioii'that the Department's modern type bfi school was bet-V-'-VO-/ter.iri-many.way«!, .;" .'•'"..'.'" "If we adopt the-policy of wait and ' see we shall get nowhere. The public , is tired of that policy," declared Miss Chaplin before the motion was put. It was. impossible to avoid shutting out the all-important,-violet rays if the modern • type -of school was adopted. Struc- . ■'", tures of brick and ston'e will stand for •100 years as hideous monuments of our -' lack of whereas the' open-air type of school can'be easily remodelled or removed." The bungalow school got children near to Nature. She concluded that her resolution did not preclude further investigation. Tho motion was lost by 10 votes to '4. the ioHowing amendment being caT.ried: That in view of the success that '■' lias, attended the adoption of the principleof the iOpen-air. school in Canterbury other, parts of the Dominion. '-,' this Council recommends the Education ,":"■ Department; to investigate thoroughly : this principle when considering its gen-eral-policy in the building of new Schools.. Mr Bell gave the assuranco that the Department would undertake careful - and thorough investigation. ■ '.. ... v/" ■',' '\ , \ ~".; '..',.. '.