SCHOOLS INSPECTED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 54, Issue 195, 31 May 1934, Page 6

SCHOOLS INSPECTED

BOARD MEMBERS IMPRESSED.

EIGHT DAYS' TOUR IN COUNTY.

URGENT NEED FOR STATE AID. After spending eight days in Ashburton County, members of the Canterbury Education Board this afternoon completed the inspection of every school in the district. The object of the visit was to obtain a first-hand knowledge of the condition of the school buildings and the playgrounds, and to ascertain the requirements of committees. Those who made the inspection were Messrs W. P. Spencer (chairman), S. Smith and G. W. Armitage (members of the Board), and Mr S. Bignell (the Board's foreman). Mr Spencer told a "Guardian" reporter this afternoon that the inspection had been of a most valuable nature. At every school, some members of the committee had met the Board members, and had placed before them a number of requirements."" A report of the visit would be filed at the Board's offices, and as requests came in from committees it would be referred to. , ,

"We have been greatly impressed by the'enthusiasm that is being displayed by school committees in the interests of the children," Mr Spencer said, "and we have noted with interest the care they have taken in making school grounds attractive. A vast amount of work has been done by the committees without any hope of assistance bw way of subsidies, and that alone shows that members are taking a real interest in the affairs of M;he schools which they control. "We think that the Government's action in cutting down the education vote was a most ■ drastic step in the wrong direction. It has been a cruel blow to committees to have the subsidy withdrawn, but we are applying to the Department to have this grant reinstated, and we are hopeful of success." Mr Spencer commented • favourably on the very healthy appearance of the children in the County schools. The three town schools had been found to be in particularly good condition, and the Board members had not failed to notice the good work the committees were doing. Messrs Smith and Armitage supported the chairman's protest in regard to the policy of the Department in reducing its maintenance grant. In many cases, they pointed out, the buildings weer old, up to 50 years' old, and they had reached the stage where deterioration was increasing rapidly. If proper maintenance work was not done soon through a restora- , tion of the grants, the Department would at an early date find itself face to face with the necessity of providing a very large sum of money for re- j newals and repairs.