NEW SCHOOL FOR DEVONPORT

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 249, 18 October 1920, Page 8

NEW SCHOOL FOR DEVONPORT

OPENED BY HON. C. J. PARR. GREAT GROWTH OF AUCKLAND. NEW ZEALAND'S EDUCATION BILL. The new public, school at Vauxhall, Bovonport, was ntlirially opened on Saturday afternoon by the Minister of Education (lion. C. -I.' Parrl. Situated in Morrison's Avenue. opposite the Narrow Neck Military pital, the new buildinp stands in ihree acres of {{round. Tlierc is m-eommoda-tion for 200 pupils in four i-lass-roonis, and future enlargements to the prcmi.-e~ can be made without interfering «iili thr building as it now stands. The school's motto "Onward." whicli i< tlie same as that of H.M.s. New Zealand, has been set on a cement on the front of the seliool. The ground cost. £722, and the eonlracl price of the building was £44117. An autographic photograph of A i--count Jellicoe, presented on the occasion of his visit to the Dominion hist year, was unveiled. A KEEN COMMITTKE. Tn the course of his address (he Minister of Education referred in complimentary terms to the work of the Devonport. School Committee, which lie said had always been one of the best in New Zealand. Ho remembered the activity of its members when he was chairman .if the Auckland Education Board. He also paid a tribute to the late Mr. Kdward Bartley, the well-known architect, who had been a strenuous worker in the cause of education at. Povonport. Mr. Tarr said that Auckland City was progressing probably twice a«s rapidly relatively as any other Dominion (own, hence the necessity for new schools in the city and suburbs. He quoted lißures showing the remarkable increase in population in the suburbs of Auckland during Uie past ten years. WHAT NEW ZEALAND RFEXDS. Keferrint!: to the amount spent on education in New Zealand, j\lr. Pair said the annual expenditure now ran into £2,500,000. being more than double what it was six years ngo. In addition to that, sum Parliament, by a special Act of 1019, had authorised Government to spend £7">0,000 per annum on buildings and sites. Tt could therefore safely be said that the total expenditure in this country, taking everything into account, was considerably over £3.000.000 a year. The Minister pointed out fhat New Zealand was paying per head of the population more money on education than any of the provinces of Canada or the States of Australia.