OVERCROWDED!

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 174, 25 July 1928, Page 9

OVERCROWDED!

AUCKLAND GRAMMAR SCHOOLS.

RELIEF URGENTLY NEEDED. I PROPOSED NEW BUILDING. "I don't like the outlook." said Professor A. P. W. Thomas, chairman of the Auckland Grammar School Board, to-day in referring to the overcrowding of grammar schools in Auckland. He said that the remedy would be a new school in the vicinity of Ellerslie, but the board had received no reply from the Education Department in regard to a recommendation made. Professor Thomas said that the position was most serious at the school in Mountain Road, but relief was also needed at the Mount Albert Grammar School and at Howe Street. As far as boys were concerned, the solution would be to have a new school to serve the eastern suburbs, which would relieve the Auckland Grammar School directly, and indirectly the Mount Albert School, as boys were at present being sent to Mount Albert who would find it more convenient to go to Mountain Road. "It appears that there is no prospect of having a new grammar school for next year," continued the professor, "and the position is becoming increasingly urgent." The question of additions to the Mount Albert School is before the board. The building was planned to provide for an extra six classrooms and two large workshops when conditions demanded. At the present time at Mount Albert there were only 14 classrooms to serve 17 forms, which meant that five masters were required to occupy eight different classrooms in the course of a week. There was continual shuffling of classes to cope with the crowding. The school had originally been built for 350. whereas the roll today was st>o. The classes had been enlarged in order to cope with the shortage of rooms. Professor Thomas said that it was imperative that a new grammar school should be ready for 1930, and there would be no need for delay after receiving the sanction of the Department to start with a new building. Plans of a suitable type were ready on the lines of the Takapuna Grammar School, which was opened two years ago. Professor Thomas said that it was proposed to build two extra classi .mis at the Howe Street school. "The Government has been reluctant to spend money," said Professor Thomas in conclusion, •"but our difficulty is that the number of free pupils is increasing every year. We should be in a position to keep pace with the demand, but at the present time we are not able to do that."