FOUR IN ONE.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 136, 11 June 1929, Page 9

FOUR IN ONE.

CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL

SECONDARY AND PRIMARY.

OFFICIAL, OPENING AT RTTAWAI

« SOLVING A GREAT PROBLEM."

(By Telegraph.—Special Reporter.)

DARGAVTLLE, this day.

The argument that good roads are essential to the success of consolidated schools was advanced by several speakers at Raupo to-day, when the Minister of Education, the Hon.* H. Atmore, opened the consolidated school at Ruawai. Settlers gathered for the ceremony from far and near, and generally expressed satisfaction at the consummation ot a scheme tliat has brought a more efficient educational system ™ s^oolj has given them a district thus obviating the necessity of children who require secondary educ tion at Dargaville. . ' "We now feel that our scTiood is a credit to the district," said •■ • • Hames, chairman of the committee,in welcoming the.JIM-- and deputfsing for the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, Mr. A. Burns (qhairman of the Edu tion Board) and Mr. D. W. Dmtop («ecretarv). He paid tribute to Mr. Coates, and those who bring the consolidation of t ,i' t—; Awarua, and Wlennarna schools to finality. , "This fine school, embracing secondary as well as primary education, » on* of my dreams come true, dec ar ' • Murphy, a settler closely identified with the scheme.

Good Roads Essential. _ "While regretting that he stnking a note out of harmony with the occasion, the Mr. E % H. Corbett, explained that if the scnoo function properly they must have a service that could be relied o , ° , roads, so that children could te p^ctu ally transported to buses mechanical defect in onei of t , een used to convey the children 1 ofi the road 105 ten days, thus torow,

ing a greater burden on the other vehicles and the smooth working of the institution out of gear.

While agreeing with the headmaster, Mr. Kodney Coates, chairman of the Otamatea County Council, said that the council was not altogether at fault in the matter. While admittedly the main road was good some of the arterial roads were not. Though the Euawai Riding had £600 earmarked for a road improvement scheme, and they had arranged for a £ for £ subsidy on the amount, monetary authority had been delayed. He complained that in the past_ the north had not had the same expenditure on roads as other parts of the Dominion, although their roads served as feeders to the railway, and others, being heavily subsidised, ran parallel with the railways. In stressing these facts he was only desirin°- to help the Minister in his work in the north. He urged the Minister to use his influence to get sanction from the Minister of Public Works for the expenditure of £600, and also £1000 in lien of the different iteins aggregating that amount, held up till alter the end of March, which could be used for general road works in the county. Mr. F. A. Jones (Mayor of Dargaville) congratulated the district on this fine modern school and favoured the extension of consolidation throughout the district. Centralisation, he said, was in the best interests of the board, the teachers and the children. The children when being transported _ to school were under supervision than if attending school in town.

"An Object lesson." Owin°" to the reference made to roads -vr r A ° Burns was a little doubtful whether the board had not tate in consolidating the district 'spools. The Minister might, however, be prevailed upon to see that the roads were im "You ßd are an object lesson to other parts of the province and if your school is a success other districts will quickly follow your example," Mr. Burns added. Air. J. Hoe, hoard member for the district, congratulated the district on' the consolidated school. The establishment of an educational centre such as you have here," he said, "I believe is Joinc a long way to solve the great problem of how to co-ordinate theoreti-i eal learning and academic training with practical work on the farms." Minister's Congratulations. The Hon. H. Atmore outlined the policy being pursued as being calculated to give education m the district agri-,

cultural bias. He agreed that Mr. Rodney Coates had struck the right note, and felt it was not fair to place the full burden on the pioneer for the construction of roads. Assistance should come from the Consolidated Fund, and he assured the settlers that he would be pleased to carry their representations for the expenditure of money on roads to the Minister of Public Work 3 and the Cabinet. Dispelling the fear expressed by Mr. Hoe, that education boards were in a state of flux and that the control of education would be centred at Wellington, he said: "I want to keep in touch with committees, members of boards, and teachers throughout New Zealand. One of the proposals that make for the betterment of education is unification of control. That does not mean that boards should not know where they stand. I believe in the board system, and that it keeps alive local interest. I do not believe in three boards in one centre controlling education affairs. It is a wicked waste of public money, and I would have only one controlling body in each centre. Education is a continuous process and it is only right that there should be one controlling body."

1 In declaring the school open, the Minister said he hoped the boys and girls who passed through the school would go out into the world well equipped to give that service that New Zealand required from the future generation.

Deputations. Later the Minister received numerous deputations, his capacity for work being demonstrated by the fact that his secretary was forced to take notes in the dark, while the Minister sat in a dim light. Several times during the day he stressed the fact that centralisation was the best means of taking education to the country, and urged settlers contemplating moving in that direction to have a round-table conference to discuss the scheme, should there be any desire on the part of some faction to j continue their own school owing to a sentimental attachment.