VENTILATION IN SCHOOLS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12461, 26 March 1906, Page 5

VENTILATION IN SCHOOLS.

TO THE EUITOB OK "TUB TRESS." Sir.—The subject of ventilation in 6choois is one which should receive the most careful attention of school committees and of the Education Beard. Tho condition of things may not be exactly as Mr Aiken describes it ; but it cannot be denied that the subject has no:, received proper attention from time to time. The Education Board may expre.* its willingnces to con/dder any representjition made to it. bui the Board, like the Education Department at- Wellington, sometimes moves :it a very slow pace. It is a fact, that the East Christchuroh School Commit too made repeated representations to the. Board for the proper ventilation of some of i.e. rooms !w?fore the slightest attention was paid to them. In fact, it would be no misrepresentation to say that- but for the persistent application to the Board by the Committee some time ago. with regard to one or two of its badly ventilated rooms, no attention would have been paid to the matter. It would be interesting to know who is the responsible party to see to the proper ventilation of all our schools. Is it the Sohool Committee, or is it the Education Beard? Who is it that designs our schools? Has the School Committee any part in that niAttcr, or is it left entirely in the hands of the Board? Some time ago I was in the infant department of the. Addington School, and tho ventilation then? .seemed to be almost perfect, the contrivance in use causing the air to be constantly changed. Who is responsible for the system of ventilaticn in operation in that school? And if it is a good one, why should it not bo extended to all the other schools under the Board's (supervision ? In my opinion the Board should see that the very bestsystem of ventilation should exist in every school in the district, whether the School Committee applies for it or not. It is high time the Board was waking up to a sense of rt* duty in attending to representations made to it by School Committees. No doubt it attends to a few details promptly enough, but there are many matters which are, placed before" it which it quietly shelves for a "convenient season." I have never been able to understand why a Public Board or a. Government Department should not give the wnne prompt attention to any matter placed before it as am ordinary jjlaoe of business would give to an order from a customer. It would, perhaps, be impossible for any Board to grant all the requests which aro made to it, but it ought, as a matter of courtesy tr> the applicants, and as a duty it owes to the public, to promptly enquire into all matters laid before, it.—Yours, etc.. BUSINESS MAN.