AKAROA.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14909, 6 March 1914, Page 9

AKAROA.

OPENING OF NEW SCHOOL

ADDRESS BY -OX-STEP, OF

EDUCATION

(FROM OUR SrECIAL COERESFOXDENT.)

AKAROA, March o.

The new restrict High School at Akaroa was officially opened by tho Hon. James Allen. Minister of Education, this afternoon', in the presence of a largo gathering of local residents. Tho school is built on an ideal site on a low hill fronting tho bay, and midway between the two ends of the town. There are four acres altogether, and when the grounds are laid out and planted, as is proposed, the general surroundings will be most charming. Tho old school building, now being vacated, is the second building on the present site that has been used for school purposes. Tho first room of the last building was err>et od in 1873, _nd additions mado in 187., and the last (the small room) in 1879.

Tho new school, built to replace the old one, has been built on concrete foundations. The outside walls are hollow, aud the partitions are of solid brickwork. Tho building is plastered throughout, and has cement-rendered dadoes. Tho threo classrooms are 13ft Gin high, and havo large three-sash windows with reinforced concrete mullions. Tho upper and lower sashes open inwards, as hoppers, and givo ample light and ventilation. Other ventilating sashes are fixed high up, also "Tobfn" air tubes in tho outsido walls, which are regulated on the inside with plain lattice design, and louvred fresh air inlet registers. Four ceiling vents are fixed in each classroom, connected with metal trunks to ''Boyle's'' air-pump cowls, fixed on the ridge outside, and forming outlets for the vitiated air. There aro two sh/irt corridors with a hat and cloak room and lavatory, in which stout racks have been fixed. Ample cupboard accommodation is provided, thero being a cupboard for each classroom and ono for general purposes. Tho building has a Marseilles tilo roof. The heating is by the ordinary open fireplaced in the angles. Wall blackboards are provided. The two front rooms are separated by a moveable panel door partition, which, when opon, forms one large room suitable for tho teaching of singing, etc., and for annual meetings and functions, as required. Tho site on which the new school has been erected was purchased for £1200, and tho lease right for £200. The contract for the building was let to Mr Geo. White for £1737. Generally the new school has a most attractive appearance, and catches the eye immediately the township is sighted from tho hills 'ou the way over from Little River. Five members of the North Canterbury Education Board were present at the'opening, namely, Messrs H. Boyd (acting-chairman), John Jamieson. C. H. A. T. Opie, E. Andrews,, and Geo. Rennie. Regret was experienced that the Board's architect, Mr G. Penlington, an old Akaroa boy, could not bo present on account of illness in his family. Mr J. R. Newton, chairman of tho local School Committee, was tho first speaker at the opening ceremony, and ho expressed the utmost gratification that after five years of effort the new building was an accomplished fact. He read an apology from the Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, member for the district, who expressed profound regret that on account of his "having to fulfil a public engagement in the North Island he could uot attend tho opening of the school. The Hon. J. Allen said he had never been to Akaroa and it was a great delight to him to visit that historic settlement. Ho explained that the reason for the absence of Mr Rhodes was that he and Mr Rhodes had exchanged centres, Mr Rhodes being present at the closing of the Rifle Association's meeting at Trentham, whilo he (the speaker) came to the South Island to visit Akaroa. Continuing Mr Allen said that Akaroa had outlived the usefulness of the old wooden school, and bad replaced it with a handsome brick building. The school was built partly out of funds which were furnished to Education Boards by the grant for the replacement of worn-out wooden schools. The grant did not provide for the erection of brick buildings, but the Education Department had always, so far /as ho knew, favourably considered an application by a Board to pay tho difference between the cost of a 'wooden and a brick school. Tho day would come, ho thought, when wooden schools would have "to be abandoned altogether. He hoped that the site would prove adequate for all time, for one of the difficulties he had experias Minister of Education was that, in the early days, those providing for schools were not ablo to foresee what future requirements would be. The Minister briefly referred to the development of district high schools in the country. It was not possible, he said, to establish socondary schools everywhere, and co the best had to be done under tho circumstances by developing the district high school system. Tho demand for larger schools was growing in ail parts of tho Dominion, and it was not an easy task to finance all the requests made. All the Department could do was to meet the most urgent cases. He could give an assurance that the Department and the Minister, not only the present one, but previous ones," had full sympathy with all the requirements of education in New Zealand, and were, trying to carry out what was necessary to meet those requirements. Mr Allen paid a high tribute to the work of the school teachers throughout the country. He honed that before long the Governmont wou'd be able to improve the positions of the teachers. Last year some little improvement -was made' in the teachers' salaries. He felt, and so did the Government, that no certificated teacher should work for less than £100 a year. The minimum was raised to that amount, r.nd annual increments were also increased from £5 to £10. The noncertificated teachers also got an increase in salary under the proposals of last year. Next year he would promise—and that promise would be carried out —that further consideration would bo given the salaries paid to the teachers. tie hoped t«> make things better for them, not only in the primary schools, but in the secondary also. In tho secondary schools the teachers wero, in his opinion, very much underpaid,'and he hoped to make their position more oomfortable in tho days to come. Mr H. Boyd, acting-chairman or the Education Board, said that the Board had given to Akaroa the best 6chocl it could. The whole of the schools round about tho Bays, ho added, were getting into a. dilapidated state; and in a few years they would have to be replaced. Mr John Jamieson, a member of the Beard, urged that tho committee should take in hand forthwith tho improving of the school grounds. Mr C. H. Opie, another member of the Board, paid a high tribute of appreciation of the architect, Mr Geo. Penlington. Mr J. D. Bruce, chairrrian of the Akaroa High School Board, mid Mr Goo. Armstrong, Mayor of Akaroa, spoke briefly, the cerer->ny at this