AMONGST THE SCHOOLS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17429, 13 April 1922, Page 12

AMONGST THE SCHOOLS.

MINISTER OF EDUCATION IN TOWN. The Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister of Education and Public Health, arrived from "Wellington yesterday morning, accompanied by his private secretary (Mr Douvall), and Mr W. E. Spencer (offieer-°in-charge of school buildings), and commencing at 9.15 o'clock, had a busy day amongst the schools. Addington's Needs. The Minister opened his morning's work by a visit- to the Addington school, where he was met by Mr E. J. Howard, M.P., and members of the school committee, who wished for additional ground for the playground. Mr Parr was greeted with cheers by the children who were drawn up.under the headmaster (3lr R. B. Clark). The chairman of the committee (Mr Mark .YToodneld), said that the present playground was on the small side for a school of over 800 pupils; it was not even of standard size. The block that was asked for was about four acres in extent, adjoining the school grounds. Last year the residents had raised £BBS net, with which amount shelters hnd been erected, and improvements made to the Dspartment's property. At present the were something under foi'r acres in extent. The Minister: As for another four sires, you may put tint out of vour -minds right away. At the present time it is im"o«sib!e to provide any school with ei>ht acres.

Mr Wcodfield snid that th<> residents wore prepared to do n-1] in their power to assist towprds sett ; ng the block. Mr Pnrr: That's the kind of talk I like to lienr. "Mr Pnrr went on to say that he understood he was to be for one acre only. Tt wns rlrnnhfoTrndinpt for nn 'mnorerished Minister to be asked for four. • , , Mr VoodfrMd snid that £2OOO was the fttnnunt nsked for the property. Tlie Minister expressed his great ap-pre-iatioi: of what the residents had alritonv done, but said thnt four acres to each new school was nil that the Dooartmerit was now giving, and Addington already had that area. As a matter of fact, several schools had only one acre. Four acres wag his limit. If the residents could assist, he might consider an additional acre, but unless they -onld find tho bulk of the money, the •natter of four acres was out of court, ■it present, school sites were not being increased, all the available money being put into buildings. Mr Parr, in conclusion said that he was prepared to recommend the Government to find hair the amount needed for the one acre* Mr Parr inspected the sites, and reiterated that be would agree to find £ for £ for the one acre A Creditable Building. _ j The Minister next proceeded to Phillipstown, where he inspected the new main school building, which is now approaching completion, The school is built by .the Canterbury Education' Board with its own labour, under its foreman. Mr B. Riley. The Minister expressed himself as- extremely pleased with the building which he considered „ was going to be one of the very best new schools in the Dominion. Tho Board, he said, was certainly getting great value for its money, and he thought Mr llilcy was to be warmly congratulated on the work. • West Lyttelton School. On the way to Phillipstown, Mr Parr received a deputation from the West Lyttelton School Committee, duced by Mr J. McContbs, M.P-, who desired extension and improvement wbrfc done to the extent of. something under £SOO, the committee undertaking to find the. money by the sale of Government debentures. ' - Mr Parr said he considered the proposal'a fair one, and'he would discuss it this morning with the Education Board. If the Board approved, he wovdd be willing to agree. Lyttelton Gaol Site. ,',■•- Mr Ct. Lester (Mayor of Lyttelton) headed a deputation which asked that the Lyttelton gaol site, .with six house properties adjoining the whole belonging to the - Prisons Department, should be handed pvep to the Borough Council, which would undertake to put the whole in order for a recreation groufid for the Lyttelton main school, i'he whole of the property was. recently ottered, for sale, one house being sold, and Mv Parr expressed his astonishment that the gaol sits was on the -market, stating that the distinct understanding had been that it should he given by the, Prisons Department to the Education Department, to,be handed ovef to the school. That had been definitely fixed, and'he waß sure that. Mr ke® could hot have Been aware that the site had been offered for sale. Inv regard to the house properties. Air McCombs said that their cost would oe about £3OOO, While it would take that amount or more to demolish the gaol walls and put the whole property m order, which, the Borough Council .vas prepared jto do for the school if it were given the additional area. The man who had- bought the single house .vas prepared to cancel the sale if the. Council obtained its request. Mr Purr said the property belonged to the Prisons Department, wlhich .rould expect him to pay over the £3OOO f the Education Department got' the. kind. .■.. ■■•; ~''■'■ • ' : -

Mr McCorabs said he thought, it would pay the; Minister to do so.- His own suggestion waa ;thdt Mr Parr should | compensate the Prisons'Deportihent by landing over part of tho Te Oranga property. If tne particular site asked tor. were not 'acquired, the school could [ iot.extend in the future. j -■ in reply, the Minister said tKat,so ax on nis iDeoartinent's paying £3OOO I /as that proposition could >e ruied out at once.' In regard to Mr). deCorabs's suggestion, he had conldered the proposal before, and had turned it down." He did not like iie idea-' of selling part of Te Oranga -o help ■ another, eciiofel. ■ Te Oranga. was ~ problem to him. No one seemed to v&nt it for education purposes, but he ■/as very loath to sell it, or part of it, a he had previously been pressed to b. the Government was certain to /ant it for some purpose or other later n, and he thought that it would pay ' much better to keep it ea at present, ,vith a. caretaker, than to get rid or t, with a result that the Government it some future date would have to buy uow land at a high price. His.policy vaa to transfer or sell none of it, but to keep it intact. In reply to a question, Mr Parr said ie might consider an alternative suggestion that the residents should help themselves by. selling Government debentures. He would make no promises, but woul'd-consider the whole matter. New Eichmond Site.' After a-brief inspection, of the North. Linwood School, where .tuO children were at drill, the Minister proceeded to the Richmond School, wheie he was met by lb D.,-G. Sullivan, M.P., Mr J. Bur(chairman of the Scnool Committee), and various members of the committee and of the Education Board. The request put to the Minieter was that an additional acre and a quarter adjoining the new site of about three, ncres should be acquired, The ; price) naked was £1650, and it was pointed out to the Minister that when the new ; school was erected, the present site could be sold to the city, wihiih would more than cover the expenditure on the dditioiml Area.. . ;'• The Minieter said that if the present site were to bo sold now, the position.

would be different, ae the money would then he available for the proposed purchase. A sale some years hence was, however, another matter. Personally he thought that £IOOO odd for the additional area was ridiculous, and he would not pay it -even if times were good. Mr Burgess eaid that last year the residents had raised £IOOO by a oarnival. Mr Parr: You ChristcHurch committees are really first-class. Your selfrtlinnce and keenness are admirable. After inspecting the area, the- Minister said that for the next six months, new sites would be "off the slate," as all his available money would be needed for buildings. Personally he'thought that one and a-quarter acres was too large for the purpose, and he considered that the committee should go ahead and purchase threequarters of an acre, which he considered was worth about £4OO. He would promise the committee that he would pay £ for £ up to £2OO. ■ Visit to Shirley. Leaving Richmond, tho party proceeded to Shirley, where Mr Parr visited the various class-rooms, and inspected, with interest, the moveable out-door schoolroom. Members of tho Education Board asked for a grant of £6OO, promised by Mr Hanna some years ago, towards the cost of the now recreation ground opposite the sphool, which was a-'ouired by the Board under tho Public Works Act. Tie matter will be cons'dered when Mr Parr meets the Board to-day. Land and Building Wanted. On the way to Rangiora in the afternoon, the Minister called in at the Papanui Srhool, where he was met' by Mr T>. Jones, M.P., tde chairman of the School Committee (Mr W. R: Smith) and members of the committee, who nfiked that additional land to the extent of about threequarters of an acre adjoining the school's present area of two acres, should be acquired. It was pointed out to the Minister that the school had a roll of about 240, and the attendance was continually increasing, but there was no room for games such as football, cricket etc. Improvements to existing school buildings were also asked, m the way of rebuilding a portion built in 1872, and now showing decided signs' of decay. The Minister again stated that he was doing nothing in the way of sites at present, but if the residents did something in the way of raising money, ho was prepared to recommend Cabinet to subsidise the amount £ for £ up to->£2oo, if the site could be got for £2OO. As regards the building, he would see what the Education Board had to say about the matter this morning. A-Movable Schoolroom. Returning from Rangiora, Mr PaT v'jTted the Waimaari Scfiool where, as at Shirley, there is a. large moveable schoolroom. The building was erected by the Education Boarcrs own staff, and cost £I2OO. The Minister expressed himself as hisdilv delighted with the structure, which he considered was almost a whole school in itself, and was much better than most schools in the way of ventilation.