A NEW SCHOOL.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19286, 16 April 1928, Page 7

A NEW SCHOOL.

LINWOOD AVENUE DISTRICT. FORMAL OPENING.

The new Linwood Avenue School, which is of the Tetnuka type of openair school, was formally opened on Saturday afternoon by the chairman of the VJanterbury Education Board, Mr C. S. Thompson. There was a numerous attendance, and before and after the actual ceremony tne detached class-rooms, constituting the school, were inspected and were much admired. Another advantage is that the school adjoins the Linwood l'ark, so that, in addition to tne grounds ••u-jwi the school buildings, tiiere is plenty of playground facilities- Saturday afternoon's gathering was attended by the Mayor and Mayoress (Mr and Mrs J. K. Archer). Mr L. E. Vernazoni, chairman of the School Committee, who presided, extended a welcome to' all present, and said that apologies had been received from the Hon. Mr Wright, Minister for Education (who wished the new school every success), Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P., andl Mr R. Carter, chairman of the Linwood School Committee. He said that it was gratifying to see so many householders present, and he asked' them for their direct interest in, and financial support for, the school. Some people considered that •their duty ended with the payment of rates and taxes but they also had a duty to their children. The majority of schools found it impossible to get : on with the grant made bythe Board, and therefore the financial support of the householders was needed. He thanked Mr Thompson and members of the Board for their kindness; he believed that they had only to ask the Board for what they wanted, and they would get it. He spoke highly of the work done by the temporary headmaster, Mr W. M. West, since the school opened last Tuesday. The Mayor was the next speaker, and, on-behalf of the whole City, very warmly congratulated the residents on getting a new school. When one looked at the rooms and thought of one s own schooldays one was amazed at the great strides made not only by education, but also in educational equipment. Such schools as the Linwood Avenue School must have a tremendous influence on the children who attended them. Their health, must benefit greatly, and after haying experience of such accommodation they would not be satisfied with squalid housing conditions, and would want homes to correspond, to some extent, to the schools. He bad neen delighted to notice in one ot the rooms that the pupils were being taught through the eye as well as through the ear. If the school was to be a success the committee must have the co-orieration of the teachers. Mr E. H. Andrews, a member of the j Education Board, said that some years ago, when chairman of the Board, he had opened what was regarded as j one of the first open air schools m Canterbury, if not in the Dominion, at; Sumner; later he opened the fresh air school rooms at Fendalton; and it was a pleasure to attend the opening of ( the Linwood Avenue School. Open air schools were still in the experimental stage, but in the Linwood Avenue School they had the latest in school architecture. He was gratified when he thought that when chairman of the Board he had prevailed on the then Minister for Education (Sir James Parr) to purchase the site on which the. school now stood. The site had appealed to him (the speaker) because it adjoined a park. He knew that the Mayor agreed with him that the parks were for the children, and that it was a jolly good thing to get schools alongside them. It might surprise them to hear that from the official point of view there were objections to open air schools—the cost of the extra land required, and the laying out of the ground. He suggested to the committee that when planting the grounds they should plant native trees. Linwood avenue was going to be one or their best schools, and he foresaw the time when they would have to do more building. .„ , , . Mr Vernazoni: You will have to be on the job very soon—already .there are 252 on the roll. , Mr C. S. Thompson, chairman of the Education Board, in formally declaring the school open, said that he wanted to pay a tribute to the chairman of the Board of 1920—Mr E. H. Andrews—through whose foresight thd land on which the school stood was obtained. The'site cost £3127, for five acres and a half, with house, and he supposed there were many present who would offer twice that amount for it now. The grant from the Department for the school buildings was £3961, and they were fairly hopeful that the cost would come within that figure. If the Board was to give the committee all it wanted he feared that it would mean another £IOOO. He did not blame the chairman of the committee trying to get as much as possible before the school was taken over. Iho playground was not so good as it ought to be, and the chairman of the Building Committee and himself were going "to try to get it covered with screenings, or scoria (Applause.), so that the children would not get their feet wet in rainy weather. He was not going to promise that finally; but he was going, to do his best at the next meeting of the Board. The committee elected last week was going to be a great success. It was necessary that there should be good feeling between the householders and the committee between the committee and the teachers, and the children under their charge. In Mr West, the temporary headmaster, they had a man of urii doubted integrity and high ability. Speaking to the ; boys and girls he urged them always to have the honour |of their school very much at' heart ( and to try to reflect honour on thenschool and their teachers. He desired to pav a tribute to the Board's architect, 'Mr G. Penlington, and to _ the Board's works manager, Mr B. Riley. There had been no such thing as skimping in the buildines which would last for many, many years. Whether the Board had built them as cheaply as private enterprise could have done, he was not prepared to say. There were some builders in the audience who would disagree. He formally declared the school open. Those attending the gathering were nrovided with afternoon tea by the ladies.