OPEN-AIR SCHOOLS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19623, 20 May 1929, Page 9

OPEN-AIR SCHOOLS.

FENDALTON TYPE ADVOCATED. Dr. R. B. Phillipps, School Medical Officer, Canterbury, had some interesting comments to make on the discussion at the meeting of the Education Board on Friday regarding open-air schools, when a representative of Tan Pnma saw him on the subject. Dr. Phillipps is well-known for the keen interest he has taken in the open-air school movement, and in 1927, while on a visit to Europe, saw various types of open-air schools in England, Scotland, Wales, Ceylon, and Australia, and discussed open-air schools with leading educationists., including Lord Eustace Percy, president of the English Board of Education.

"The Open-Air Schools League," Dr. ' Phillipps said, "has been most patient and persevering, and, speaking as a school medical officer. let me say that 1 am deeply grateful to the members and to the executive for all that they have done to improve condition* in our schools'. I feel confident that the League will continue its efforts to educate the public and thus make smooth the way of those reforms so urgently needed in our education system. I am very sensible of the efforts made by Sir James Parr and Mr Wright, when they held the portfolios of Education, to establish open-air schools, and I would urge the League to help the present Minister to fight against the forces of stagnation or reaction." Dr. Phillipps went on to remark that school medical officers have no say in the matter of school buildings in Canterbury, and to his knowledge since there have been school medical officers in Cbristchurch their advice has never been asked for. He wished that dearly understood. The type of school wnich met with his hearty approval was the Fendalton type; it most nearly approached his ideal of what an open-air school should be. One reason why he strongly advocated the adoption of the Fendalton typo of classroom was on the grounds of economy. There were thousands of old schools throughout the country which require to be replaced, and he was satisfied that by adopting the Fendalton type it would be possible to build twice m many schools for the same money as would be spent in erecting less suitable ana less healthy structures. This was sufficient to show that he was not satisfied that the country was getting full value for the money that is being spent on school buildings. His point of view, Dr. Phillipps continued, was the same as that of his colleague, Dr. Eleanor Baker-Maclag-lan who, some 14 years ago, reported to the Education Department the matter of adopting a cheap form of openair clasisroom and who, at the same time, forwarded excellent plans of the class of school she bad in mind. Unfortunately her suggestions twon dear ears. There were now some 38 classrooms of the Fendalton typoja N«J Zealand, and when it is that this result has been •*s£* **Z spite the unsympathetic *to™*<* officers of the Education DfJ*f to * D *' and that these open-air j£"**J*£ been built at the argent r*Mrt<rf »• parents themselves the imM> **• forced upon one that ***"*%"f" iype had a great deal to commend it. Dr. Baker-Maclagan, one of tho Canterbury school me&cal officers, mid that personally she liked immensely the Fendalton type of open-air school, and liked it better than any open-air school she had seen. tthe had no fault to find with tt from any point of view.