NEW SCHOOLS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20027, 8 September 1930, Page 5

NEW SCHOOLS.

PLANS BEING PREPARED. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. Asked yesterday if he could state what the position was with respect to the proposed new Technical College a Papanui, for the construction o which Cabinet has made a substantial grant, the Minister for Education (t 6 Hon. 11. Atmore) said that the r®* vision of the plans was proceeding. Certain alterations were being but the drawings would be ready a most immediately. "I regard it as an argent mattef," said the Minister. Plana foi tho Milne Street bchooi were under way, and improvements at Sydenham and East Christchurcli wouia have to bo tackled. At neither ot; two latter schools was the P™" satisfactory, and ho regarded their■ construction as the most urgent in Canterbury. „ "Tho Department is. of course, being pressed for new buildings_ in evciy P of the Dominion especially in w". large centres," said the MiM " "Some of the early buildings ha\o now reached the limit of their us e*" ln ®f' and must bo replaced, while «ie growth of population also necessitatis construction of now schools, have a problem in some of tlie o»u stone and brick schools, such as Normal here, which are hard handle. We cannot clear up any one district in a year. As funds permit, necessary work will bo done, but tlie Department has expended considerable sums in this district on the West Coast, in building a new school at Blackball, and additions to tn«s Groymouth Technical School. If all the requests were met the amount ©' money available would bo spent sis times over." Some of his critics had objected to his visiting the schools but he had gained more knowledge of the needs or the various districts than lio could have acquired in anv other manner. The Education Boards could toll hun the order of urgency of undertakings in their respective districts, but ho had to nrepare a list of works for the wholo Dominion.