CHILDREN TO STAY

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21284, 2 October 1934, Page 12

CHILDREN TO STAY

—♦- Fendalton Parents' Resolution MEETING AT SCHOOL LAST EVENING A meeting, which was attended by nearly 200 of the parents affected, was held in the Fendalton School last evening to discuss the instruction of the Canterbury Education Board that all pupils attending the school from outside the school district should be sent elsewhere. The meeting unanimously decided to support the steps the committee had already taken to try to arrange the matter with the board, and also decided to continue to send the children to Fendalton. Mr A. E. Byrne presided, and after appealing to the meeting to be fair to the board, outlined the correspondence and meetings that had taken place between the committee and the board since March, 1933. Newspaper representatives were not admitted, but the following report was supplied after the close of the proceedings:The resolution was:—

'•Having received a full explanation of the steps taken by the school committee to ensure the continued attendance at the Fendalton School of children from outside the district, this meeting of parents affected approves of such action, and, having received the assurance that accommodation at Fendalton is adequate, resolves that the continued attendance of their children at Fendalton shall net be interrupted." Speaking of the reasons that led the committee to take the steps it did, Mr A. Stewart said: There is no real overcrowding, the average area of floor space for each pupil, based on total floor space of 6332 square feet and on average attendance of 486, is 13.03 square feet. Moreover, nearly the whole of the class-rooms are of the open-air type, providing health conditions immensely superior to those obtaining in schools J of ordinary type. i Official Boundaries The official boundaries of Fendalton school district were fixed about 50 years ago. since when there have been great changes in distribution of population, particularly on the outskirts of our boundary, between the Avon river and the main arterial road. Riccarlon road. Parents in this part naturally send their children to the more convenient school. My committee feels that an adjustment of official boundaries is long overdue. The householders of Fendalton have at very considerable financial sacrifice extended both buildings and school grounds. Our first open-air classroom was built out of funds raised by the committee with the help of the Rotary Club, and successive school committees, in association with an excellent headmaster and staff, have persistently striven to establish at Fendalton a model suburban school of the open-air type amid beautiful and attractive surroundings. The realisation of this ideal has entailed much sustained effort and considerable sacrifice, but that their efforts have not been without success is indicated by the many parents outside the district who. quite unsolicited by us, have elected to send their children to Fendalton. and medical men have specially prescribed this school as most suitable for certain cases.

The recompense for tills valuable, educational work is a peremptory demand from the board to exclude some 20 per cent, of our pupils, and. moreover, to do this towards the close of the school year, thus dislocating and disrupting the general working of the school and seriously affecting the interests of individual pupils. In recent years, for one school purpose or another, approximately £2OOO has been raised locally, and in some cases, at least, parents of children whose exclusion is now sought have generously contributed to the betterment of school conditions. Is it unreasonable that these parents should take strong exception to the action of the board? Ample Accommodation As, in compliance with the boards instructions, no further ex-district pupils have been admitted for some time, and no others are to be admitted, it is claimed by my committee that any possibility of future overcrowding will be averted and ample accommodation be available, for some time at least, for all children within the district . The latest report on the school, August. 1834. is of a very complimentarv nature and makes no reference to overcrowding, nor is there the slightest indication that the efficiency of the school has suffered in the smallest degree from this cause. Mr L. C. A. Byers said that the boundaries were long out of date. He lived outside the district, but was actually nearer to Fendalton than he was to Wharenui. which was in his district. Mr G. H. Lawrence, who said that the attendance was .sufficient proof of the interest of the parents in the subject, said that he had specially selected Fendalton School for his children and was strongly resolved that thev should continue to go there. He wanted to know what was at the back of the movement to exclude the pupil* He questioned the authority of the board to dictate to parents what schools thev should send their children to. Mr C. Scllars said that Fendalton had grown because of (he enthusiasm and energy of the headmaster (Mr A R. Blank) and the stall, and also because of the development of the district. Another inducement was that the parents had spent generouslv on the school. The boundaries should certainly be adjusted to meet the present needs of the district.

Actions Approved Mr C. E. Anderson, speaking as a-i old committeeman, warmly approved of the actions of the committee, and expressed the strongest disapproval of the proposal of the board. . Mr H. Manhn-e said that he objected to his child crossing Riccarton road to attend any other school Mr T. Butler said that he had been advised by a doctor to take his child from a city school and send him to tcndalton. The child had benefited markedly during his time at Fendalton, but he was now expected to take the child away and send it back to undesirable surroundings. The resolution was then moved bv \l V b , ' A Byei ' s and seconded b'v Mr P. L. Smith. Mr J. Cruse said that ho thought the board s authority could not "be defied. Dr. Robinson Hall said that -i< a parent he strongly supported the resolution. He believed that if a test case were taken the action of the committee wouid be vindicated. Mrs Gonrlay suggested that the parents should stand firm and refuse to send their children elsewhere Mr H F. Penlington said that he had studied the floor space in one or two schools which claimed some of the Jendalton pupils, and had arrived at the conclusion that if one-third of the outside pupils from Fcndalton were sent away, one at least of the other --chools would be in a far worse positirn than Fc-ndslton for ovovcrowdhi" I The -onlinued exclusion of out=id° i pupils coming new to the school would very scon right the position. After the resolution had been nut and carried unanimously, Mr ,7. Johnson asked whether the parents wore prepared lo continue to send their children to Fcndalton. The chairman

] put the question to ::.e :-..-.-:tisg. *r i received a mum.:-- - . ..;*.:« they would. ! Mr J. L. H:iv ; ... '.. e ■-' ; publicity should u _. . t--" :I .V iter, a» the pioLU:.. > _:.<_<; " > i other parents Ue.-.e!.- ; ■•:c^'-'-\' j On the motion •■: : '1 '- . : dowson. a motif; . : ..- t '-' | <'hairman ,-md • ■-. ■ '■'■'■ \ handling of •!-,.• :: ;•-. \:w l "'" i was passed.