THE TECHNICAL COLLEGES

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21826, 4 July 1936, Page 20

THE TECHNICAL COLLEGES

# URGENT AND FUTURE NEEDS COMPLAINT OF DELAY BY DEPARTMENT Needs of the Christchurch and Papanui Technical Colleges, for the satisfaction of which the Technical College Board has waited for some time, were discussed by the board last evening. A report by the chairman, Mr T. W. West, emphasised the urgency of the need for typewriters and engineering equipment at the Papanui College, for work on the grounds of the college; for alterations and extensions at the main school, including more common-room and cloax-room accommodation for the staff, more cloak-room space for boys, enlarged ofnee and book-room accommodation, and gymnasium and workroom reorganisation. It was decided to write to the Education Department, bringing to iis notice again the urgency of these needs; also that the architect’s attention be drawn to the need for grading, draining, and grassing the site of the new school. Of these grounds Mr West reported that at the department’s request tenders for the work had been submitted to Wellington, but nothing further had been heard. In his report the chairman remarked that it was unfortunate that no decisions had been obtainable to the board’s requests. A further suggestion that the portfolio of education should occupy the whole time of one Minister caused some controversy, and was eventually deleted. New Building Suggested “We must remember that we have before the present Minister requests for something like £15,000,” said Mr J. W. Roberts. “The present Minister is very careful of expenditure, and the £15,000 certainly will not provide for our needs five years hence. The Minister may think it better to spend £ 50,000 and provide a new home altogefher.” Mr Roberts suggested that it might be to the board’s advantage that no decisions were being made immediately about increasing accommodation at the main school, where, he understood, eight new class-rooms were needed. If new buildings were put up, all the existing playgrounds would be excluded. “If we could scrap this building and have provision for 10 or 15 years; it would fe§ * gpod thing.” pad.

Mr West replied that the requests £ * be . +°?, r l no f before the department totalled only about £4OOO. The additional £II,OOO was part of a larger scheme. « r be F ts: xt is before the Minister. Mr West continued that the major scheme was not the issue, but the immediate needs of the colleges. The previous Ministers were more to blame than fee present Minister. M * do not think that the time has come when we ought to press for thess matters,” he said. "Surely extra coat accommodation for our boys is not a serious matter. As a board hav* j* tm fthk aaSiUge.”