ASSISTANCE TO SCHOOL COMMITTEES

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21865, 19 August 1936, Page 7

ASSISTANCE TO SCHOOL COMMITTEES

TO THE EDITOE OF THE FBES9. Sir,—Being a member of a school committee which is not receiving a fair go from the Canterbury Education Board, I thought it was about: time that the public knew what a hard job it was for a committee to get anything done in the way of repairs, etc. For some years, and, in fact, right up to the present time, whatever we ask for is either refused, om account of lack of finance, or if it be repairs it is referred to the board’s foreman, and the job very seldom done. When the new Parliament was elected, we, as a committee, looked forward to a little better treatment, but, alas, we were sadly disappointed. When we read in the daily papers that other schools are having bicycle sheds erected, rooms reconditioned, and many other things carried out, it makes one wonder is it because we are in the wrong district •or db we have to have someone to pull the strings for us. As school committees are expected to raise money to provide the children with sports material and many other things, I think it is a disastrous state of affairs that the board should refuse us what we ask for, however necessary it may be. At our last householders’ meeting there were barely enough present to form a committee, and it is\no wonder* with the treatment that we receive from the board. About two years ago our committee raised a sum of money with which to provide the school with an up-to-date library, and the board was notified that we would spend the sum of £SO, providing it installed shelves in which to place the books; but we were refused on the grounds of lack of finance. After an interview or two, we were given some timber and told to do the best we could with it, which was very poor encouragement for future occasions. Remembering that old proverb, “A stitch in time saves nine,” before the first tferm holidays last year the board was notified that * the asphalt was all cracking and breaking up, and asked that it be repaired before the winter I weather got into it. Nearly' 12 months later a small section of this job Was done, and we are still waiting for it to be completed. For the last three or four years, we have been complaining to the board about the draughty doors on the open air class rooms. They are sliding doors with from half an inch to an inch gaps in between them, but apart from the, foreman trying an experiment that was not successful, they are still the same. Children sitting near them on boisterous days in the winter time have to wear their overcoats in school to keep w’arm, which is unhealthy for the children. Early this year the bicycle shed, being insufficient to accommodate half the pupils’ bicycles, representations were made to the board asking it to erect another shed. We received the usual reply, lack of funds, so, remembering what we had done in regard to the library shelves, we asked would the board supply the material and we would do the rest: but once again it was a matter of finance. arM, of course, the bicycles are still out in the weather, A sump from one room that has never been trapped to comply with the health regulations was referred to the board’s foreman a month ago, and if we are lucky we may get it done during the summer months, perhaps , after an epidemic of scarlet fever has broken out.

During the last 10 years, a considerable sum of money has been spent on beautifying and improving the school grounds, and what was once bog is now one of the best school grounds in Canterbury, but no thanks are due to the Education Board for this, as all the money was raised by socials, etc. We, as committeemen, being mostly in business, understand we have been through difficult times, and would not think of asking for anything unless it was necessary, but we do expect to get d little more assistance from the board, and not constantly get knocked back, or next election it will be nearly impossible to get anyone to stand for election.—Yours, etc., A MEMBER OP THE SPREYDON SCHOOL COMMITTEE. , August 13, 1936. [The Education Board did not answer anonymous Tetters, said the secretary, Mr L. E. Rowley,.to whom this one was referred. If the correspondent wished, he might communicate directly with the board.]