TECHNICAL COLLEGE BUILDINGS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25306, 4 October 1947, Page 2

TECHNICAL COLLEGE BUILDINGS

BOARD PRESSES FOR IMPROVEMENTS Christchurch delegates had put bei? re _ the Minister of Education (Mr H. G. R. Mason), a request for the immediate erection of the new workshop block and a number of new classrooms at the Christchurch Technical College, said the chairman of the board of governors of the college (Mr T. W. West), reporting to the board last evening. Mr Mason had with him the director of Education (Dr. C. E. Beeby), and the delegates explained to them the decrepit state of parts of the college, and said that unless repairs and building were commenced shortly, the board would have no other alternative than, to reject'some pupils next year, said Mr West. Mr, Mason’s reply was that the building of houses was the most essential priority in building construction, and that labour and materials were being diverted, almost exclusively, to that end. The Minister admitted, however, that work on schools, in some cases on a fairly large scale, was proceeding in certain parts of New Zealand. “We emphasised the long periqd of years in which no real additions had bden made to our buildings, and the very considerable growth of the college during that time,” said Mr West. “We told the Minister that the increasing roll numbers each year made it necessary for us to use old and otherwise unsuitable building's in which to accommodate our classes. We expressed the opinion to him that too little had been done in the last 20 years for our school, and that it was one of the largest in New Zealand.” Mr West said he pointed out to the Minister that, in the event of an accident occurring to members of the teaching staff or to the pupils—as had happened, with no serious result in the past—through floorboards giving way in the old and unsafe classrooms, some of which were 60 years old, the responsibility for accident compensation would lie with the Government.-.

Mr Mason agreed that a full statement should be submitted to him in writing, and promised that he would place the case before the Building Controller for his immediate attention, said Mr West.