CUST SCHOOL

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27094, 18 July 1953, Page 3

CUST SCHOOL

URGENT NEED FOR NEW BUILDING

BOARD’S REQUEST TO MINISTER

Because of the urgent need for rebuilding the Cust School, the Canterbury Education Board decided at . a meeting yesterday to send a special recommendation to the Minister of Education (Mr R. M. Algie) to put the rebuilding of the school on the Education Department’s 1953-54 programme. When a householders’ meeting was held at the school in April a strong nor’-west wind was blowing, and the building shook so alarmingly that members decided the school should be closed in nor’-west weather because the building was unsafe in a strong wind, said Mr F. T. Ager. The school of three rooms was built in 1879. with a fourth room added in 1883. The last room, was demolished in 1946 when partial remodelling was carried out to provide lighting • windows to the north wall of the school, said an architect’s report. “Weather boards have rotted and some are missing. Studwork and framing is borer-infested and interior linings, except for plaster work, are the same. This is a very windy district, subject to north-westerlies of gale force, and the west wall of the building has been buttressed to provide stability,” the report added. The chairman of the board (Mr S. J. Irwin) said the building was not safe. He had put a strong case for a nejv school before the Minister last month.

A letter was read from the Assist-ant-Director of Education (Mr C. G. S. Ellis) stating that he was unable to recommend to the Government that funds be allocated for the rebuilding of the school, but when progress of other building works was more evident it might be possible to submit the case of the Cust School as a special one. He also requested that the matter be submitted again towards the end of the year. The chairman of the buildings committee (Mr A. Manning? said a great deal of time was wasted in having plans made if they were not going to be accepted by the department. “Was it not part of the propaganda campaign for a large loan floated recently that part of the money would be devoted to schools?’’ asked Mr A. E. Lawrence. The chairman: That is so.

The board decided to send a full report on the condition of Cust School to the Minister, emphasising the urgent need for a new building. Other Projects

The building committee also reported that a letter had been received from the department expressing regret at its inability to include an amount to cover the cost of a manual training centre at Darfield in this year’s estimates. It requested that the board get in touch with the department again towards the end of the year. It was -decided to send a copy of this letter to the Darfield School Committee, which had protested at the delay in the provision of manual training facilities at the school.

The department approved a grant for ground improvements at the Spreydon School, but requested that the calling of tenders for the new classroom block be deferred until further notice.

The rebuilding of a residence at the Marshland School would have to stand over for the current year, and would be considered at the 1954-55 period, according to information received from the department. No reply had been received to the chairman’s telegram to the Minister expressing the board’s and Marshland School Committee’s concern at the department’s decision. In reply to the department’s inquiry as t o whether the rebuilding of the Teremakau School was considered necessary in view of the reported decline in the local school population, it was decided to advise the department that a survey of the position showed the necessity for proceeding with the project.