NEW SCHOOL FOR HALS WELL

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27636, 18 April 1955, Page 12

NEW SCHOOL FOR HALS WELL

91-Year-Old Building Replaced

OFFICIAL OPENING BY MR J. K. MCALPINE The dream of -HalsweH school committeemen for many years was realised on Saturday, when they attended the official opening of a new £14,000 block of three classrooms. The new building will replace the first school block, which is now 91 years old. The Minister of Railways and member of Parliament for Selwyn (Mr J. K. McAlpine) performed the ceremony. Probably for the first time in the history of any government of New Zealand, educational authorities had not been able to spend all the money they had been granted, said Mr McAlpine. Votes to education had increased from £11,200,000 in 1949 to £26,600,000 this year. For the coming year, he believed, the estimate was more than £29,000,000. Shortage of manpower was the reason for the inability of education boards to use all the money they were given, said Mr S. J; Irwin, chairman of the Canterbury Education Board. “Today, at the end of the 12 months on March 31, there is a fairly substantial portion of the education vote unspent—in other words the boards have not been able to spend the money they have been given,” he said. “Tenderers, draftsmen, and architectural help have all been short. The cause is not with the boards or the department or the Government. But I think that within two or three years we will have caught up with the emergency.” Next year, he was informed, the vote would be larger and his board had on its lists a number of old schools, seme older than Halswell’s, due for replacement, he said. “We have only to glance at the old building and at the new one to satisfy ourselves of the need for this new school,” said Mr James McKenzie, chairman of the HalsweH County Council. The present roH of the school was 123, he said. The new building would house the very large infant department and the two highest forms. The rest of the pupils would be housed in the other block which was built in 1930.

Thanks .to all who helped towards the building of the new school were expressed by the headmaster (Mr G. D. Ashton), the president of the Parent-Teacher Association (Mr I. E. Cooper), and the president of the old pupils association (Mr R. Gardiner). Mr G. C. Warren, local member on the Education Board, offered his congratulations to the school. Speakers were introduced by the chairman of the school committee (Mr H. E. Hoyle). The new building follows the lines of many being constructed throughout New Zealand. Bricks and weatherboards are combined for the exterior wails of which wide, high windows are the dominant feature. Inside varnished woodwork and light-coloured walls give a clean brightness to the classrooms., A teachers’ room, a dental clinic, and toilet facilities complete the appointments of the block. A tender has been accepted for the removal of the old buHding and approval of the Education Department is awaited. The old school bell, rung to op en Saturday’s ceremony by the oldest pupil, Mr James Hayes, will be retained and suitably mounted near the new school.