COLLEGE FOR BLEND

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28491, 22 January 1958, Page 16

COLLEGE FOR BLEND

£360,000 Project At Auckland "Tke Press* Special Service AUCKLAND, January 21. Site preparation for a £300,000 establishment for the blind of New Zealand is expected to start this year at Omai, about 12 miles from the centre of Auckland. The architects are working on the plans and the necessary money was approved by the last Government. This will be the first stage of a three-stage project to be developed on 55 acres of land. Hcanai is in the Manurewa area. Sir Keth Park, chairman of the Foundation for the Blind, said that tile buildings would cost £360,000, but the foundation would pay for such things as equipment and farnishingsStage 1 will provide educational facilities for about 100 children starting at kindergarten age. When the children are ready fqr secondary school, the present policy of sending them to established schools will be continued. There will be a hostel, playing fields and swimming pooL Plana for Fann Sir Keith Park said it was hoped there would be a model farm as well. “We feel we can train the children to take their place in the farming industry,” he added, “particularly on dairy farms. And we will be able to produce our own milk, butter and cheese for the school” He said it was planned to teach the children market gardening, glasshouse culture and animal husbandry. He felt it was important that they get used to animak "We can't teach these things at Parnell,” he said. “The school out there was bunt for 25 pupils. We have 65. And in five years’ time it is thought that we will have 100 at the present rate of increase.” There would be homecraft training for the girls; proper laundry facilities and training; arts, crafts, hobbies, and metalwork and carpentry training for the boys. Stage 2 in the development, which has no target date at present, win include a rehabilitation centre for newly blind persons. “We have no facilities at Parnell to rehahflitato adult*,” said Sir Keith Park. “We think that task is very important. There will be a modern physiotherapy department as weH.” “NJL wm Be Praod* He said Stage 3 had not been planned yet, but would include the transfer of the present hostels, of which there wore four for young men and women and old men and women. They would be moved to the new area—“lovely parkland.” “The project will be something that New Zealand will be proud of,” said Sir Keith Park. “It is not just something for Auckland but for the whole of the country. Now we are burning up a lot of money on very old bandings—plumbing, paintmg and patching

On May 28 last year the then Minister of Health, Mr J. R. Hanan, announced that the Government had approved construction of Stage 1. Sir Keith Park said that he wou’d go to Wellington soon to see the Prime Minister, Mr Nash, to ensure there was no change of policy. He said that the foundation would keep Parnell going as the Dominion headquarters of the movement, and the workshops would not only be kept there but also extended. He added that at present there were 2400 registered blind persons on the foundation’s list.