Prefabs In New Schools Criticised

Press, Volume C, Issue 29662, 4 November 1961, Page 12

Prefabs In New Schools Criticised

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, November 3.

The Education Department policy which resulted in recently-built schools receiving temporary, prefabricated classrooms was criticised by Mr H. J. Walker (Government, St Albans) in Parliament today.

He was speaking during discussion on departmental estimates.

“Shirley Boys’ High School, which is only five years old, is already being asked to accept prefab classrooms," he said. “It is a new school—a very good one

“I believe it would be cheeper in the long run to spend a bit more money now, and build something permanent at the outset.” Mr Walker said that at Shirley Intermediate School, children were working in

five sub-standard, prefabricated classrooms, which were cold and draughty, and were most undesirable for children to work in. He asked the Minister of Education (Mr Tennent) what plans he had for replacing the temporary rooms with permanent buildings. « ‘The buildings must be replaced, but there is nothing on the programme for this at present,” said Mr Tennent. ‘The Canterbury Education Board has the matter under review.”

Mr Walker said that a new teaching block was needed at Canterbury Agricultural College Students were being forced to work through the night in laboratories, rather than be cramped during the day while other classes were being taught. He asked that the Minister give immediate approval for a new teaching block and also for certain aspects at research at Lincolif. Mr Tennent said that he was arranging a meeting with the chairman of the University Grants Committee and the head of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research to discuss research spending at Lincoln. He would try to see that any curtailment did not have the same effect at Lincoln as at other places. Mr M. A. Connelly (Opposition. Riccarton) said that the University of Canterbury Engineering School had been designed for courses of 400 students, but several of these had been put up to .00. He believed that the policy was for all courses to be expanded in She matter of accommodation to take 700 students. He asked the Minister whether any provision tor this work had been made in the estimates under consideration. “At the moment there is no provision, as there is no recommendation from the University Grants Committee,” said Mr Tennent ”1 can tell the member, however, that there has recently been • considerable payment for this work, and that more will be available for the extension.”