HAREWOOD SCHOOL

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30498, 21 July 1964, Page 14

HAREWOOD SCHOOL

Celebration Planned

The one hundred and third anniversary of the Harewood Public School will probably be celebrated at the beginning of next year, a meeting of the school board decided last week. A further meeting, to discuss the form which the celebrations will take, will be held on August 11. The centennial of the founding of the original Church school in 1862, which fell two years ago, passed unmarked because of a dispute over the date on which the centennial should be held. The various anniversaries up till now have been held in accordance with the date on which the school became a State school, said Mr M. J. Smith, headmaster .of the school, yesterday. But Harewood School, which began as a Church school in 1862, did not become a State school until January 6, 1872, he said. In its early years, the school was described in the Church record as the Wairarapa School, and did not receive very favourable mention until 1864, when its facilities were improved. In the Canterbury Gazette of 1871, the school’s district was given as extending from the Waimakariri river to Fendall Town road. At the time of its change to a State school in 1872, the average attendance, because children had to work at home, and the distance many of them had to travel, was 24 out of 50. Part of the present building was erected in 1889, and this was added to in 1908 and 1930, said Mr Smith. At present there are a number of pre-fabricated classrooms, but it is hoped to have these replaced with permanent buildings by the end of the year, he said.