STRONG PLEA FOR A SCHOOL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 805, 30 April 1910, Page 6

STRONG PLEA FOR A SCHOOL.

THE POSITION AT NOEMANDALE. A SEMPAIHETIC BEPLS. Some interesting remarks on.the principles which guide the Education Department in dealing with applications for grants for the erection of small schools' were made by the Hon. G. Fowlds (Minister for Education) to a deputation, of"'Nonnandala 'residents which waited upon him yesterday.' ' Mr. Wilford, M.P:, said that tire lack of a school was an old-standing trouble at Normandale,'whicn was' situated "away, away on. a mountain." Ho pointed out that there.was a suitable reserve in the township, lie number of children'were sufficient to constitute a school. He proceeded to say that when the settlers there took up their sections'a'-school site was shown on the'map. The not care how small a building was provided so I long as they, got a school. Mr. Bell said that the settlors had been trying to get'a school for five years. He stated that the Hutt School was overcrowded, and that somo of their children had to go to Alicetown. In order to get their education, the children had really to put in a working man's day. As a result of the absence of the children so long from home the parents were: not. ablo to exercise su -much control as was desirable. 1 Ther* were 28 children within the school radius, and another 23 vho could attend the school. Other members of the deputation stated that if a school was authorised settlers would, eJear' the section. In going to school now the children had to pass a.dangerous crossing, and .there, were frequently . ; .restive- horses along the. narrow, steep roads. The Minister (in reply) said that he could only deal with' applications of the kind through the Education' 'Board. The last communication be had received from the board was dated September 9, 1908. At the time the information as to the number;of. children and distance they had to travel to ,tbe Hutt did not .seem, to warrant the erection of a school. He therefore' thought that the: residents should put the latest facts before the board for its consideration. He r would like to point out that the cost of jproriding schools for all parts of the Dominion was very costly. There were numbers of cases where children were more isolated and had to travel over worse roads. , With .(foe many urgent claims . then before the Department and • the, v amount of the vote, Normandale ,did not come wiiiiin the range of urgent cases. ' Mr. .Wilford: Well, Hutt district only wants two schools just now— SuVerstreain and Normandale. Mr. Fowlds: But you must remember that there are SO districtß in the Dominion. . . Mr. Wilford:' Some time • ago you were reported as saying thai, the educational requirements of som districts had been met. . Mr. Fowlds: I/must have been misreported: (Laughter.) Resuming, Mr. Fowlds said that the Departmentrecognised that in time a Bchool would be required atNormaadale; But he wished to point out that children could not get as good an education at a : small "school like the one at Normandale was botmd to.be as in , a school which was . subdivided into classes with a teacher for each. Mr. Wilford: It would depend on the teacher. . Mr. Fowlds declared that it was, as a rule, better to bo under an-inferioi teacher, dealing with a single class thai under a teacher who i had to take the whole of the classes in the_school. Before erecting a small school in the proximity of a wen-equipped school,' the Department had therefore to hesitate until it became absolutely necessary, ' Personally,; he did not lay very much stress on the hardships involved in ' children going a, couple of miles or sc , to school in New Zealand. ' Mr. Wilford: That is all very well af regards the flat; but in places lfk< Normandale it is a very different mat : Mr. Fowlds added that, if tlie deputation would supply the board with tb< laiost information he-would give His matter sympathetic consideration whir i it was referred to him. .