SECONDARY EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 837, 8 June 1910, Page 6

SECONDARY EDUCATION.

HUTT VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL. 'About 20 residents of the Hutt distriot attended the public meeting eanvensd by the Mayor of. the, borough: (Sir. E. P. Bunny) for the purpose of considering the question of moving for the establishment, of a high school proper for the whole of the Ilutti Valley. ■ ■ The Mayor, in stating the .object of. the meeting, said that the education authorities had given it as their opinion that tlw site .of a secondary institution which' would serve the needs o£ the cal'ley should be somewhere in the vicinity of the-railway station. The suggestion, was that the site originally selected, for. the gasworks should be set apart tor secondary education. . Mr J. H. Wilson, chairman of the Hutt Main School Committee, reviewed the history of the recent agitation which, had been'carried on by the, people, of, Petone for the 'establishment of a nigh school proper in Petone, and said that it was idle for Petono to say, as had been said that the interests of the Hutt would, not bo affected by the establishment of such an institution. In his opinion, they would be. affected. The time was vet ripe for a high school proper for the Hutt Valley. At present there were vfl pupils' on the roll of Petone district High School, and 27 at. the Hutt District High School The capitation from -.his irumber would be quite inadequate to _ place a high school proper on a footing similar to such secondary, institutions as the Wellington College, which had large endpwmeiits. A . highschool for tho Hutt Valley should have, moreover, ample grounds for playingfields. While recording his' opinion that the proposal was 'premature, the speaker said that if it was decided to proceed further in the matter, some care should be given to the selection of a site, which, should be centrally situated. Somewhere near the railway station, it had been officially stated, was the proper position for tho school. The. gasworks site could n<*> now be used for the purpose for whichit h«d been originally acquired,_ and he thought that in area and position that site appeared to him to be very suitable. It comprised about four aoros. Tho llov. Jas. M Ca.w spoke in support of the proposal, and placed emphasis wi the necessity for providing amplo grounds' for the school. .... •Vfter further discussion, it_ was resolved on the motion of Mr. Risk-worth, seconded by Mr. F. Pinney :-''That it be a recommendation to tho Hutt Borough Council to offer the land lately purchased for a gasworks site to the Governmentfor the purposes of a secondary high; school."