TEACHERS' RESIDENCES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 857, 1 July 1910, Page 11

TEACHERS' RESIDENCES.

PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS. •• At its May meeting the Wellington Education Board received a circular memorandum from the Education Department, stating that tho Minister had under consideration the question of making some provision'for the important but necessarily costly work of school residences. From returns obtained from tho boards, it appeared that there were about 1000 of these buildings in the Dominion, of which 484 were without bathroom or wash-house. There were, approximately, 200 residences of three to five rooms that needed improvement, and the cost of tho improvement was estimated at ,£18,0(10.' As' in many cases, however, the residences were occupied by single teachers, the Department estimated that an expenditure of about .£12,000 would probably suffice to meet all the cases in which it .is cxpedieut to spend money at once on improvements. Tho Department asked for a list of residences defective in any of the particulars named, dealing especially wilh those not more than twenty years old. At a meeting of the board on Tuesday, the secretary (Mr. G. L. Stewart) presented tho following report on the condition of tho various residences in the Wellington education district:— "There aro in tho Wellington Education District 71 residences, a number to bo shortly increased to 75 by erection of three new residences, and purchase of one.

"Tho condition of the buildings may bo classified as: Very good 31, good 28, fair 5, inferior .7. All except three havo been overhauled and painted during the years 1905-10. Bath. Washhouse. Provided 35 46 "Unprovided 30 25 "Of the residences, 21 have neither bath nor washliouse. Tho Secretary for Education appears to exclude from tho estimate of proposed improvements any considerable expenditure on: (1) houses over 20 years old, (2) washhouses or baths for houses of over five rooms, (3) additions to or conveniences for houses of ono or two rooms, (4) houses occuj pied by single teachers to whom the residence is of no advantage. I have, however, submitted estimates of the cost of raising to the five-room, bath and washliouse standard, all the residences which furnish less than that accommodation.

"J have conferred with the inspectors nntl clerk of works in reference tn residences which are so old or in such fond condition ns to render any considerable expenditure undesirable. It is recommended that application Iju mndo fop house allowance for the head teachers Upper Hutl, Kkctnhuna, and .I'nliiafua; and that tho teacher al Karori, the building having been condemned, be required to accept house allowance on such ternto as tho board may, determine, the

Department having agreed to pay house allowance; Wainui-o-mata, that application be? made for a new residence; and that tlio residences nt Tmihereniknu ami Kohinui bo specially considered by the board.

"During the past four or five years the board, recognising (hat tho comfort of tho teachers required its sympathetic attention, has introduced baths into seven residences, and provided nine washhouses, vhllti small additions have been made to three residences. It is suggested that, iti view of tho recent communication of tho Department, a refund should be obtained of at least a portion of this expenditure, which amounted to over JjBOO."

There are in the drilrict lb icsldences which were erected over '10 years ago; five between 25 and 30 years; ten between 20 and 25 years; ten between 15 and 20 years; one between live and ten years; fid t? under live vcars.

Thirty-ono residences have a baili and washliouse, four a bathroom only, 15 a washliouse only, and 21 neither.

An estimate is also given of tho cost of improvements to residences over and under twenty years old, so that each will bn provided with at least five rooms, a bath, and washliouse. Tlie cost of the former is estimated at .£1404, and of tho latter .£1541.