HIGH SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3120, 26 June 1917, Page 7

COUNCIL OF EDUCATION'S RECOMMENDATIONS ONE CENTBAL SCHOOL FOR HUTT ' . VALLEY ' l ? si; ,reek the Cewictf I°"' k , lnto consideration tho T 0f l everal (lish-icls in regard to J 7 educnl ? cm - One of tho districts Vnilii. un< ler notice was the Hutk +iin en Te P or 'r 'lealt with tho posiSrms"— Ticl; iiv r °" owin S| There ar& at present two district high wchools m this locality, distant less than . 5. miles from -each other ; one at Petone 'With ; last quarter,.and jne at -Lower-Jlutt with an average •of 01. There are .also about iID secondary .pupils travelling daily to Wellington,, in order to attend the Boys* and/Girls* and •Technical Colleges. Tie present secondary schools-in Wellington are overcrowded, tho numbers being 493 at tho Boys' 'College and 512 at. the Girls'—numbers w,hich are generally considered greater tha.il what can be efficiently dealt with in one school under ono head. There is therefore'the additional necessity of reserving the pressure in these schools. The "population.of. the two boroughs of Petono •and Lower. Hutt is about 12,000, and tho total population of the Valley is consider, ably more.- The general opinion of memhers of: the council-is that, the second '■district high school should never have Keen ■ established, tat that Ixtth' 6hnuld Jierhapa ha continued until a secondary school can ha built, to serve the whole tdistrict. It. was pointed out that a fullytsquipped secondary school with a'staffof iroin 6is,to teachers would provide snuch better educational facilities than the existing district high schools. There was, however, considerable rivalry- ' between the two parts of the district, and there existed strong differences of opinion as to where the secondary school should 'be located. Members, of the council suggest that the board controlling the new secondary school Should also control'tho technical classes in the district; and that besides tho ordinary general seoondary school course the school should be required .to . provide instruction in . vocational courses suited to the needs of tho district. It was- pointed out, however, that the cost of purchasing a suitaWo erea for a school and of erecting a building was so great that there is no hope .of obtaining the money from tho Govern? went until after the .conclusion of tho war."

The council's recommendation was • as follows as booh as opportunity offers the two district high schools at Petone and. Lower Huti should bi> disestablished and a high school established for the Hutt Valley, provision being made in the scheme of control for suitable courscs of a vocational ' character." OTHEE DISTRICTS. Other recommendations of tho council were an follow Lytteltoii.—That the proposal to close the district high school bo postponed pending the obtaining of further informaBulls.—That the committee las no recommendation to mate with'reference to the closing of the secondary department of the. district high school, as'tie TCgultu tions N cover the case. Huntly.—That a.district high school be established at Huntly. Taumarunui.—That the question of the establishment of a district high school be postponed till further information is forthcoming. ' HelensviUe.— I That the information before the council is insufficient to warrant the establishment of a district high school it present. . Pukekohe.—That 60 soon as opportunity offers, a secondary school be established at Pukekohe, and that in the meantime tho best provision bo made for secondary education at the existing district high school.

. Feilding.—That the council should bo supplied with .further information before considering .the application-for the establishment of a secondary school at Feilding. :