A CENTRE CELEBRATES

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 98, 19 January 1933, Page 25 (Supplement)

A CENTRE CELEBRATES

intermediate school, was raised, as was also the question of amalgamation of the Technical School with the High Schools. These questions had been discussed for several years, and there was general agreement amongst the parties most interested that these proposals would be advantageous both educationally and economically. The matter of expense of new buildings, etc., and the scrapping of existing buildings had influenced pre-earthquake consideration of these prospective changes, and had precluded any decision in their favour With an almost clean sweep of the school buildings by the earthquake, the discussion of these questions received a fresh impetus. If any reorganisation was to take .place, this was the time to do it. And so it was decided. The main issues having been decided, prompt steps were token to implement them. New’ primary school buildings were erected at Napier Central, 6 rooms, later increased to 10, and at Nelson Park, 8 rooms. No provision was made in the new buildings for the pupils of Forms 1 and 11, who would attend the Intermediate School, which it had been decided to establish as a

separate school on the site of the former Technical School.. Hnforrunately, delay occurred over the erection of the Intermediate School, As already stated, the new Technical School building had been badly damaged. It was not beyond restoration, but it was found thatjhe repairs ami strengthening would be so extensive that rhe cost would be not less than the cost of a new school in wood. Tim Public Works Department wished io recondition rhe building: the local educational authorities’wished to have it demolished and a new school creeled. No Napier parent desired his child to be educated in a.two-storey brick building no matter how strongly it was restored. Who can blame rhe parents? Eventually the local authorities had their way. The new Intermediate School, in which instruction will be given to pupils of Forms I and 11 only, is now almost completed, and will be opened on February ), 1933. Prior to the quake, there had been in Napier a Boys’ High School, a Girls’ High School, and a Technical High Schoo). This resulted in overlapping of curricula and . in duplication of courses. - There had for long been a strong feeling in many quarters locally that the Technical High School, in addition to the. High Schools, was unnecessary. True, there were many

strong advocates for the separate technical school, but the combination of circumstances arising out of the. earthquake was too strong for them. A continuation of the three schools,- instead of two, would have involved the erection of two new schools instead of one (the. Boys’ High School building required strengthening and repairs only').. The saving in the cost of salaries ami administration, if amalgamation were effected, had also to be considered, and eventually the amalgamation was decided on. The Napier High School Board and the Napier Technical School Board were dissolved, and the Napier Secondary Education Board was con

stituted to control all post-primary education in Napier. Extensive Building Programme. Since its inception in September, 1931, the board has had Ln hand an extensile building programme. A new Girls’ High School is now almost, completed, and will be occupied on February 1. 1933. So quickly has the school roll re-established itself since, the quake that a contract for additions to this building has just been let. The Boys’ High School, a brick building, has been repaired and strengthened, and in some portions rebuilt. The erection of extensive new workshops has just been completed, while a new dormitory block, in wood, has been erected to accommodate 50 boarders. While there may have been different opinions locally on the merits of the reorganisation schemes, there have been no differences over the nature of the material to be used in the new school buildings, all of which have been erected in wood. The experiences of the quake have not been lost sight of, and the wooden buildings are much stronger in construction than hither-

to. The buildings, too, are all of handsome appearance, and are in keeping with the general fine design of buildings in the New Napier, By the end of January, 1933. the whole of the new educational buildings will be completed, and once more all the school children in Napier will receive their education under comfortable, congenial and healthy conditions. The Hawke’s Bay Education Board suffered the full effects of the disaster in Napier. Its offices, although not badly damaged structurally by the quake, were completely gutted by fire, and only a few records were saved. The board made an early decision to rebuild, and its new offices in Browning Street are well in keeping with (lie many line buildings in Napier. The district controlled by the board extends from Woodville to East Capo, and the expenditure to date on the restoration and repair of schools in Napier, Hastings and district totals £37,375. To ascertain the total expenditure on buildings arising out of the quake, the cost of High School buildings in Napier and Hastings must be added, and this brings the total up to £57,375, of which sum £39,000 has been spent on buildings in Napier. This

'T'HE formal portion of rhe opening of rhe New Napier is to fake place on January 2.1, when a procession will assemble on Marine Parade at 9.30 a.in. and will proceed to McLean Park. On its arrival the winner of the Queen Carnival will be crowned with due pom]> and ceremony. Later in rhe morning the band contest, specially arranged as part of the carnival week, will open. This will be continued in the evening when some of rhe most interesting competitive sections will be held. The New Napier is to be officially opened by the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe. who with the Lady Bledisloe

amount of £57,375 does not represent the actual loss. New buildings have been erected in wood, whereas buildings destroyed were erected in brick, and at a time when building costs were higher. The approximate original cost of the destroyed buildings- is £98.600. 'The earthquake was an overwhelming disaster in every sense, the children having had their full share of its consequences. The conditions under which many of them have had to be taught have been of the worst, but it is pleasing to record that the setback occasioned by the earthquake is being gradually overpome. With the full restoration -of school facilities and the accommodation of the children in comfortable and earthquake-proof buildings, the schools .are rapidly returning to their former high state of efficiency, and the experiences of the past two years, which can never be forgotten, will but serve to remind the children that human nature is ever hopeful, and that it is never more so than in the face of great adversity.

New Napier’s Carnival Week PROGRAMME OF ATTRACTIONS Poriod ol Rejoicing It is -filling that the official opening of The New Nabicr should be accompanied by carnival celebrations. Not only is the occasion worthy of public rejoicing and festivity, but the ’ chief centre of Hawke's Bay in years gone by has been noted for its summer carnivals. The New Napier Carnival, which will open on Saturday, January 21, promises to revive the carnival tradition with attractions even more varied and elaboratethan in the past. After almost two years of unremitting toil, the magnificent results of which are outlined and illustrated in this publication, Napier's citizens have banded together to celebrate the rebirth of the place they are proud to call their home. The reconstruction period has proved that they do not do things by halves. They have worked well and they will play well, offering the visitors in their midst a generous week of holiday enjoy in ent.

and the \ ke-Reyal party intends ro spend several days in the centre. On Saturday afternoon an air pageant is to be presented under the direction of -officials of the Wellington Aero Club, in addition to the many uuiqne features being provided, the pageant will be attended by Sir Charles Kingsford. Smith. It will be held at the Napier Club's grounds, Westshore Embankment. Band concerts are to be held on the following day, Sunday, and it is expected that the majority of visitors will avail themselves of the opportunity of attending services in the churches.

On the afternoon of Monday. January 23, the Governor-General will offf-‘ dally open an arts and crafts exhibition in the Diocesan Hall, Browning Street, and the Napier Hospital on Hospital HilL The exhibition, which is being arranged by rhtf Napier Society, of Arts and Crafts, will contain an interesting collection of old photographs showing Hie development of the centre from the ’fifties to 1931. The official opening of the rebuilt hospital is expected to attract a large, attendance of residents and visitors who will see in the work already completed a record of reconstruction typical of the centre as a whole. During the same afternoon naval sports will be held on Marine? Parade in honour of the visit of H.M.S. Laburnum. In the evening an athletic meeting, embracing running, cycling, and general field events, will be held on Mcl wan Park. Monday evening is also the oc-audoa-of ouo of the special attractions of the carnival week—a Bed Cross ball to be held in the Drill Hall. Coote Hoad. The ball is to be. attended by their Excellencies, and extraordinary preparations have been made to ensure that it will be remembered as one of the outstanding social episodes in the community’s modern history.

NAPIER CARNIVAL Week-end Train People of Wellington and district will have an easy, opportunity of enjoying some of Napier's carnival in celebration of the. town’s triumphant recovery from the buffet of the great earthquake. To help Wellington citizens to take the Napier tonic as cheaply as possible, the Railway Department will run a special week-end excursion train which will leave Thorndon at 12,55 p.m. next Saturday afternoon. Passengers will be picked up at the principal intermediate stations. As Monday will be a public holiday, the return train will not leave Napier until 1.5 p.m. that day. Trams for suburbs and buses for Petone and Hutt will be waiting at Thorndon on the arrival of the train at 11.26 p.m. The excursion tickets will be also available for return from Napier on Tuesday by the Napier-Wellington express.