SAFETY BARRIERS AT SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 22, 21 October 1937, Page 8

SAFETY BARRIERS AT SCHOOLS

Doubt As To Legality

Further discussion on the erection of safety barriers at school entrances took place at the monthly meeting of the Wellington Education Board yesterday, when the board received from the Education Department detailed suggestions as to the most suitable, type of barrier. This was in reply to an inquiry from the board concerning its legal position in relation to the local body when barriers were erected outside a school entrance.

It was an extraordinary thing to advise the board how to erect a barrier, said the chairman, Mr. W. V. Dyer. What the board was concerned about was the legal position as to the erection of barriers on the streets. Colonel T. W. McDonald moved that the department be advised the board did not consider the suggestion practicable. To make it effective a barrier would have to be put along the whole frontage of a school. The more effective way would be to get teachers to instruct children in safety measures. •The idea might be all right for the city, but in the country it was needless. The department’s suggestion was supported by Messrs. P. Robertson and C. H. Nicholls, who said the barriers were an urgent necessity in the country. The latter pointed out that the board had already erected some fine barriers, and did not need to be shown how to do so. He did not think school committees should be saddled with the expense. Mr. W. R. Nicol suggested that local bodies would be glad to have the board put up the barriers. At the Masterton Central School such a safety measure was a necessity. It was decided to inquire again as Ito the powers of the board to spend money on footpath barriers.

A novel but effective means of transporting a sick passenger from the top deck of the Niagara to a St. John ambulance on the wharf, for transfer to the Auckland Hospital, was adopted shortly after the vessel berthed at Queen’s Wharf on Monday. The patient, who was suffering from the aftereffects of an operation performed at Suva, wa s strapped securely to a stretcher and, when slings were fitted, he was gently lowered about 50ft. to the. waiting ambulance. The procedure, which occupied only a few seconds, averted the necessity of negotiating innumerable flights of stairs.