OLD FURNITURE IN NEW SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 104, 26 January 1939, Page 10

OLD FURNITURE IN NEW SCHOOLS

Board Members Feel Concern Recently, the Wellington Education Board applied to the Education Department for a grant to cover the cost of new furniture for the recently-erected Newtown School. At Its meeting yesterday, the board received a reply from the department that it was regretted that such a grant could not be authorized and that the cost of new furniture was a charge against the board’s maintenance grant. Members expressed regret at the department’s decision and referred to the drain on the board’s maintenance account by .heavy expenditure on new furniture during the past two years. Mr. C. If. Nicholls said that the beautiful colours in the schools now being built were delightful, but the schools were like a man with a block eye—it was disgusting to see old, out-of-date furniture in such surroundings. The chairman, Mr. W. V. Dyer: This has exercised nay mind for a considerable time, and I know that the Minister fully realizes our difficult position. In the case of Blenheim, Carterton and Island Bay, we were granted half the cost of reconditioning the old furniture. New schools have been much rnoie frequent in the past two years—to provide chairs and tables at Blenheim cost more than £BOO. I shall be pleased to take this up with the Minister.