HIGH SCHOOL FOR WELLINGTON.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 27, 1 February 1907, Page 2

HIGH SCHOOL FOR WELLINGTON.

'AN ABSOLUTE NEED. THE GOVERNMENT TO BE AGAIN APPROACHED. The Education Board had a good deal to say at its meeting yesterday on the subject of a high school for Wellington. The board, said tho chairman, had now awarded scholarships to some twenty candidates, and the question was how were they £o take out their scholarships. Tho Wellington College and Girls' College had made no provision for them, and they had -nothing to fall back on but the District High Schools and the Technical Schools. was needed was a thoroughly equipped high school for the city. He was afraid that these twenty scholarship winners would, so to speak, be thrown upon their own resources ; at any rate, if they wero refused admission to the Wellington College or the ,Girls' Hi&h School, they would havo to fall back on tho District High Schools. That was not what they expected, and by ho means what they ought to he entitled to.' They should be entitled to, an education in a thoroughly seminary school. He hoped the Government would , soon deal with the quostion. They had made application for a site in the centre of the city for a high school, but no action had been taken ; no reply, had yet been received from the department. It was understood that they were to -have a high school somo time or other, and somewhere, but at present they were totally in tho dark — no nearer the end than they were twelve months ago. Mr. Hogg moved that tho Minister for Education be asked to carry out without delay the intention of the late Premier by establishing a high school in the city of Wellington. It was, ho said, very singular that the capital and tho commercial centre of tho colony should be neglected in that matter. Itwas a scandal that, notwithstanding the representations the board had made in tho past, no action had been taken by the Government, on whom the responsibility rested. Whether it was Mount ( Copk or. any s .other place, the Minister for Education .ought to discovI er a site somewhere and establish a high school. The motion was seconded by Mr. Field, who, however, reminded the board that this question had not been before the public for such a very long time. ' As a matter of fact, the question only arose about a year ago, when it was found impossible to provide for tho winners of free places at the college and the Girls' High School. After that trouble the Government was approached, and the Government quickly decided lhat there should be a high school. Then the question of tho site cropped up. They must also remember that since then there had been big political changes, and a new Minister for Education had been appointed in a new Ministry, but he thought it was now the duty of the Government to deal with the matter and select a, site. Mr. Vile urged that tho time had arrived when a high school should be established outside Ihe chief centre. Masterton would be an excellent place for the purpose. Mr. Buchanan did not think there could be any doubt that this question had been neglected by the Government. It was only after the most strenuous representations that the promise had been obtained at all, and there was not the slightest sign of the fulfilment of that .promise. That being so, he thought the time had como when the Government should be reminded thpt the time h^d' arrived when the promise of the litte Minister for Education should be carried out. The motion was carried unanimously.