KELBURN NORMAL SCHOOL

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 42, 17 August 1918, Page 10

KELBURN NORMAL SCHOOL

Tho Northland- School Committee has sent the v following letter to the Wellington Education Board in regard to the proposed school at Kelburn : "My committee view with anxiety the board's decision re the propoaed Normal School at Kelburn. In a recent publication the very sensible suggestion was made, that, the section on the opposite side of the road should be acquired and used for building purposes. The reply to this suggestion was to the effect that the section mentioned was too small and would interfere with the lighting of the Training College if built on. The Northland School Committee submit that tho small section mentioned by the board in Kowhai-road- is not the section which the first writer intended to indicate. On the opposite side of Upland-road is a large vacant sunny section, quite the best section in Kelburn for an institution such as is proposed. The board's own proposal will, if given effect to, make Kowhai-road tho playground for either the Infant School or the new Normal School. There will not be sufficient room for the scholars of both schools to play on that road. An inspection, of the grounds during playtime will disclose the fact that the playground at the ■corner of Kowhai and Upland-road is quite full <ii playtime, and it is on this playground the -\>oard proposes to erect the new bnildinp. The question is one which vitally affects Northland and' adjacent districts, and wef wonld suggest that the board personally inspect the different sites, and then review the whole situation, taking into serious consideration the city expansion which will take ptace to the west of this site. Tht. Thonidon schools are overcrowded now ; The Terrace, Northland, and Mitchelltown schools have very small playgrounds. Would, it not be better at once to break this bad habit of crowding expanding school buildings ori areas where playgrounds can only be obtained on streets and 6teep gullies?"