PETONE TECHNICAL SCHOOL

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 110, 10 May 1923, Page 5

PETONE TECHNICAL SCHOOL

The monthly meeting oi the Petone Technical School Board of Managers was held yesterday. Present:—Messrs. D. M'Kenzie (chairman), J. J. Lewthwaito, H. Morris, P. Warner, and W. B. Nicholson. The secretary of the Education Board advised that the payment of a rental to the managers for the use of school by the secondary department could not be entertained. It was decided to point out to the board that the building was erected solely for technical school purposes, and that, while desirous of affording every facility to other departments of "education, the Board of Managers was not in a financial position ,to grant the free use of the building which was used as a high school to a greater extent than a technical school. Messrs. Burn and Sons, engineers, forwarded a donation of £2 2s towards the funds of the school. The secretary was instructed to convey the cordial thanks of the board for the donation. A committee of ladies, interested in raising funds for the secondary school was granted the use of a room in the building for the purpose of a sewingroom. The Petone District High School Committee advised that it was asking the Education Board for an increased grant in order to make a contribution to the cleaning of the technical school building after being used by the district high school scholars. ' The director reported that every class in the school, with, perhaps one exception, was in a most flourishing condition, and that the only matter which hampered the work was the smallness of the ! grant made by the Department for carrying on the work. He reported that teachers had earned last quarter the sum of £219, and that only £100 had been received from the Department for the payment of salaries. .. The balance would, no doubt, come to hand, but in the meantime the board could not meet its liabilities. The justice of the managers' claim for a refund of the sum of £52, paid out for Hutt teachers, had at last been recognised, and the sum had been paid over. The Department had refused to supply typewriters for the equipment of the typewriting class, though the class had never been in a more flourishing condition, with an attendance of 26, and a most competent teacher. This class had only three serviceable typewriters, and, said the director, it' was heartbreaking to have to turn away most promising students because equipment was not available. The school could be made- one of the finest in the Dominion if only the proper equipment and financial aid were given, but under present circumstances ths school, which was growing rapidly and with students keen to improve themselves, would have to seriously curtail its activities. It wa a decided to call a meeting at an early date to take further steps to bring the urgency of the question under the notice of the authorities.