HUTT PROGRESS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 50, 27 August 1925, Page 7

HUTT PROGRESS

NEW HIGH SCHOOL

FOUNDATION-STONE LAID

BY TEE HON. SIR JAMES PARR.

Though the -weather yesterday afternoon was doing it« utmost to make things unpleasant both overhead and underfoot, a goodly number of Hutt Valley residents, in addition to the invited guests, attended the function of the laying of the foundation-stone of the new Hntt Valley High School, a description of which appeared in last Tuesday's " Post."

The preliminary gathering was held under cover in St. James's Hall, Woburn road. Mr. E. P. Rishworth (chairman of the Board of Governors) presided, and in addition to Sir James and Lady Parr there were present Mr. >T Jorsyth (chairman Education Board), Messrs. J. W. M'Ewan and W. T. Strand (Mayors of Petone and Lower Hutt respectively), P. Robertson (Upper Hutt), H. G. Teagle, W. G. London, and James Stonehouse (Board of Governors), A. Greenii(; (Petone Technical School), Councillors L. T. Watkins and E. Waldie, of Lower Hutt, Mr. H. G. House (chairman Eastern Hutt School Committee), and members of the Education Board.

MINISTER EULOGISED

The chairman welcomed Sir James Parr, and thanked him for the great interest he had taken in the work of education. His term of office had been marked by sacrifice; and hard work, and he had proved one of the most solid Ministers of Education the Dominion had ever had. In the present day the child's school life was too crowded, and the life was being crushed out of ■ the pupils in consequence. It was good, to find, however, that children were not so repressed as they were years ago, and that the doctrine of self-expression was being given effect to. v ; Mr. G. T. London (secretary Board of Governors) read an apology from Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P., and thanked Sir James for the provision of the site and building, expressing the hope that the wholo building would speedily be completed. Mr. J. W. M'Ewan (Petone) said ho was sure that Petone' children would take advantage of the school and give a good account of themselves both, in the playground and school. Mr. W. T. Strand (Lower Hutt) welcomed the Minister, who was present to perform a function long looked forward to, and he felt sure that before the building was completed the Minister would be asked to provide more'buildings for the rapidly growing population of the district.

A FINE SITE

Sir James Parr, who waa received with applause, thanked the speakers for their gracious references to himself and his past six years of office, which ■was, he thought, the longest term of any Minister. The office was a most, important one, for what the Dominion was to he in the future, in the face of the grave problems that confronted it, depended upon how we built up the bodies, minds, and, above all, the char-, acters of the children of New Zealand. The office was a very exacting and wearing one, but there was consolation in the fact that already one could see evidences of the improvement in education. Slowly but very surely progress was, being made in education in Now Zealand. Sir James regretted very much the absence from the gathering of Mr. T. M. Wilford, who had taken such a keen interest locally in education, »nd made sympathetic reference to the member's illness.

The Valley was to be congratulated on the excellent beginning that had been made. Due to the foresight of Sir Francis Bell, a site of 18A acres had been secured—the largest of any high school in the Dominion—at a cost of £7500. Thia was certainly the finest site in the metropolitan area of-Welling-ton. Large playgrounds were a necessity, for on the playgrounds boys and girls learn to play the game to fight for the team and the side and not for self. As Minister of Education ,he had struggled to get money from the Government for large playgrounds. It had been intended to nave seven large classrooms, but pressure had be.eh brought to bear, and now nine very fine rooms were being provided, with a science laboratory, teachers' rooms, and cloak-rooms, and, considering the present weather, what was most important, the building was to be heated. (Laughter.) It was also capable of expansion, and he hoped when the roll number reached 400 a large assembly hall would be added, in which each morning the students, led by the headmaster, could go through those exercises so necessary for character building. A GOOD BEGINNING

The present building would acoommodate 250 to 300 children under ideal conditions, and would cost £13,250. The equipment would cost £500, and, indeed, he thought before it was finished he would need to ask the Finance Minister for £14,000. The school would be controlled by a Board of Governors, two of whom would represent the Government, three each the parents and the Education Board, and one the Lower Hutt Borough Council. The school was making a very fine beginning, and would have to make its own history and great traditions bo necessary to tho efficiency of a sohool. Care should be exercised to choose a headmaster, not only of high soholastic attainments but of sound moral character. He joined issue with the chairman in the view that the modern child was overwhelmed with work. Home work was being diminished, and no child should be asked to do more than one and a half to two hours of home work.

The party then adjourned to the site of the achool, where Sir James was presented by Mr. Fletcher (Fletcher Construction Company) with- a handsome engraved silver trowel, with a greenstonehandle. The Minister then declared the foundation-stone well and truly laid, and hoped that on it would be raised a building which would serve the higher education of the children of the district.

The building was designed by Mr. J. T. Mair, A.R.1.8.A., and is being built by the Fletcher Construction Company. The visitors were afterwards entertained at afternoon tea by Mrs. Teagle, at the residence of Mr. H. O. Teagle, one of the members of the Board of Governoil.