EDUCATION BOARD

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 21, 25 January 1929, Page 11

EDUCATION BOARD

RONGOTAI AND ISLAND BAY

ACCOMMODATION" AND SITE

The Wellington Education Board held its first meeting of the year to-day. Mr.' T. Forsyth presided, and there were present Messrs. A. W. HutcMngs, P. Robertson, G. T. London, C. H. Niclicrlls, A. C. Blake, A. Donald, JR. M'Leod, W. D. Pike, D. M'Callum, J. J. Clark, G. L. Stewart (secretary), and Inspector A. N. Burns (Education Department).

The Department wrote asking for information regarding children in remote sole-charge schools, who, owing to inability of their parents to provide funds for their board at secondary schools, are prevented from proceeding further with their studies. Mr. Stewart said that the idea was that such \ children could continue with some secondary work by correspondence. A motion was passed agreeing that the information should be supplied, the board commend, ing the proposal. A' DISTINCT BEBACH. Discussion regarding a primary school for Bongotai arose from the Departments' intimation that its previous decision that a two-story brick building of six classrooms should be erected, and that the administration block be not proceeded with in the meantime, must be adhered to. Mr. Blake asked what reasons the Department gave for its decision. The Chairman: "It says it hasn't the money."

Mr. Blake said he thought it was a very wrong thing for the Department to erect a six-roomed school of this class without ordinary conveniences for the teachers. The board had quite sufficient grounds for objecting. The teachers would be put to great inconvenience. It would only cost £2000 or £3000 more to put it up as it should be.

Mr. London seconded Mr. Blake's motion of protest. He thought the Department's method was a most uneconomical way of putting up buildings..

Mr. Nieholls agreed. "Kongotai is a very important district," he said, "and it seems to me to be another indication' from the Department that the teaching staff is to be the last, consideration. The Director of Education promised us this school when we handed over the present Bongotai College, and I took it that we were to got this Bongotai School long before this." Tho present idea was a niggardly proposition, and he wished to enter an emphatic protest.

The chairman said that he had seen the Minister about the matter, and told him that he would oppose such a travesty of the original plan. It was a distinct breach on the part of the director in not going on with the school promised two years ago—a promise which the-director was "side-stepping." Had he known what was going to happen, said Mr. Forsyth, he would never have agreed to give up the Bongotai College for anything but primary school work. After Mr. Robertson had spoken against the Department's present proposal, the board decided to enter an emphatic protest against the Department's decision. ISLAND BAY SCHOOL. . Mr. A. C. Blake moved: "That, as tho Berhampore School has aeommodation for 150 additional pupils, and as the establishment of a school at Happy, Valley is approved, and one at Haughton Bay is proposed, it is now inadvisable and unnecessary to proceed with tlie proposal to erect a school on the Parade site, Island Bay, which should therefore be realised on."

The site, said Mr. Blake, had been used as Chinamen's gardens, and were it drained it would still be low-lying and would always collect a large amount of water. There was also a possibility of a junior high school being put up in the locality. That would relieve Berhampore and Island Bay of senior pupils, and was another reason why an additional school would not be required. The school committee and residents were opposed to the school being put on the site mentioned. He would like to sec a really good, new school built at Island Bay, in place of the present old dingy building.

The resolution was seconded by Mr. Nicholls, who recalled that tetanus cases in Auckland had been thought to bo due to children playing on highly manured ground which had been filled in. He thought, however, that the board should retain the site for a little while.

Opposition to the motion came from Mr. J. J. Clark. Mr. Blake had said that it was proposed to build schools at Haughton Bay and Happy Valley. No children would go from Island Bay to Haughton Bay; Happy -Valley children would not go to Island Bay, nor would children in Island Bay go to Happy Valley to school.

Mr. Blake: "I don't agree with what you are saying."

Mr. Clark said that Mr. Blake had said that the heads of the schools, "the men on the spot," were the best people to judge, but in his opinion head teachers thought only of attendance. The sito had not been a Chinamen's garden for very many years.

A member: "Twenty-five years." Mr. London said the suggestion of the ground being insanitary was ridiculous. Occupation by Chinamen would not have a permanent effect upon the ground. He suggested that consideration of the proposal should be deferred. Mr. Forsyte said that it had been very difficult to got a sito at Island Bay. The roll at Island Bay School had not remained stationary. Ten years ago the attendance was 483; now it was 625. The Island Bay Committee wanted a new and larger school building on the present site, and had been consistent all along. .The board, however, could not agree to that. • The motion was really a little out of order. The previous resolution should be first rescinded. Ho suggested that Mr. Blake should hold the matter ove> until the school reopened. The question of junior high schools was to be decided by tlio Minister in six weeks' time. The Chinamen's garden might be, tlio site for the junior high school. Mr. Blake agreed to hold the matter over until the Minister makes his pronouncement, but urged that members should visit. Island Bay and sod conditions there for themselves.