SCHOOL FACILITIES

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 130, 29 November 1932, Page 12

SCHOOL FACILITIES

RANDWICK RESOLUTION

; A meeting of householders of the Randwick School district, convened by the school committee, was held in the school recently, and was very largely attended. Mr. W. J. Dyer, a member of the Education Board, presided, and welcomed Mr. F. W. Ongley, president of the Wellington School Committees and Educational Federation, Mr. N. A. Ingram, organising secretary, Mrs. I. Smith, and Mr. L. ■J. McDonald. , :

Mr.' Ongley said the federation wished to create as wide an interest in educational matters as it could. Mr. Ongley dealt at length with the problem of the five-year-old children, stating that in the interests of the children themselves the schools should be opened, to them. He dealt with the School Committees Facilities Bill now before Parliament, and urged the meeting, if it approved the principle, to give the measure" support. While no one wished to give further opportunities "for gambling, it- could not be said that the proposals in the Bill gave such facilities. Owing to depleted financial assistance from the Government the committees found it impossible to obtain money for school libraries, etc., and in some cases the money raised from events such as euchre parties had been used to furnish children with many necessary articles. ■ .

Mr. McDonald stressed the necessity of concerted action by parents to ensure that further inroads were not made on the committdes' financial resources. Mr. Ingram, dealt at length with conditions pertaining to secondary and primary education, and gave comparisons regarding capitation, size of classes, salaries of teachers, etc. He paid a very high tribute to the results achieved from the technical side of education, and considered that the time was fast approaching when a thorough investigation should be made as to- whether the Dominion was receiving an adequate return.for the money expended on tlie academic side of secondary education. The speaker made a plea for the. establishment of a school committees' association for the Hutt Valley district, and said that if the Randwick School Committee would convene a meeting of school committees of the district the executive officers of the federation would be pleased to give addresses. The chairman of the school committee said he felt sure that his - committee would favourably consider the < suggestion to convene a meeting-as outlined by Mr. Ingram. .. . -^ ' ' ' The following resolution was carried unanimously:—"This meeting of householders of the Randwick School district heartily supports the proposals as laid down in the School Committees Facilities Bill now before Parliament, and urges the Government to give every facility for its discussion by members of Parliament this session; and that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Prime Minister, Minister of Education, and the member for the district."