RONGOTAI COLLEGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 130, 29 November 1939, Page 7

RONGOTAI COLLEGE

FUTURE IN DOUBT

DECISION WANTED

A decision from the Government about the future of Rohgotai College is being sought by the Wellington Colleges Board of Governors, before whom a.report on the subject was tabled yesterday. This report is to be forwarded

to the Minister of Education. ....'■. , The chairman, '.'Mr. L. ■ McKenzie,. reported that represehtatiyes of .-.,the Board of Governors had met representativesVpf.' the Parents' Association of Rongotai:Boys' -College,recently to discuss the future of the institution, and it was deemed advisable to press for a decision as to whether the college was to remain in its present position or not. It,was agreed that' the most suitable and only site available was one of eighteen acres on the Miramargplf links. It was suggested that ,il the Government purchased this land it should immediately become available for playing fields even before the erection of the school" on that site.

"The meeting desired to point out to the Government," the report added, "that there is an agreement between the "Exhibition Company and the board whereby the company will erect certain buildings suitable for a specific purpose at the termination of the Exhibition, and also if the land is purchased the buildings could be placed there for the future use of *he school. "The Exhibition Company has given a signed undertaking to put the playing fields in order at the expiration of the Exhibition, and the sum allocated should be available to the board for use on the new grounds."

The meeting adopted the report and agreed to send a. copy to the Minister. The future of the'college and the [ uncertainty of the present position were mentioned by Mr. F. Martyn Renner, principal of Rongotai Boys' College, in bis report. If the school was to remain where .it is, Mr. Renner said, they would be without the use of. the school grounds for about three years. If the site selected on the golf links was definitely handed over to the college, then even if the building of a new school was postponed for a year they could use the new grounds and many, of their difficulties would disappear. "It is hardly just that we should be condemned to carry on indefinitely in an atmosphere of doubt and uncertainty when, a definite pronouncement from the Government could put an end to such a state of affairs."