SITE AT KARORI?

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 102, 2 May 1944, Page 6

SITE AT KARORI?

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

HOUSEHOLDERS' VIEWS

"It is the general opinion of all concerned that such schools should be established in Wellington," stated a report presented to the large meeting of Karori householders at the Karori School last evening in dealing with the question of intermediate schools. It was pointed out, however, that at the present time buildings presented a difficulty. .A new building costing £25,000 or more was proposed lor /Karori, on a site to be decided upon later. It was to provide for the* western suburbs group, including Wadestown, if satisfactory transport could be arranged. At the request of the Education Board, members of the committee had attended a meeting at which the establishment of intermediate schools was discussed. The latest advice from the board was to the effect that the city members were to confer with the Director of Education regarding the expeditious inauguration of intermediate schools within the Wellington metropolitan area. BROOKLYN'S CONCERN. I "Fears for the future of such primary schools as Brooklyn when intermediate schools were introduced, were expressed at a meeting of Brooklyn householders last night, and it was finally decided to send a resplution to the Minister of Education drawing his attention to the necessity for altering the staffing regulations to ensure that first-class teachers were not excluded from the school. , The question arose when the chairman of the school committee, Mr. J. M. McArthur, mentioned the difficulty that would be faced in maintaining the roll next year when the fifth and sixth standards were transferred 'to the new intermediate schools at Mt. Cook and Wellington South. The headmaster (Mr. H. Gair) agreed that a fall in the roll number was a serious matter. It meant not only loss of prestige, but, far more important, a loss in revenue. He estimated that the roll would decrease from that of a top-grade school to a little over 250. That would mean a reduction in staff and alter' the grading of the school considerably. In moving that the meeting bring to the notice of the Minister of Education the necessity for altering the staffing regulations, Mr. W. H. Sadd said it was necessary to ensure that top-grade headmasters, were retained in schools degraded as the result of the introduction of the intermediates. The motion was carried unanimously. . WELLINGTON SOUTH PROTEST. ' Twenty-five householders. attended the meeting in the Wellington South School, Mr. F. E. Bognuda presided. Since the last meeting, stated the report, a bombshell had been dropped— the school was to become an intermediate school. Protests to the Education Board and Director of Education (Dr. C. E. Beeby) had proved unavailing, and the school would say good-bye to its younger children from the commencement of the school year, 1945. The reason given by Dr. Beeby was that the Department was not in a'position to incur capital expenditure on new buildings in cases where existing schools were available in central and suitable positions. There was no reason to take this decision as final, said the chairman. The younger children, to reach Berhampore or Newtown, would have to travel dangerous byways. The Wellington South School was 40 years old, and unsuitable for an intermediate school, and there was no reason why another area should not be set asjde where an intermediate school could be built, one,which would be permanent and fill all needs. The headmaster (Mr. J. K. Edie) pointed out that not long ago the Wellington South School roll numbered 740; now it was '430, and the,attendance was dropping by about 50 pupils a iTwas decided that a deputation of protest from the meeting wait on the Minister of Education.