TAPANUI HIGH SCHOOL

Evening Star, Issue 11675, 6 February 1902, Page 2

TAPANUI HIGH SCHOOL

The opening of this institution was celebrated by a "social" on Monday night it' the local"Central Hall, and, considering tho sultriness of the weather, there was a attendance. The chair was occupied by Mr W. Quin, who congratulated the residents of the district on the frnition of their aspirations for the benefits of higher cduo tion being brought to their doors, as it were. He took to himself the credit C/f having been the first 1o agitate in that direction, and anyone who was curious on the point bad only to turn up the files of the Courier' for 1886 to see that his claim was a just one. They had had a very difficult battle, and it had astonished him to encounter opposition in quarters where they had every right to expect assistance and cordial co-operation. They had even found it necessary to invok? the personal co-operation of the Ministf of Education before they were able to rttrid of some of the stumbling blocks thai beset their path. He took that opportnnitv of acknowledging the hearty assistance :lv ' Evening Star' had given to the cause th.t* the Tapanui people had so much at hear\ and the Tapanui people had to thank thi editor of that journal for advice that had proved most helpful. However, they had succeeded in gaining their end, and that was no time for looking back: over the wretched past. The Committee were quite satisfied that in Mr Eudeyand his assistants they had a staff who would spare Jfaemselvjs no effort to lift the Tajmnui District Higa School into a position second to no le among similar institutions in the country He read apologies for non-attendance from the chairman of the/Board (the Rev. P. P. Eraser), Mr T. Mackenzie. M.H.R., and Mr H. Harraway (tin ex-chairman of the Board).

Mr Sim (a member of the Board) con gra filiated the district mi having secured the advantages of secondary education, but urged the parents and all who took an interest in the school not to'expect gro<v, things at once from the establishment of a secondarv course in their school.

Mr Cohen said that his presence there that evening was due to his desire to fu; fil a promise made to his old friend Mr Qtiir when he was chairman of the Board, th.tt if Tapamiites succeeded in gaining th.'ii object of founding a secondary school 1 f would be only too pleased, if the opportunity offered itse'i, to assist at so interesting a function. He was inclined to sha>. the views of Mr Sim. For his own par", he would prefer to see these institution bearing a less pretentious name, for there was always the risk of incurring the jea'ousy of those concerned in the administration of the secondary schools proper, and the parents themselves were apt to expect too much from the staff of such a school The conviction had grown upon him that it wonld be much better to have adopted the name of higher grade school, as was done elsewhere, and to have framed a syllabus under which considerable elasticity of treatment of subjects would have been possible and special attention given to studies tlnr had close relation to the industries or settled employments of the inhabitants of the dis trict. However, for better, he sincere'v hoped, they had got their district high school, and if the parents loyally co-oper-ated with the staff he was confident that the forward movement would prosper, and the Tapanui School occupy an honorable place among the secondary institutions "' this education district.

Mr A. S. Malcolm (Kelso) assured the people of Tapanui and the staff of the school that the teachers in the adjacent schools had no feeling of jealousy towards the District High School ; on the contrary, they were pleased to see the efforts of the Tapanui people crowned with success, and they might depend that Mr Eudey would at all times receive the co-operation of bis fellow-teachers in the district.

During the evening songs, etc., were rendered by Miss Burrell, Miss Wethey, Miss Gourlay (who also acted as accompanist), and Mr Fergivson, and were much appreciated. On the motion of Mr Burrell a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Quin and his colleagues (past and present) on the School Committee for their services in connection with tho establishment of the school. It may be mentioned incidentally that yesterday, on roll-call, fifteen pupifs presented themselves in the upper standards, and in a few months it is expected that the number will be increased to twenty. On the roll there were 140 pupils, which is an increase of thirty on last year's number. It is in this district that the Board initiated the plan 1 of conveying to the school by trap the children of settlers on the outblocks, and the experiment has proved so successful that we have often wondered why it has not been attempted elsewhere. At Tapanui yesterday we were shown nearly twenty children who were brought in from the special settlements at Darvey and Brookside, and who count among the most regular attendants. Keverting to the District High School, the enthusiasm of the School Committee and the ready response by parents who rnvve children capable of appreciating the advantages of continuing their studies after passing through the sixth standard, are auguries for the steady advancement of the cause of secondary education in that portion of the Clutha electorate. The Board are already erecting a new infant room, and when that work is completed Mr Eudey will transfer the upper standards to the class room at present occupied by Miss M'Laren (matron). The other members of the teaching staff are Misses MacGregor and Barr.