TUMBLEDOWN SCHOOLS
RECONSTRUCTION POLICY EXPLAINED. PARAMOUNT COUNTRY NEEDS. [FnoM Our, Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, July 27. An interesting resume of tho Education Department’s activities and future intentions regarding the rebuilding of old school buildings and the erection of teachers’ dwellings was given in the House by the Hon. O. J. Parr Minister of Education, in reply to a plea by Air Sullivan (Avon) on behalf of Richmond School, in his electorate, which, ho said, urgently required rebuilding. Mr Parr pointed out that many old schools did not require rebuilding. It would require £15,000 or £20,000 to rebuild either of the two schools in Christchurch South and West, and it was unreasonable to ask him to find £40,000 for work in one town. In Welling-.on, Auckland, and Dunedin there wore many old schools, and it was impossible to undertake them all at once. J lie policy adopted was reasonable—namely, to gradually replace worn-out buildings at the rate of one per year in each of tho main centres. Christchurch V> est would be tho first to bo rebuilt, a grant having been made for that purpose, and there was no intention to use it as a district high school, as Air Sullivan .suggested. The .Minister hoped under tho replacement scheme to bo able to have most of these old schools replaced within six or seven years. Dealing with the expenditure on educational buildings, Mr Parr said that on the average £440,000 a year was expended during his three years in office, as against £IOO,OOO before the war. Auckland Education Board had a scheme to borrow a million. Mr Poland: Tho Minister is to borrow it, Air Parr: Wo are borrowing half a million, and to borrow a million pounds and spend it in one year would bo “ a mistake.” Mr Parr then dealt with the difficulty he had in getting full value for tho money expended on buildings, ami mentioned that the matter would he considered at a conference he proposed holding with the chairmen and architects of education boards. COUNTRY SCHOOLS. The needs of country districts were next handled by tho Minister, who pointed out that Mr Snllhan had only voiced tho views of a city mem her. It had to bo recollected that all over New Zealand, and particularly in the North Island, there wore now settlements which demanded schools. Soldiers’ .settlements ami backblocks settlement;; must hare, and were getting, first consideration. The country requirements took nearly half tho Minister’s total vote for tho year, so the process of rebuilding schools which, on the whole, met the needs of children fairly well was one which must give way to the wants of the country districts.' '■ I hope tho Prime Minister will Mvc me, £IOO,OOO or £500,000 this year, which ought to see ns reasonably through this year,” continued Air Parr. Ho then dealt with the demand for teachers’ residences.
Mr Parry: Badly needed, too! Mr Pair: Yes; in some districts. At present, ho added, there were 153 teachers’ residences vacant, or occupied hy tenants. These were mostly in the South Island. He hoped to ho able to ask each hoard to select the most urgent cases where residences were needed, and a beginning would be mado again in building them. Mr Witty: say Auckland is asking for a million.” He went on that ho would bo content with half a million for the whole South Island. He drew attention to the fact that in some cases school floorings had quickly rotted, because they were on the ground instead of being raised a few feet. “ What about the Papauui site?” he concluded. Mr Parr; It is going before Cabinet.
Mr Witty; It is all very well to say that. Wo want to know something doand to know the intention of the Minister.
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Bibliographic details
Evening Star, Issue 18339, 28 July 1923, Page 8
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630TUMBLEDOWN SCHOOLS Evening Star, Issue 18339, 28 July 1923, Page 8
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