CAVERSHAM SCHOOL

Evening Star, Issue 19023, 19 August 1925, Page 6

CAVERSHAM SCHOOL

MEW BUILDING WANTED DEFINITE ASSURANCE FROM BOARD A deputation from the Cayersham School Committee, consisting of Messrs D. S. MTherson, J. 0. White, and J. G. Weir, waited on the Education Board this morning and urged the speedy erection of a now school. Mr'M'Pherson said that they wanted a definite assurance from tho board that tho work would be gone on with. There was a feeling that they wore being left in Die cold.

The Chairman: Do you say that seriously ?

The Speaker: “Yes.” Continuing, Mr MThersou said that the old school was in a very bad way, the slates on tho roof being at all angles, whilst tho floors wore wearing thin. The parents were getting in a very restless state over the matter, and they treated tho idea of a new school as being something of a joke. They felt that they were being overlooked. Mr White said that year after year at the meetings of householders a definite assurance had been made that the school was about to start. Three years ago it had been decided to hold over tho matter of tho school’s diamond jubilee celebrations, so that tho function could he hold conjointly with the opening of tho now school. The building was in a deplorable state, and something would nave to be done. He emphasised the fact that the roll number was 677, this being tho second highest in Dunedin. The infant room was badly overcrowded. The Chairman said that lie wanted to assure them that the matter had not been passed over. He supposed the fact that fenders had been called for the Balclutha School had made them sore, hut he pointed out that this was for a district high school. They had 120 pupils, and had no place to put them. Caversham School had two representatives on the hoard, and if these merabers were convinced that there had boon any injustice done they would have told the board. It required a lot of red tape, he added, even when tenders were called. Tho "hoard would do its best to see that the school was erected within tho next twelve months. There was no chance of doing anything with the infant department just now. Mr Todd said that he thought that they would meet tho wishes of tho committee if they asked the architect to expedite matters in connection with tho preparation of the plans and specifications. He stated Unit parents were getting impatient, as the matter of a new school had been before the department and the hoard for over seventeen years.

Tho Chairman said that the committee would know within two months whether it would have a new school or not.

The architect (Mr James Rodger) said that they would he in a position to advertise for tenders within the next two months.