OLD SCHOOLS

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 August 1920, Page 5

OLD SCHOOLS

MINISTER’S STATEMENT,

PARENTS’ THREAT. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The Minister for Education was urged by a deputation from Longburn to-day to rebuild the local school, which, it was claimed, was in such a state that ft could not be satisfactorily repaired. The old portion of the building was erected 50 years ago and was so rotten that the people of Longburn threatened they would not send their children to school for another winter. The Hon. 0. J. Parr congratulated the School Committee on having done so much to improve the grounds and the school surroundings. These old schools, of which there were hundreds, were a most difficult problem to handle. Obviously new districts, where there were no schools-, must be attended to first and old schools must receive attention in order of urgency. The Department's programme was to re-model and modernise wherever they were sound enough. Two millions would bo required if all were to be rebuilt. The fact was that the Education Board had been asked to supply the Department with a scheme of work for three years. The Wanganui Board was the only one that had complied with the request. He was that he would have to refuse to let Boards have more money if they did not give the required information. The Wanganui Board placed the Longburn School second on the list for 1922. He would be largely guided by the recommendations of the Boards, but he reserved to himself the right to overhaul and plan work drawn up by tne architect to be appointed by the Department and who would visit all schools and report on their condition.