Gymnasium For High School: Conversion Plans

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 August 1948, Page 2

Gymnasium For High School: Conversion Plans

Concern that a high school the size of that at Greymouth did not have a gymnasium for the physical education of its pupils was expressed by members of the Board of Governors of the Greymouth Technical High School last evening, when authority was given for the conversion of the former engineering building to a gymnasium. , The principal, Mr W. M. Stewart, stated that this step had been proposed in 1940, but abandoned on account of building conditions during the war, and he had now written to the Education Department in an effort to see whether it' still approved of the scheme. The alterations, he said, had been estimated in 1940 to cost £371, but this would have increased in recent years. He reported that the department had now indicated that it was prepared to recommend that a grant be made towards the cost of making the building suitable for a gymnasium. Any raising of the roof, however (as originally proposed, was not approved. Time for Action

“Now is the time to press for these buildings, because the cities will be getting everything and the country areas nothing,” said the chairman, Mr F. L. Turley. . “It is ridiculous to think of a school of this size doing without a gymnasium,” said Mr J. M. McNulty. . The board decided to give the principal authority to take definite steps in connection with the plan to convert the block to a gymnasium. In his monthly report the principal stated that the regular weekly grade competitions continued to provide interest for the four football and the 13 basketball team’s, which, though perhaps not up to the standard of the past years owing to the loss ol some older and more experienced players, were all doing well in their respective grades. Annual fixtures had been played against Papanui and Westport by the senior football and basketball teams, and against Reefton and Hokitika District High Schools by the second and third teams, the report said. The senior teams were to play against Christchurch West High School in Greymouth on the last day of the term. The boxing class continued to function healthily. Demand for Labour Two boys were enrolled during the past month, continued the report, while three boys and six girls were withdrawn, three of them through removal from the district. The school roll was 177 boys and 174 girls, a total of 351. Of the 37 pupils who had left the school during the term, 11 had left the district. Of the 26 others, 11 were in their second year, and one in the first year. “This will perhaps illustrate the extreme ?and perhaps unwise, and certainly expensive, demand for young labour that exists in the community,” said Mr Stewart. . Wet weather, said the report, interfered a good deal with games and outside activities last month, and the work in the quadrangle had also sulfered somewhat. Nevertheless, steady progress had been made, and tne contractor was now proceeding to lay down the boxing for a start with the actual concreting.