MINISTER OF EDUCATION

Grey River Argus, 30 May 1922, Page 4

MINISTER OF EDUCATION

VISIT TO STATE SCHOOL. A visit was paid to the Grey D.H. School yesterday afternoon by the Hon. C. J. Parr (Minister of Education). Those aeoempanying him were his secretary (Mr W. J. Dearroll), Meesrs Spencer (Building Inspector for the Education Board >. < . W. Armitage (chairman 'of the Canterbury Education Board, H. J. Bignell (Grey Committee’s representative on the board), J. Tennant (chairnum of the committee), the Mayor (Mr IJ. D. Lynch), Deputy-Mayor (W. H. Parfitt), F. IL Denton and several members of the School Committee. After an inspection of the primary quarters the Minister addressed an assemblage of secondary pupils in the gymnasium. W In the course of his remarks he said lie knew the school had done well in the past, and the training the pupils were receiving was good. The accommodation however was overcrowded, and was not adequate for the 130 children who occupied it. He was pleased to be able to say that he had been instrumental in securing a grant of £13,000 from the Government for this school to be built. He poiutde out the benefits of a sound education and asked the children to take every advantage of the facilities provided for them. The great prize in after life was not always a brilliant brain, but the boy or girl who possessed force of character. The object of the boys and girls should bo not only to receive a good education but to grow up good citizens. The man who could be relied upon—he who dealt straight and honestly with his fellows —was the man whom the world would require. The speaker asked the girls to strive to grow into loving gentlewomen, ami fulfil a useful purpose in life. These were the kind of men and women he would like to see produced by the education system of this country. He felt sure the children would accept his advice and render themselves .it to : eeept the positions iu life for which they were preparing. The Minister announced a holiday on Mondav next to celebrate his visit. Cheers were given for Mr Parr by the children. The party then visited the new technical school which is iu the course of erection. During the inspection he was heard to suggest that more labour be placed on in order to have the institution finished as speedily as possible. The engineering work shop was also visited. Speaking to the engineering pupils Mr Parr impressed upon them the importance of the profession they had adopted. He ventured the opinion that in the future it would not be so much the office clerk as the practical engineer who would be in demand. The trade was a good one and personally ho would like to see nine out of 10 boys go iu for it. It was gratifying to see also that the general education was not being neglected. English and other sub jects must be studied thoroughly and the intellect developed. Conditions would be better when the new school was opened, and would give greater facilities for study. He felt sure that the boys studying practical engineering would fulfil a useful place in life and became good citizens of New Zealand and of the Empire to which New Zealand belonged.