BLAKETOWN SCHOOL

Grey River Argus, 18 August 1934, Page 2

BLAKETOWN SCHOOL

RAISING OF CLASSES School Committee’s Attitude Criticised A special meeting of the Executive Committee of the Blaketown and Preston Road Ratepayers’ Association was held last evening, for the purpose of discussing the question of having the Blaketown School raised by two standards to a fourth standard school. Present were Messrs J. McGirr (Chairman), A. Steel, P. G. Smith, 'P. Coll, and E. V. Ellery (Secretary). Apologies for absence were received from Messrs T. Lawry and T. Molloy. The Secretary read the following letter, which was forwarded to the last meeting of the Grey Main School Committee, with a request that it be forwarded on to the .Canterbury Education Board, with a favourable recommendation :—

“At a meeting of Blaketown and Preston Road residents held at Blaketown on the 18th May last, a motion was unanimously passed directing me to place before your Committee the urgent necessity of raising the. standards of Blaketown School from the second (as it is at present) to the third or fourth standards. The matter was fully discussed by those present. and very good reasons were ad vanced for the suggested change. In 1933 the average attendance in Standard 11. was 15. This year (1934) the attendance is 27 —nearly double the number. Children from 8 to 10 years of age when going to the Main School have to walk U miles to and from school in all weathers and you are no doubt aware there is no shelter of any description on this route. If a child gets wet on his or her way to school it either has to go back home or remain wet for the remainder of the day. These pupils have also to be satisfied with a cold lunch, which is

not in the best interests of children of such tender years. The traffic menace is also a daily worry to the parents until the children are safely , home after school, to say nothing of their having to face the full blast of the ‘barber’ during winter months. Referring to the large increase in attendance mentioned previously, I would point out that between 30 and 40 new homes have been erected in this patf of the Borough during the. past twelve months and a considerable number more are contemplated in the near future. It was suggested nt the meeting that you might, endeavour to picture your own children of tender years doing what. the Blaketown Schoo] children have to do at. present, once they pass out of Standard IL, and by this means you will understand how the parents in these parts feel on the subject. The necessity for raising the standards at Blaketown School is urgent and our request is reasonable in view of the increased attendance and the undoubted further increase in future, in view of the building going on in this area. This matter is earnestly recommended to your serious and favourable consideration and we crave your sympathy in our application. ’’ In reply to the above letter, the Secretary of the. School Committee wrote stating that the matter had been discussed at the last meeting, and it hail been decided to request that a deputation from the Association meet the Committee on September 14th, when they would be pleased to talk the matter over.

Mr Steel said that at. the first meeting of the Association to deal with the matter of the Blaketown School, he had been opposed to having anything to do with the Main School Committee, as he haH always thought ir was a one-horse show. However, he had been overruled, and it had been decided to send a deputation, consisting of Messrs Ellery, McGirr and himself, to the Committee. Tn the meanJ time, however, Mr Ellery had found it necessary to go out of town, and. after talking it. over, they had decided that it would be a good plan to put the request in writing to the Committee, and save the time of the members of the deputation and of the Committee. However, the Secretary of the Committee did not seem to be too pleased about getting the letter, and had complained that it had been handed to him without explanation. Apparently, Mr Scott thought that they should have to go along, cap in hand, asking for better conditions for the children of Blaketown! That was as far as Mr Scott in his assistance. Mr Williams had thought that the parents of Blaketown were “pretty hike warm” when they did not come to the Committee to hack up the request, but how were they to know to come along when they had received no reply? The big tree . in the Main School plantation seemed to be the Headmaster, Mr Graham. What he had had to say was concerned mostly about his own school, not the Blaketown children, and having to send another teacher to Blaketown. All Mr Barrowman had to say was that another room would have to be built at Blaketown. Mr Fairmaid had added to the boost by saying, “We can do nothing this term; let it stand over in the meantime.” The only member of the Committee who appeared to be on the side of the Blaketown children was Mr J. Tennent, who deserved the congratulations of the Association. That was all the help that was forthcoming from the Committee. He (Mr Steel) thought that the best plan would be to write to the West Coast . School Committees’ Association, asking them to support the Ratepayers’ Association in endeavouring to get better conditions for the Blaketown cKTTHren, and also to send a copy of the letter to the Canterbury Education Board. He thought that a much better result would thus be secured than they were likely to get from the Main School Committee. Mr Williams had said that the Association seemed “pretty lukewarm,” hut before they were finished he would find that they were “pretty well boiling.” He (Mr Steel) saw where Mr Scott said that he was not in favour of one teacher

having two classes. He wondered if Mr Scott, or his Committee, knew that approximately two months ago their headmaster came down and took a teacher away from the Blaketown School, who had not been replaced? When that had been done, Misses Wil barns and Phelan had been left with eightv-seven children to teach, and there was not one member of the School Committee who pr*»testod against, the action of the headmaster. It was only eighteen months ago since Ihe headmaster, and, he understood, Mr Barrowinan, attempted to take a class away from the Blaketown school; and if it had not been for the action of the Blaketown parents in sending a deputation to the meeting of the Committee. it would have probably gone unknown to them. Mr Ellery: That is my opinion. The two teachers are taking, I 'think, about seven or eight different classes. The Chairman; Miss Phelan teaches the four primers, and Miss Williams upper primer four and the first and second standards. Mr Steel said that he was sure that, if the Canterbury Education Board were written to, the children would not. have to face the “barber ’ next winter. Children of eight and ten years wanted all the protection possible, and instead of taking a col 1 lunch, should be able to have a. hot dinner at home. In reply to Mr Coll, Mr Steel said that it could be pointed out to the [Education Board that the people ot Blaketown and Preston Road had built a gymnasium on Education Board property, and had also provided a piano, both of these facilities still being in use. The people of Blaketown and Preston Road were still prepared to assist the Board, but in this case they could do nothing. Mr Ellery said that there now were nearly 350 residences in Blaketown, and if the higher standards had been established, a number of children, now going to other schools, would have attended their own, which would have been graded correspondingly higher. He did not see why they should not stick out for a sixth standard school, and have it independent, under their own committee. It would be advisable if the Association could get some information on school matters, particularly in regard to the side school age of eleven years, referred to by Mr Graham. It might only be Mr Graham’s opinion. It appeared that Mr Graham was more concerned over losing the status of his ,own school than anything, and also probably the losing of some £.s.d. He was only Headmaster, and he (Mr Ellery) did not see why the School Committee should consult him in the matter. When the first request had gone into the S l.uol Committee, it had received a favourable reply, but at the next meeting themembe*rs of the Committee had been at sixes and sevens. Mr Steel; That was when the Headmaster came in. The Chairman said that some years ago there had been 100 pupils at the Blaketown School, and now there were 87, so it could not be said that, much alterations would be required to accommodate the two extra classes. Mr Coll: It seems that school status is more to the Main School Committee than child welfare. Mr Ellery; T do not think the Committee are so much against it. It IS| Mr Graham who rules the roost. Mr Steel; Why do they sit down to it ?

Mr Coll: He seems to be headmaster of the Committee, as well as the School. On the motion of Messrs Steel and Coll, it was decided that the West Coast School Committees’ Association be written to in the matter, and that copies of the letter be forwarded, to the Canterbury Education Board and the Member for the district.

Mr Steel said that the Association had no complaint regarding the teaching at the Blaketown School. They had always been fortunate in their teachers. The Chairman moved that the letter from the School Committee be received and the Committee be advised that

the Association had no further information to give them, and that a deputation would therefore be unnecessary. The motion was seconded by Mr Smith and. carried.