GLENN ROAD SCHOOL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 13 June 1924, Page 6

GLENN ROAD SCHOOL.

AN UNSATISFACTORY POSITION

STATEMENT BY MR. LEES. A letter was received by the Taranaki Education Board on Wednesday from the department in regard to the conveyance of children from Glenn Road to Manaia. There were 43 children, and the lowest offer was 26s per day, or £260 per annum. The department suggested that the board again call for tenders for conveyance at a. fixed charge per annum for two, three or fivp years.

The chairman (Mr. Lees) said that the matter had been before the board since 1916, but his recollection only went back to 1920. On December 6, 1920, there was a request for a. new school. The senior inspector at the time thought it might possible to arrange lor the carriage o'f the children to another school at sixpence per pupil per day, but that scheme was not carried out. On August 11, 1921, the board met a deputation of residents from Glenn Road. At that time there were twenty children in the district not attending any school, and the board sent in an application for a new school on. September 26. On October 11, of the same year, Mr. Valentine suggested that beofre applying for a school, conveyance of the children to another school should be tried. As a result a conference was held with the Manaia committee* re tenders for the carriage of the children. The lowest tender was 26s per day, and the price for the only properly covered in vehicle was 32*. per day. On January 26, 1922, it was decided to again apply for a school, and the senior inspector was asked to report. The application was made on the ninth of the following month. A week later the department replied asking for further information. On March 28 an application was made for a movable school costing £584, and an acre of land was offered free. Thewere then nineteen families with forty-three, all over three miles from the nearest school. On June 8 the board wrote asking for a reply, which, up to then, had not been sent, and on June 27 a reply was eceived to the effect that the matter would receive early attention. On January 16, 1923. the position was again considered, and on February 21 a fresh application for a school was made. There were then seventeen families in the district with forty-four children of school age, nineteen of whom were not on any roll. On May 30 the hoard had to write asking for a reply. The reply came on June 11, and the board was asked to try conveyance again. Enquiries were made, but there was no reduction in price, the cost reaching practically £3O per annum. A request was then made for a permanent school instead of a portable one, and the department then wrote stating that it was considering consolidation or conveyance. Tenders for conveyance were again called, and the lowest was 27s 6d per day, hut a more acceptable and reliable conveyance at 36s per day was recommended. In the meantime the site question had been fixed by getting the signatures of native owners. In February, 1924, a departmental officer visited the site himself, and they were told that if the application for a new school was waived means would he found for carrying the children to Manaia. Tenders had been invited for conveyance, and the department- had been made acquainted with the particulars of the offers received. The department had now replied leaving them just where they were. There was no use dilly dallying any longer, and he thought

they should write to the department urging upon it the necessity for providing proper educational facilities for Glenn Road children. Mr. White thought they should go further than that, and that a deputation should be sent to make representations at Wellington. ' He seconded the motion. Mr. Smith said the district was producing per head more wealth than any other district in New Zealand, and vet they could not get- provision for education. Mr. White remarked that lie had said, when adressing Tawhiti School district householders some time ago, that -at that time Glenn Road was the most urgent ease in the South Taranaki district. The chairman moved, and Mr. Eaves seconded: “That in view of the unnecessary delay caused by the department in failing to- come to a decision in regard to the establishment of a school at Glenn Road, this board is of the opinion that the time has arrived for the department- to come- to a decision. If no definite decision is made at an early date, Messrs. Masters. Smith and the mover will proceed to Wellington and place the matter before the Minister.”—Carried.