NEED FOR A HOSTEL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 237, 19 September 1934, Page 3

NEED FOR A HOSTEL

Napier Girls’ High School

REQUEST FOR A GRANT,

The serious plight of the Napier Girls’ High School hostel is to be pointed out to the Minister of Education, the Hon. R. Masters, in a letter the Napier Secondary Education Board proposes to write to him requesting a grant from the current year’s estimates for building, or if that is not possible, to urge him to make a grunt towards the upkeep of the hostel next year because the board’s finances are not in a position to stand the cost. During a Uiscussion ot the mailer at last night’s meeting ot the board one member said: “It nothing definite is done there is a danger that the hostel will disappear in the course of a year or two.”

The discussion by the board arose from comment in the report ot the principal ot the Girls’ High School, Miss D. Al, Arthur, who, under the heading “School Building Graut” wrote: —“lt was interesting to note that the Government's grant lor educational building was being increased this year by £I6O,UOU. 1 beg to urge that the board lose no time in putting lorward the claim ot the Girls’ High School hJstel lor a small grant to replace their buildings destroyed by the earthquake. Alter having had a hostel lor 51 years, it is hard to see girls from this district being sent away to board in other schools because our permanent buildings have not. been restored.”

The chairman, Mr W, Dinwiddie, said that it seemed a wicked thing to let the hostel drop. He was supported by a number of speakers. Mr Anderson moved that the Minister be written to along the lines mentioned. Miss Jerome Spencer said that at one time the Minister bad almost promised help loi the hostel when possible.

With regard to Mr Anderson’s motion the secretary, Mr W. L. Dunn, pointed out that the Minister could make a capital grant, but could not make grants indefinitely lor maintenance.

Mr Anderson: There is a need for some definite pronouncement so that parents may know what the position will he next year.

In reply to a question, Mr Dunn said he thought that there were 16 or 17 girls in the hostel at present. The Rev. J. A Ahser: If nothing definite is done there is a danger that the hostel will disappear in the course of the next year or two.

Mr Anderson: Not only that, but the board’s finances can’t carry it on. Mr Dinwiddie said that ho would like to point out to the Minister that the condition of the hostel was certainly keeping boarders away, and that tho hostel was suffering. They ought to point out to the Minister that the board bad devoted its finances to the Boys’ High School on the understanding that the department would see to the girls’ school next. Mr Anderson pointed out that it was n very bad thing for Hawke’s Bay that if girls from the country districts desired to take up secondary education, there was no establishment to house them.

Mr Foster pointed out that in the case of the Napier school the reduction in the attendance of boarders was due not to the slump but to the earthquake. Finally it was left to the chairman and secretary to draft a letter to the Minister.