KING COUNTRY SCHOOLS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 344, 11 March 1911, Page 5

KING COUNTRY SCHOOLS.

11EV. MITCHELL'S REPLY. A more or less legible letter written in pencil by a rev. gentleman in the King Country and reiv' at the meeting of the Education Board the other morning, says the "Star,"' contained suggestions of negligence, and inferentially of incompetence against the board in providing requisites for opening the school in the writer's district. The chairman of the board rather resented the epistle. He stated that a grant for the school in question was notified only a fortnight ago and tenders for the work were now being invited. In the meantime a marquee was sent to the district for the housing of the pupils and also some furniture, and because tne latter was not all new and the board had not been extravagant in sending along some beautifully upholstered fittings to be knocked about and spoilt in the temporary school provided, a discourteous letter was written. Mr Parr remarked that there were a few busybodies in the King Country who had no real grievances but who rushed into print on the slightest chance offering. "Some of these gentlemen want talking to pretty plainly," be added, "and I am always willing to do anything of the kind," and Mr Parr suggested that he should be given power to visit some of the districts whence complaints originate, and interview the gentlemen responsible. The board endorsed the sentiments expressed by the chairman and adopted his suggestion. The following is the letter referred to:—"I would urge the necessity of pushing on the additions to the school at once. The necessity is an urgent j one, as the rooms are disgracefully ! overcrowded and a mar to the efficiency of the school. The marquee sent j is quite inadequate besides being old j and torn. It is absolutely unfitted : for the purpose which it has been sent ' for. The furniture for same has arrived ! to-day and looks as if it had been col- ! lected from the scrap heaps, and is another instance of the fact that anything is good enough for a country '■ school. — R. Mitchell, chairman Te Kuiti School Committee." ; A "Chronicle" representative di- j rected Mr Mitchell's attention to the j paragraph yesterday and he replied j that the more or less legible letter, j written in pencil by a rev. gentleman j in the King Country was written by i himself, was a carbon copy, and bore his signature, of which he was not ashamed. The attention of the board was directed to the overcrowded state of Te Kuiti school on the 9th October, 1909, and application was made for a j marquee to accommodate 40 or 50 j children at 10th October, 1909. Since | then the facts of the overcrowded state of the school has been several times brought before the board, with the result that for the opening of the school this year, an old, torn military tent from he the Defence Department was sent, which is not only too small, but absolutely unfitted for the purpose. Back-block children are not accustomed to upholstered fittings. But they like things that are decent, and I can only say the furniture sent and the tent are in keeping, and best described as having been collected from the scrap heaps. I hail with delight the prospect of Mr Parr visiting the King Country, and hope he will give due notice of the fact. He will probably find that not only are j there grievances, but that there are i those in the King Country who can ! speak as plainly as Mr Parr—and are j going to do it. Regarding the fact that the Board had decided that all applications for j the establishment of new schools and , the enlargement of existing ones be j reported on within one month from ! the date of the application Mr Mit- j chell said: —

"So far as it goes it i 3 all right, but the Auckland Education Board do not know the requirements of the King Country. Even if an inspector's report is faourable the conditions that are attached penalise the backblock settlers, by requiring them to supply accommodation and sometimes even to contribute towards the maintenance of the teacher. Committees of King Country schools were carrying out a considerable amount of correspondence in connection with the creating of a new Education District, and if I am to judge rightly, the present trend of things will require a more advanced proposal than the one submitted. I know that the position in the back-blocks is acute and requires the attention of men who know the conditions."