EDUCATIONAL REFORM.

Matamata Record, Volume VI, Issue 433, 3 May 1923, Page 2

EDUCATIONAL REFORM.

CHAIRMAN OF BOARD SPEAKS.

A letter on the above subject which appeared in the Record last week has apparently given parents and others food for thought. It was quoted at tlie annual meeting of householders at Matamata on Monday and this prompted’ the chairman to produce a letter from Mr. E. C. Banks (chairman of the Auckland Education Board), who. being resident here, has a'ways taken a keen interest in the. Matamata school. He wrote:—“ I am sorry Unit it is impossible for me to attend the meeting of householders. Some 10 months ago the School Committee reported to Iho. Board that the Matamata school was overcrowded. The Board asked the Senior inspector for a report on Dm matter and ho i'd’dsi'd the Board that tho best plan was to ask the Department for a grant to put up permanent, buildings on the new site for Die secondary dctsrtmenl. of Die district high school. The Board made application to the Department, who countered with a proposal for temporary buildings aelioining the present school, to ho shifted later on to Die present site. There was considerable correspondence' between the Board and the Department and finality was not reached until the committee and 1 • met the Minister in Matamata. Before lie left Matamata Mr. Parr promised me that no temporary building would be erected. About, a week after the election Cabinet made a grant of £ISOO towards the erection of two rooms and a laboratory em the new site for the accommodation of the secondary department of the Matamata district high school. Tho Edu- ; cation Board has I muni the otlici 1 £ISOO out of its rebuilding fund. The building will be completed in about '! three months’ time. As far as I know Matamata will remain a district high school for the next two years, until we see the success or otherwise ol tho Te Kowhai junior high school and tin' Pukekolic technical school. The people of Matamata and the School Committee will he consulted he I ore anv change takes place. If an alteration does take* place in two years’ time.* great care will be taken that the 1000 pupils in the secondary department of the district high schools will not be interfered with. It might interest you to know that Mr. Wells, the' leading hoaelmasler of the Auckland province, was asked a yea) - ago to visit and report on the junior.high schools of America. His report is altogether in favour. If a high school is established in Matamata it will lake all the children between the ages of 12 and 15 within a radius of six miles. This would ho called the junior department. It would also have a senior department, for pupils between the 'ages of 15 .and 18 who wish to matriculate. The attendance at the high school would be about 250 with about emlit teachers.” Rev. Connolly said he understood that the scheme in question was on trial in several localities. If the Education Board decided to adopt the scheme the people of Matamata would be consulted. Mis opinion was that the householders, when and if the' time came, should advocate a high school and not a junior high school. Matamata was a great centre for a high school. ■ ■ Tn the course of an address Mr. F. K Lark said that even with the promised high school the present "building was totally unsuitable. Thore was not a class-roemi large enough to accommodate the children of the classes. Figures were quoted showing that with Die present high school pupils out of the main school there was only 0.7 cubic feet of space o'er child, as against the 12 feet specified by the regulations. No resolution was before Die nioetY,g, but Mr. Lark asked the committee to keep in mind Mr. Banks’ assurances.