OKAUIA SCHOOL

Matamata Record, Volume XIX, Issue 1721, 14 April 1936, Page 1

OKAUIA SCHOOL

REQUEST FOR OPENING • . , ; r As a Native School A petition of. protest from Mr. -Frank jDkattie ’ * against the closing of the Okauia school .was ireadf;at Monday's meet- .... ing of'the f Matamatg HigK School Committee. The protest said that had been - . the custom of the . teacher to return '- : children with wet.clotljiiig ,to .their / ' homes. Farther, it was often possible in Wet weather to make a late start, sometimes as late as midday* If forced! to, attend the Matamata Primary School the pupils would! require to be on the move at 6.30 a.m. at the latest, as the youngest, pupils could not possibly get to the bu* in under an hour. Assuming the ordinary time of return to be adhered to, it would be approximately 5 p.m. before the children* reached! their homes at night. UiuDer fair weather conditions such long hours must prove a strain. A phase of the matter which ■ the petitioners were reluctant to advertise was that all were mostly relief Workers, earning between £2 5s to £2 8s a week. The purchase of sufficient attire was impossible and food; was also a problem. Thisi problem could not be : solved uindler present conditions, which applied! to 80 per cent, of the native section. Accordingly the petitioners asked that the petition be viewed With favour. The petition was signed by nineteen Okauia residents. The chairman said that with the secretary he had! attended! a meeting at Okauia and had found the estimate of 21 given as the total not coming to the Matamata school was correct; also that there were 24 children coming on just under school age. The furthest, a child , would have to come was two miles.; > The distance varied! from half a.thate to two mileis. iHe thought the position would be met by the school being reopened as a native school; 1 On the motion of Messrs. Mockridge aind Gear, it was decided! to support the request for reopening the school on th<2sfc lines. Replying to Mr. V. B. Forges, the .chairman said that, clothes was the main item. ■ Mr. Gear suggested adding to the motion that the ischool be moved nearer the pa, arid this was approved.