OUR SCHOOLS

Marlborough Express, Volume LIV, Issue 184, 5 August 1920, Page 3

OUR SCHOOLS

TILE COM^tTTTEE MOVES

INDIGNATION MEETING TO BE

HELD.

The monthly meeting of the., Blenheim School Committee, was held on Tuesday ovenuiir, when there were present:—Messrs H. Dobson (in the chair), C. F. A. Whiteford, A. M. U. Mills, W. W. Tylor, J. J. White, F. 11. Andi-eivs, W. Braddock, W. W. Rowntreo (Headmaster), and W. Jordan (secretary). Leave of^ absence- was granted to Messrs E. li. Penny (chairman) and H. Kirby. An application was received for the use of the Redwoodtown school for Gospel services. It w.as. decided to decline to rent the building. The secretary explained that under the regulations governing the matter, the committee would have to insure the building against loss by fire. The renting of the school for several nights a week would entail a. great deal of extra work for the caretaker. and a high charge would June to bo K>ade to cover all expenses incurred. Accounts amounting to £26 were passed for payment. «The Visiting Committee reported that everything was satisfactory at both the main school and Redwoodtown .

The Headmaster's report was read and several necessities mentioned therein were authorised to he provided.

INADEQUATE SCHOOLS

Following ur> the instructions received at last meeting, Mr Rowntree reported that the secretary and himself had drawn up a. schedule of alterations and a sketch plan of the sa.me to be put before the Minister for Education, the Hon. C J. Parr, on his proposed visit to Bienheiir.. Speaking on the subject the Headmaster said that the Committee should ask for three more rooms. The infant school, which.he termed "an abomination," needed remodelling, or a new building. It had always been roundly condemned by the educators and inspectors who had seen it. The room, instead of being bright and'cheerful, were dull and dingy. The Government should be able to spend a few hundreds oi pounds in remodelling the schools of this district, as it was spending thousands of pounds on the schools in other parts. Mr ■ Dobson thought that the schedule of requirements should be sent to Wellington, asi it was 110 use v. aiting till the Minister came over here. He was sorry that he occupied the chair, as he had intended to ask the chairman what had been dons with regard to tho resolutions passed at the last householders*" meeting. He thought the Committee had shirked its duty in this respect.

The secretary pointed out that a special meeting had been summoned to deal, with tho matter, but a quorum had not resulted. General discussion then ensued, dealing with the Blenheim schools. Mr Tylor said that Mr Foipyth 0:1 his visit to Blenheim with t4ie delegation of Wellington; business mcii invited by the Chamber of Commerce, scoffed at the local schools, and had said at several meetings that th?y were the worst he bad seen. The speaker desired the "public'to know ■that tho Education- Department was hampering the Committee in every way, and was preventing it from doing what it should. If Auckland wanted anything she gob it, and Marlborough should not be lett out. While in Wellington recently he heard a. lot of talk there about Marlborough, and it vas Marlborough's chance to go for vhat she wanted while she was-in. the. ri'inds/of the people in other places. Other members .spoke in a. similar strain, expressing the ne-ed for radical changes, and the chairman niQved that tho resolutions passed at the. householders' meeting be sent to the Education Board' and the Education Department, with an appeal for their earnest consideration.

Mr Braddock, in seconding the motion, said that after his visit to> the .schools as 0110 of the Visiting Comrrnttee^liQ was more impressed than ever as to the necessity of an immediate change. [

The motion was carried

Mr Tylov thought that with care the Committee might be successful in. 'getting > a v.ew infant school, for it was the brick building which was vm>ilying the Department. He advocated the holding of a public indignation meeting a.s .1. remedy for the slowness of tho Department.

Members immediately agreed witJi this idea, and Mr Andrews moved that a public indignation meeting be held at nr; early date to discuss the over-crowding, the largo classes and general discomforts in the schools of the district. The motion was carried, and a. small committee was elected to further the matter, arid make all necessary arrnnge'iients.