NEW CITY SCHOOL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 198, 22 July 1937, Page 11

NEW CITY SCHOOL

INTERMEDIATE SYSTEM. BOARD REPLIES TO CRITICISM. At til© monthly meeting of the AVanganui Education Board yesterday a statement was issued to the Press in reply to the letter from Mr AV. G. Black, chairman of the ManawatuOroua School Committees’ Association, which appeared recently in the “Standard” and in which he criticised certain aspects of the proposal to establish an intermediate school in Palmerston North. “The board’s attention has been drawn to a recent letter in the ‘Manawatu Standard’ from Mr AV. G. Black, chairman of the Central School Committee and president of the M.mawntu and Oroua School Committees' Associa.tion,” says the statement. “Although these titles appear in the letter, it is not known definitely whether the opinions expressed are personal ones or are the official opinions of the bodies named. There is, however, more than a strong suspicion from the general tone of the letter that the opinions are personal —in fact, much of the letter is .a personal attack on the board’s deputy chairman. Air M. H. Oram. This fact in itself must, therefore, detract from any merit which the letter possesses. If the main purpose of the letter is not an endeavour to prejudice Mr Oram’s standing with Palmerston North committees. why was it written to the Press instead of to the hoard through the usual official channels P

“The board is of the opinion that the establishment of an intermediate school in Palmerston North should be expedited aa much as possible in order that the children of the city mar enjoy the advantages that the children in other cities arc at present enjoying.

“In the concluding portion of his letter, Mr Black suggests that Mr Oram is completely out of touch with the committees and has made little attempt to acquaint himself with the views and requirements of the committees in Palmerston North. The statement itself shows how completely out of touch Mr Black is with educational affairs in the board’s district. Afr Black apparently overlooks the fact that Palmerston North city is but a very small portion of the board’s district, and that, while Afr Oram is elected by the school committees of that city, it is his duty to ia.wsi.st the board to administer the affairs in all parts of its district. The hoard, although elected on a ward system, is absolutely free from parochialism. The excellent schools that Palmerston North possesses, and which Air Oram has officially represented with conspicuous ability for the past nine years, are nroof that Afr Oram and other mem-, hers of the board are fully in touch with Palmerston North requirements, and not only in touch but have fulfilled them in a practical manner. BOARD'S RESPONSIBILITY. “Air Black, throughout, his letter, appears to regard individual, members of the board as the board itself. Eor example, he suggests that the chairman, Mr Hemingway, has completely changed his views regarding the advisability of a new school on a separate site because the board apparently favours College Street as an intermediate school. He also suggests tha.t Mr Oram is endeavouring to influence the electors in favour of College Street and that ho is anxious to push through tbs College Street proposal, etc. Air I S Vick lias surely overlooked the fact that the board is a democratic body and that its decisions are ma.de by a majority vote, all members loyally abiding .by the decision of the majority, ff there' is any criticism of the board’s actions, the board as a whole is responsible not individual members. QUESTION OF SITE. “The public will no doubt wonder what offence the hoard has committed ; the board also asks that question. It issued the following circular to all members of school committees in Palmerston North city: ‘Some two months ago representatives- of the hoard, together with the Director of Education. Air N. T. Lamboiirne, met the School Committees’ Association and members of the Palmerston North school committees to discuss the question of establishing an intermediate school in Palmerston North. After an address by Air Lambourne, n.nd a very full discussion, a motion in favour of establishing such ■ a school was declared unanimously carried.’ A short discussion then -ensued regarding the question of site, .and a motion was passed favouring the erection of a new building on a separate site. It was, of course, not possible for the meeting to examine in any detail the advantages and disadvantages of various schemes, hut these have been carefully examined by the hoard. To give the best service to the children, the following arc essential features:—(l) The school must i>e situated as centrally as possible. (2) There must he an adequate playing area. An area, of not less than seven to eight Acres should be available for a school of this type, as all the children are at the senior primary stage and their games are in the main these which require considerable space. The board has endeavoured to locate a site complying with these requirements hut, unfortunately, it haw been unsuccessful. Sites of the requisite .area are available, but these are far from being con-, trallv situated. The board has, therefore,’ decided to lay the matter before individual members of the committees of the city schools, so that the qivestion of a new school on a new site may be re-considerecl. If an existing school were taken as an intermedia.te sehoof the choice would lie between Central and College Street. After carefully comparihg the relative advantages and disadvantages of each school, the board considers College Street to be tar more suitable. It is definitely the most central, no city school being more than 1.9 miles distant. , “ ‘The advantages and disadvantages of College Street as an intermediate school as compared with a separate building (the circular added) may be set out as follow, as they appear to the board:—Advantages: (1) Central position. (2) Large playing grounds—area of over 8,) acres in new and old site. (3) Economy in building. Fewer new rooms would be required at College Street for the intermediate, and at Hokowhitu for the younger children from College Street than would be necessary for the erection of an .entirely separate school. (4) All the, schools would probably maintain grades sufficient to obviate the removal of any headmaster from Palmerston North. (Note: Hokowhitu would take approximately 8o per cent, of the College Street P.-Std. 4 pupils,.l.c.. those living on the east side of Eitzlierbert Avenue, and AA r est End would take those on the west side. The Terrace End boundary would probably he extended to take in part of the Hokowhitu district to keep up the Terrace End attendance. Hokowhitu School would require extensions to accommodate the large influx from College Street. “ ‘Disadvantages.—(l) The children from P.-Std. 4 at College Street would require to attend other schools (the distances to Hokowhitu and AArest End are. however, not great. Fitzlicrbert Avenue to Hokowhitu is slightly undei a mile, and to AVcst End slightly over a mile). (2) Loss of local interest in

College Street by parents on account of its loss of identity as a primary school. (This, however, should not be regarded as a serious objection, as the interests of the children are the first consideration. College Street parents whose children attended the intermediate school would still be able to take part in the administration of that school. The interest of other parents and householders now in the College Street district would ho transferred to other schools in the vicinity.)

“ ‘ln view of the difficulty to obtaining a central site for a new school and of the disadvantages of establishing a separate school—matters regarding which committees were not previously aware—the board feels sure that members will wish to reconsider the previous decision (the circular concluded). To allow each member to record his opinion, a ballot paper is attached hereto, and I should be glad if you would complete it in accordance with the instructions thereon, and post it so as to reach this office not later than •3 p.m. on Thursday, July 15. The votes will be opened and counted on the following morning.’ “A ballot paper with the following issues was sent with each circular : ‘l. I am in favour of the erection of a new building on a new site for an intermediate school. 2. I am in favour of the conversion of the present ’College Street School into an intermediate school.’ THE COAIAMTTEES’ DECISION.

“The circular speaks for itself.” the hoard’s statement proceeded. “The extraneous matters contained in certain of Afr Black’s questions do not affect .the position in any way. Question 15 is a case in point. How does that affect tho question of what is the best site for Palmerston North? The school committees hnve decided unanimously in favour of an intermediate school for Palmerston North and the only matter now requiring consideration is that of site. Air Black will no doubt recollect his own very definite advice to the meeting of the School Committees' Association on April 7 that the establishment of a school should he judged on its merits without taking into account the question of site which could be discussed later. A\ by? therefore, does Air Black now submit question 16?

“If Afr Black knows of a central site suitable for an intermediate scho.ol, and if he is as sincere to help as he would have the board and the public believe, why has lie not submitted details of such site to the hoard so that the matter can be examined ?

“The public have not been told that at the association meeting the hour was getting late and the meeting decided on a separate site after very little discussion, and without knowing the advantages and disadvantages ot such a proposal. It was obviously not possible for a meeting of some GO committeemen to examine the facts and figures collected by the hoard over a period of nine months and to make a decision on such an important matter at that stage of the evening’s proceedings. “The hoard later had reason to believe that the decision so hurriedly arrived at in favour of a separate site was looked upon in certain quarters as unsatisfactory. Hence its decision to take a postal ballot of all city members. The board’s circular admittedly did not go into minute detail — the detail would probably have confused the main issue—but the hoard has stated the main advantages and disadvantages as they appear to it. Individual members may have seen others. Mr Black wants to know why the committee were not advised of the disadvantages of a separate site. The board thought it obvious that the converse of certain of fhe advantages of College Street would be disadvantages of a separate site. MINISTER HAS FINAL AYORD.

“The final decision as to location rests with the Minister of Education, and Mr Black need have no fear that College Street School, if taken for that purpose, will he unsuitable. As stated in the circular, additional rooms would he required at College Street and these would he specially constructed for intermediate school purposes, while the present rooms arc tho latest typo ol classroom construction.

“The haste is not unseemly. As Air Black well knows, there is a difficulty of accommodation in his own school district which must be met in the near future. It would ho a waste of public money to erect additional accommodation in the Central School district now and have it empty in a fewj months’ time when about 200 pupils were withdrawn from that school to go to an intermediate school. Other considerations about which Air Black is not aware make it necessary that the opening of the intermediate school should ho° expedited now that Palmerston North has decided it wants one. “Eor Air Mnnsford’s benefit, however. it mav he added that no individual member stands to gain anything as his recently reported remarks would seem to infer. The Education Board is actuated by only one motive in this, and all’its business dealings—that is the provision of the best possible conditions for all the children under its control.

“The board has no wish to enter into a newspaper controversy with Air j Black, and this statement is issued 1 solely' to allow the public to hear tho 1 other side of the question. The board appreciates Air Black’s enthusiasm in school matters; but it must remind him that, lor many reasons, he is not competent to set himself or his association in a position to judge the board. “In a matter of this kind it must not he overlooked that the Alanawatu School Committee's’ Association is not free from bias. It is composed of men representing schools that are affected in status, grading and grants by the opening'of an intermediate school, and that these matters are brought into consideration is shown by Mr Black’s question No. 14. The matter is one which must be judged solely from the effect oil the child. “The hoard itself is a school committees’ association elected by all committees throughout its district, and has no special interest in any particular school. With all the facts in its possession, and with tho advice and assistance ot officers of years of experience, it can lie relied upon to deal with the mattci m an impartial way and in a way which is host for the Palmerston North children as a whole. Any suggestions and co-operation which will assist the hoard ' in that direction will he greatly appro- j dated,” the statement concludes. AIR ORAM’S REJOINDER, “ft is ridiculous for either Air Black or All- Mnnsford to suggest that I or any other mem her of the hoard has anything to gain by pushing on the establishment of an intermediate school either at College Street or an independent site -in Palmerston North,” said Air Oram at the meeting yesterday. “The board is concerned to arrive at an early decision because of its building programme anil because the members of llie board are anxious that the children of Palmerston North should receive the best educational facilities at tho earliest possible moment. “I personally am convinced that the intermediate school idea is one of the greatest single advances that has been | brought forward of recent years. It. combines the principle of smaller j classes for which we have been fight- j ing for years with a cultural background and vocational guidance, acts as a clearing house for post-primary’ courses, bridges the existing gap between primary and secondary education, and has for its avowed object, tho development of the character, in-. dividualitv and initiative of each ] separate child. Unfortunately it is i only a two-year course, and while it does not matter personally to the board members if the establishment of j an intermediate school in Palmerston North were deferred, a considerabledelay would mean that children, say, j in present Standards 4 and 5, would j for ever miss the advantages that I would accrue from an intermediate! school education, anil the parents of such children would have a just cause for complaint if such delay were unreasonable.

“Mr Black suggests that thg board’s methods are ‘secret’ with apparently some sinister meaning attached thereto. The board is called upon to make certain decisions and recommendations to the department, and must do so on the considered opinion of' the members. The responsibility for’ such decisions is theirs and theirs alone, and it is for that purpose that they are' elected. There has, however, never been any secret made of the desire of the board to establish an intermediate school in Palmerston North or the steps that they were taking in connection therewith. I myself arranged that local committeemen should go through and inspect the intermediate school in Wanganui clearly with the only object of introducing a similar school in Palmerston. North. Moreover, the special committee of the board set up to consider the matter in the first place and comprising the chairman of tile board and the chairman of the College Street committee actually met at Central School for the purpose of considering the relative advantages of Central and College Streets as an intermediate school for Palmerston North. PROPOSED PARK ROAD SITE. “Mr Black has had ample opportunity of suggesting suitable independent sites for an intermediate school, and the site that lie advocated was situated in Park Road at the back of the Girls’ High School, where, backed by the river, there can be no possible ex(Continued on page 12.)