THE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 200, 24 July 1937, Page 2

THE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Mr Black ueds no assistance from me in the fight lie is waging against the acquisition of (lie College Street School for intermediate purposes. He has the ability to dcicml himself. But let me say. Kir. as a member ol the Mar-awatu ami Ooua School Committees' Association, comprising 40 affiliated schools, that no man in Palmerston North has worked harder for matters educational than Air Blade, who has been unanimously elected chairman of the aforesaid association since its inception. As 1 have been personally interested in the College street School for the last 30 years, your readers will not think me presumptuous in expressing an opinion. The Wanganui Board in replying to Mr Black stated that the people should know both sides of the question, with which I quite agree. In fact, sometimes there are more than two sides; therefore I am giving my side by submitting a series of question? to tlio board: (1) Did the Wanganui Board have its mind made up concerning College Street School prior toaskjing the residents of Palmerston North whether they wanted an intermediate school, or not? (2) If ccntrality is such a vital factor, would the board regard the location of the Girls High School as central? (3) As the board states that the present College Street classrooms are of the latest type, why do they wish to deprive the Mnall children of the latestsstype? (4) Seeing that the board considers College Street such a central site, why is it that it has not (apparently) investigated the possibility of acquiring the large contiguous area under the Public Works Act; also the large native area in Grey Street? (5) Whether the board considers that it is studying the interests of the little children by asking them to vacate their school, and then walk up to a mile to another, in order that older children, who could use a cycle, can occupy it? (6) Whether the board thinks it just to take land which the householders helped to provide for primary school purposes and use it for intermediate? Setting politics aside, 1 venture to say that the Hon. Mr Eraser is one of" the most practical and sympathetic Ministers of Education this country has ever had. Mr Eraser stated explicitly that he would not force an intermediate school on any community who did not desire it. 1 am quite sure he would bo equally sincere in saying that he would not counsel the taking of the College Street School against the wishes of the parents of children attending it. The worry of most mothers is t'>e safety of their children on the highways. "Why send little tots a mile when. I should say, most of them are within a radius of half a mile of their present school? Mr Oram was present at the College Street School ball, and I only wish the members of the Wanganui Board had attended also. They would have seen hundreds of little tots on tho floor of the A. and P. Association hall, surely a striking illustration of the injustice that would be inflicted on these children by the talcing of their school which the committees fought for so long. College Street School will soon be celebrating; its jubilee. Why should it lose its identity? In conclusion. Mr Editor, let uu> sav that T have a.great appreciation of the work performed by Mr Bhiek in the cause of education, involving personal inconvenience and expense, and I intend to stick to him, —I am. etc., W. E. CUTLER. 39 Ada Street. Palmerston North.