FOXTON SCHOOL OPENED.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 1560, 16 June 1920, Page 5

FOXTON SCHOOL OPENED.

minister emphasises the NEED OF BUILDING POLICY. (Per Press Association.) FOXTON, Last night. The Hon. Mr Parr performed the Queuing ceremony at the new school this afternoon. Prior to the ceremony, he was accorded a civic reception. Speaking at the opening, attei being introduced to those assembled bv Mr J. K. Hornblow, chairman ot the' School Committee, the Minister mentioned the fact that £700.000 worth of school buildings were eithei in course of construction or else authorised by the Department. About £300,000 worth had, however, not yet been" begun by Education Boards. This was due to a shortage of labour, and more especially to the severe shortage of materials. The new regulation, under which only essential buildings would be permitted by the Government to be built, would, he hoped, help the Boards in speedings up their building programme. He desired all Education Boards to hasten as far as possible the construction of schools. Other people should wait but the children should not wait. The principles of ordinary humanity dictated that the children must be housed comfortably for school work before anything else, though the cost of building construction was about 110 per cent, higher to-day than in 1914. The Government, realising the needs of the children, would proceed vigorously. He proposed to summon shortly a conference of representatives of Education Boards to take counsel with him as to the best means of pushing on the building programme. Perhaps a reform as necessary as building was that more teachers should be obtained. The Minister said he proposed to do this by raising the status of the teacher. He hoped very shortly to make the teaching profession more attractive as regards remuneration. This would attract young men who at present sought employment in other directions. He wanted the best of our young people to take up teaching. Mrs Parr, wife of the Minister, unveiled a memorial to ex-pupils who fell in the war.