The Taonui School

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 280, 26 November 1936, Page 3

The Taonui School

(To the Editor.) Sir, —At the garden party held on Saturday at Taonui, the chairman of the school committee, gave the public tho impression that Mr. Osborne had withdrawn all connection with the event without giving any reason for doing so. Now, had Mr. McFarland told us that as the result of the last meeting of the board and the apparent hopelessness of keeping the school open, Mr. Osborne had decided to send his children to Bunnythorpe nest year and therefore tendered his resignation from the school committee and naturally withdrew from the garden party, there would have been quite a different aspect on this matter. As I understand, this resignation was sent in somewhere about a fortnight ago, the garden party committee had ample time to put someone else in Mr. Osborne’s place and therefore were in no wise left in the lurch. I know that Mr. Osborne was never in favour of this garden party taking place, but as it was decided on at a school committeo meeting which he was not even informed was to take place he had no chance of opposing the suggestion. I should like to ask why money should be spent at this time on a new radio set for a school which is likely to be closed? Taonui is provided with a school on all four sides at a reasonable distance, thcreforo why any need to keep ono open which is situated iu the centro and is really not necessary? As for the teaching staff, the surrounding schools are just as well suited and in some things the children are taught moro than here, for our boys do not know how to play a decent game of football and ono never hears of tennis or basketball matches between Taonui and other schools. Another thing which appears to be neglected here is tho sewing class for girls. At schools where there aro no lady teachers the board pays for a sewing teacher to conduct a class of two hours a week. Here we have two lady teachers and the girls get at the most a one-hour lesson, not weekly but only occasionally. Another thing against keeping this school open is the fact that the aerodrome is so close to the school grounds will, in the near future, become a source of danger to our children. All things considered, I think we would be wise to

follow our ex-committecman’s lead and send our children to one of the surrounding schools at tho beginning of next year.—l am, etc., FATHEE. Taonui, November 25.