Girls’ Hostel Like Rabbit Warren

Northern Advocate, 8 July 1938, Page 7

Girls’ Hostel Like Rabbit Warren

-DR. J. W. HALL

"This is a cramped, rambling, illventilated and badly lighted old buildj n o- to one's mind the analogy of a rabbit warren." said Dr. J. W. Hall, superintendent of the Whangavci Public Hospital and a member of the Whangarei High School Board of Governors, when reporting on the girls' hostel at the meeting of the Parents’ Association last night. "There is no adequate sick room, and no possibility of providing one. The bathroom accommodation is poor and insufficient.

‘‘The laundry difficulties, with the thoroughly inadequate drying room, must be appalling.

“The space for recreation and study is cramped, poor and insufficient. The cubicles are below the main level and undesirable, and the air space in the dormitories is insufficient. “The maids’ bedrooms, opening straight off the kitchen, are most undesirable, and the dark passages arc to be condemned.

“The teaching staff accommodation is so poor as to be unbelievable.

“How the health of the girls is to be kept near normal during the winter is a problem, and any epidemic of colds or infectious disease could not find more favourable conditions for rapid spread.” Supplementing the report, Dr. Hall said: “The conditions must be remedied, or the hostel should be closed down. I am under the impression that when visiting the school last year the Minister of Health promised the provision of a new hostel.” The meeting decided unanimously upon framing a resolution, in accordance with Dr- Hall’s report, to be forwarded to the Minister together with that seeking improvements of conditions at the girls’ school. Stating at the close of the meeting that the Parents’ Association was whole-heartedly behind the Board of Governoi’g and the staff in their efforts to secure justice for the girl pupils, Mr Hosking said: “If anyone else lets up. we won’t.”