SCHOOL ACCOMMODATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12547, 14 April 1904, Page 6

SCHOOL ACCOMMODATION.

INTERESTING REPORT BY MISS PULLING. The Auckland Board of Education received a somewhat lengthy report yesterday from Miss Mary E. Pulling, the new headteacher of the Diocesan Girls' School, recently from Heme, upon accommodation for infant classes. Miss Pulling stated :—" What I saw both at Onehunga and Mount .Eden interested mo extremely, showing as it did in soin» points a distinct advance in scientific planning upon the- average English school; in other points l evidencing the struggle with certain difficulties which presented themselves somewhat earlier in England, and of which one has there seen partially successful solutions. One feels that on t'heir right solution in this country its future as affected by education must very largely depend. In this conviction I venture to append my impressions quite frankly." Continuing, Miss Pulling stated with reference to the hygienic conditions of buildings and apparatus, that she was much struck by the careful, practical, and scientific planning of both schools from this point of view. The lighting of class rooms to right and left, with glass surface arranged to avoid cross shadows, even in the largest rooms, was excellent, and well worth the sacrifice of external compactness which it necessarily entailed: whilst tho ventilation seemed to be as perfect and effective as she had seen anywhere, and extremely simple. The- apparatus, desks, raised floors, etc., seemed equal in most respects to those adopted by tho Loudon School Board, whilst the wide and airy corridors, well supplied with exits, and supplied with attractively tiled basins, were calculated for health, physical, and moral. In respect to structural conditions affecting education, she observed both schools to bo working under a disadvantage no longer tolerated in England, viz., that the number of qualified teachers was less than ono to each practicable division of children, the deficiency being made good by pupilteachers. Tho present condition, however, was bound to be temporary. If she were rightly informed it was the outcome not of financial depression, but of a hesitancy in public opinion as to whether the cost price of soundness in education was or was not worth paying. Not many years ago public opinion in England was in the same ease. But such hesitancy could not last long in any country that believed in its own future, and took education seriously. Hence it became important to provide in the structure of new schools not only for present conditions of staffing, but for those of the near future. She could not doubt that these would bo as m every other country which understood education in the direction of " one grade, one room, one teacher." There were two alternatives. New Zealand was now giving (as England was a few years ago) a liberal education under conditions suited only to elementary education. Tho stale of affairs was tho result of transition. The curriculum consisted of subjects taught for their educational value, but which depended for that on being treated by expert teachers, dealing with classes of a moderate size. It would be possible to return to the more .elementary type of instruction which may quite conveniently be dealt with by the pupil-teacher working under a headteacher in a large schoolroom. But so far as she could see the tendency in this country was quite the otluv way, and the demand for educational subjects so taught that they should really educate, and not only appear to do so, was on the increase. If so, then separate classrooms, with a qualified teacher, and a class of moderate size in each, could not fail to be required. She would like to s'-e in Auckland an infant school which should structurally be a model school, suggesting the best conditions of working, but adaptable to present makeshift ones so far as must be. Sim could imagine it somewhat on the plan of the Mount Eden school, but with modifications.

It was decided to forward a copy of the report to the Department.