GIRLS' GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13613, 5 December 1907, Page 6

GIRLS' GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

MEMORIAL STONE LAID.

SPEECH BY THE MINISTER FOR

EDUCATION.

The memorial stone of the new Girl's Grammar School, which is now being erected on the Educational Reserve, Howe and Hopetoun Streets, was laid in the presence of a large gathering yesterday afternoon by the Hon. Geo. Fowlds, Minister for Education. The Minister was accompanied by Mrs. Fowlds, the Misses Fowlds, Mr. G. Fowlds, jun.. and his private secretary (Mr. W. Crow). Amongst others present were Sir G. Maurice O'Rorke (chairman of the Grammar. School Board), Mr. L. J. Bagnall (chairman of tho Auckland Education Board), Dr. Roberton (a member of the Grammar School Board), Messrs. G. L. Peacocko (a member of the University College Council), V. E. Rice (secretary to the Education Board), J. W. Tibbs (headmaster of the Grammar School), Miss A. W. Wliitciaw (headmistress of the Grammar School), Mr. W. Wallace Kidd (secretary to the Grammar School Board), Canon Nelson (registrar of the University College), Mr. P. M. Mackay (chairman of the City Schools Committee), the lions. W. .J. Beehanaud B. Harris, M.L.C.'s, Messrs. A. lvidd, C. 11. Poole, and J. Stallworthy, M.P.'s., Professors A. P. W. Thomas, Egerton, and Bourne, Messrs. J. F. Slomau (formerly headmaster of the Girl's High School).' W. J. Speight. R. Ilobbs, G. Knight, the Rev. K. C. Budd. and others. A large.number of the scholars of the Girls' Grammar School worn also present, in charge of Miss Wallace.

An apology for absence was received from the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. A. M. Myers), who was unable to be present. Mr. Myers, in a letter to Sir Maurice O'R-orke, expressed gratification at the erection of tin- new school, as a means for increasing the educational facilities of the girls of the rising generation. Apologies for absence were also received- from the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward), Bishop and Mrs. Neligan, Dr. McDowell, and M'wsrs. F. W. Lang, M.P., and J. J. Holland. ADDRESS BY THE CHAIRMAN". Sir Maurice O'Rorke, in opening the proceedings, said it was now many years since the Auckland Girls' High School was established by an Act v>f the old Provincial Council. The school was at first under the control of the Education Board, which maintained it until 1888, when the Government subsidy of £1000 a year was stopped. The Grammar School Board, at the request of the Education Board, then came to the rescue, and for the past 19 years it had_suecessfully carried on the work. The girls were formerly accommodated in the same building as the boys, but on this building becoming too small. St. Paul's schoolroom was placed at their disposal. He rejoiced that they were now to have a, large commodious building, and he was also pleased to be able to ask an Auckland member of Parliament, as Minister for Education, to perform the ceremony of laying the memorial stone. (Applause.) .Whilst the girls of the city would thus be afforded ample accommodation, he regretted that no provision had yet been made by means of a boarding-school for tlio country children. He had long advocated 6uch an institution, but had not vet been successful in getting it established. In their headmistress they had one who was thoroughly conversant with secondary education in the Old Countiy, and who had received .part of her training at that admirable institution, Girton College. (Applause.) On ,behalf of the architects ho presented Mr. jFowlds with a handsome silver trowel suitably inscribed. (Applause.) THE MINISTER'S SPEECH. ' Mr. Fowlds returned thanks, and then performed the ceremony of laying the stone. Having declared the stone to be "well and truly laid." he said that when the bunding was completed it would be the most commodious and best equippAl school of the kind in the Dominion. (Applause.) The school ought to have been .erected years ago, but it was never too late to mend, and they would now have an institution that would meet requirements for many years to come. During the last, few years changes of almost a revolutionary character had been made in the system of secondary education in New -Zealand. The institution of the system of free places had provided all children, whether of rich or poor parents, with facilities for obtaining a good secondary education, and the Government was doing almost as much as had been done in any other country to make the whole system of education free right from the primary schools to the universities. During the last quarter in the Auckland Grammar School alone, 311 boys and 189 girls had participated in the benefits of these free places. Out of a total round number of 3261 for the high schools of the Dominion, last year, 2435, or 76 per cent., were at the schools by virtue of the free places. In addition to these, 2594 children were getting some measure of free secondary education at the district high schools, most of them being holders of free places, and the opening of the door of free secondary education in New Zealand had naturally .necessitated an increased expenditure on buildings. For the year 1904-05 the total amount expended by the Government on high school building.* was only £1915. In the two following years it rose to £4020 and £6875 respectively whilst the amount for the current year was no less than £15,800. They were keeping their eyes on what was being done in other countries with Hie object of making the educational system in New Zealand one complete and harmonious whole. He referred to the benefits that were expected to accrue from the visit of the In-spector-General of Schools to the Old Country, and in alluding to the attention now given to teclinical education, he said that the full benefits of this system of education could not be secured unless the literary and scientific sido of education was also attended to. It was in the secondary schools that the preparatory work necessary as a grounding for technical education must bo carried out. In conclusion, he Stated that, he heartily approved of the boarding-school iclicy, advocated by Sir Maurice O'Rorke, as .i moans of securing to the country children a da-- share of the facilities now afkrded lor secondary education (Applause.) > The memorial stone, which is placed in the front of the building, facing Hopetounstreet, is a handsome block of granite, and it bears the following inscription : —" Girls' Grammar School. This stone was laid by the Hon. George Fowlds, Minister for Education, December, 1907. The Hon. Sir George Maurice O'Rorke, M.A., i.L.D., chairman ; Goldsbro' and Wade, W. A. Gumming, joint architects " THE NEW BUILDING. ! The school, which has been in course of [ construction for some months, has a front--1 age of 126 ft. It consists of two storeys facing Hopetoun-street, and three on the lower side, facing the harbour. The building ,'s being constructed of red pressed bricks, with cement dressings, the assembly hall, corridors, colonnades, and st.urease being constructed in reinforced concrete, as a. precaution against fire. The height of the huilding to the top of the walls will be 50ft on the lower side and 36ft on the upper side. Above the main entrance, facing Hopetoun-street, there will be a tower rising some 20ft above the main part of the building. On the ground floor there will be a spacious assembly hall, of 67ft by 34ft, with an Bft gallery running round three sides of it. There will be in all 10 classrooms', with scientific lecturer laboratory, and various other accessories. The architects are Messrs. Goldsbro' and Wade and J'lr. W. A. Gumming, and Mr. J. Davis is the builder. The total cost will be about £17,000, of which £5000 is being contributed by tho Government. The building will be completed about the end of February nesti