GOVERNMENT HOUSE GROUNDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14219, 16 November 1909, Page 6

GOVERNMENT HOUSE GROUNDS.

CLAIMS OF GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

A PLAYGROUND WANTED.

Mr. Tibbs, the headmaster of the Auckland Grammar School, last week forwarded to the Minister for„Education a communication in which he strongly urged the claims of the school to a portion of what is known as the Metropolitan Ground as a playground for the large number of boy 6 attending the school. Speaking on this subject to a Herald representative yesterday, Mr. Tibbs put the case effectively. " There is absolutely no playground in the Grammar School," he said, " and the boys cannot play any of the ordinary school games. The only games that can bo played are fines and lawn tennis/the latter on lie two courts provided. There are over 400 boys at the school, and it has been for some years past the largest secondary school in New Zealand. In all the other centres ample provision has been made for school games by the setting apart of large playgrounds around the school building. The Dunedin High School and Wellington College have especially fine playing fields, and the OhristchuTch High School has a ground in Hagley Park. The boys of the Auckland Grammar School have had the use of the Governor's paddock for the past 25 years for football practice during one hour a day, and the first and second fifteens have had to practise in the evenings in the outer Domain. A limited number of the boys havo also been enabled to practise cricket in the Domain on two pitches hired by the Board. The great number of the boys attending the school take no part in the school games, and spend the luncheon hour wandering about the town arid wharves, because the spaco available at the school is far too limited to accommodate them when they are dismissed from the classrooms. The school was inspected recently by , the Assistant Inspector-General of Schools and the Inspector of District High Schools, and in their report to the Department they commented strongly on the lack of provision for school games. "This year," continued Mr. Tibbs, " the whole school, with the exception of 10 who were physically unfit, have joined the school cadet corps, which now forms.a battalion of eight companies and which completely fills the school yard when drawn up as a cadet force. For the purposes of drill the companies have to be marched out into Princesstreet and Lower Svmonds-street, where they are drilled by their own officers and thofo of the defence force. On rare occasions, when battalion drill is indulged in, they have to be marched to the outer Domain.

" The day will come when a new, permanent, and up-to-date school will be needed, and no better cite could be found for it than the corner of Alfred and Svmondfi Streets, now occupied by the Choral Hall and adjaeont buildings, and the level part of the ground now known as the Metropolitan Ground, would give the school an ample playground. But in the meantime the only piece of ground that can be found near enough to the school for a playground is the Metropolitan Ground." In conclusion, the headmaster said that a playground was not needed so much for the cultivation of athletic prowess, though in these days of healthy rivalry among schools there was much to be said for that, but rather in order that no encouragement might be given to the spirit of idleness .and loafing which more than anything else tended to produce a low moral tone in boys. Hie value of a playground as a factor in the moral education of the school seemed to have been entirely overlooked when the Auckland Grammar School was founded.

NEW UNIVERSITY BUILDINGS.

COLLEGE COUNCIL'S APPROVAL. The recently published intention of the Government to provide a site for the erection'of a new college building on the present Government House grounds was the subject of appreciative reference by the acting-chairman (Mr. G. L. Peacocke) at a meeting of the University College Council yesterday. "The Government intends to do," he remarked, " what I think a majority of Auckland citizens will entirely approve of, namely, to use the best site in Auckland for a new college." The chairman added that the matter of a Governor's residence could and should be provided for in other ways. He was hopeful that the present Government House building, although too old to form even a wing of a new college, might be utilised as residential quarters for students. "It would," he added, "be an advantage in giving students an opportunity of living together." The chairman was unanimously authorised to convey the appreciation of the Council in a telegram to the Prime Minister.