MANGERE EAST SCHOOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15663, 17 July 1914, Page 9

MANGERE EAST SCHOOL.

Sir,— should like to make a protest against the treatment meted out to tho residents c' Mangero East by the Education Board in regard to their application for a school. Some five or six montns ago, whan application was first made, for a school, all the members of the board, with the exception of two who could not bo present, came out and personally inspected the site suggested by the residents as the most central for tho proposed school. After consultation with the householders present, the members of the board assured them that tliov were satisfied that the school was needed", and that the site selected, at the corner cf Buckland's and Mangere Roads, was the most suitable. Nothing further was heard by the householders for some months, when one of the residents interested was ir/formed that at the previous meeting of the board it had been decided to build tho school on a site over a mile distant from that first decided on and in a part of the district where there are very tew children. When a*ked why the board had taken this course tho chairman stated that the final selection of a site rested with the chief inspector alone. If this be so, what was the uso of tho members of the board coming out? When the decision of the board was made known to the householders a meeting was held and a deputation appointed to protest against any alteration of the site, and to oak that the building of the school bo taken in band as soon as possible. It was stated by the deputation that, whereas when tho first for' the school was mado there were about 60 children of school ago and under in the proposed district, there are now over 100. In the face of this statement, which was vouched for by the denotation, the board decided that no farther steps be taken in the matter of a school for 12 months. If six months ago the majority of the board, after a personal inspection of the district, were satisfied that a school was necessary, bow do they justify their postponement of the matter for a year, seeing that already there are more than double the number of children in the district that there wer* at tho time of their visit? The board certainly owes it to the householders to give the reasons which prompted them to deal with, tho matter in, what appears to us, such an unfair manner. A Householder.