NEW CITY SCHOOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18076, 28 April 1922, Page 8

NEW CITY SCHOOL.

MENNIE'S reserve site.

DRAW ON REBUILDING FUND.

Various matters of educational importance were discussed yesterday in the course of a conference between the Minister for Education, the Hon. G. J. Parr, and members of the Auckland Education Board. One of the matters brought forward by the Minister was the overcrowding of the Newton schools, and the desirability of erecting a new school on the Meniiie's reserve site, owned by the board. Ho suggested that plans should be drawn for a school of five or six rooms, and that the bulk of the money for its erection should be drawn from the board's rebuilding fund, the department being quite willing to grant permission for this to be done. It was no use hoarding the money when extra accommodation was so urgently needed, said Mr. Parr, and h 0 added that he would like to see a new school on this site, to take the overflow from the surrounding schools, by the end of the year. The board agreed to this suggestion, some discussion ensuing as to whether the proposed school should be built of brick or wood. The Minister stated that he was not altogether in favour of erecting schools to last 100 vears or more, after the type of brick school now in vogue. Ihe futility of building for a long period ahead, during which educational ideas were certain to change, was shown by the unsatisfactory character of the old wooden schools built 40 years ago. The board's architect, Mr. J. Farrell, stated that Mennie's reserve sito was in the brick area, and that it would not be altogether easy to erect a two-storey wooden building that would be soundproof and fire proof. After some discussion, the architect was requested to proceed with the wor of taking levels, and preparing estimates as to the comparative costs of brick and wood. A request that the Huntly school be transferred to a more suitable site was made by Mr. J. S. Bond, who said that the school stood between the road and the railway line, and that the noise of shunting and traffic greatly interfered with the work. Another site had been acquired by the board some time ago, and it was now suggested that the old school should either be sold, or removed to it. Mr. J. Farrell said that it had been proposed that two rooms should be built on the new site, to which the present school could later on be removed. The Minister agreed to give the matter his consideration. , The matter of additional accommodation in schools in which less than 10 square feet of space is available for each punil, was Introduced by Mr. Burns, who asked that all such schools should be regarded j as urcent cases. He further proposed i that the Minister should grant permission | for the board to use part of its rebuilding I fund for the purpose of increasing the accommodation at these schools. Mr. Parr agreed to recommend to Cabinet that all 1 such cases should be regarded a? urgent, and that a £ for £ subsidy should be granted on all moneys thus expended from tho board's rebuilding fundThe rest of the business was considered in committee.