NEW TAKANINI SCHOOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18346, 12 March 1923, Page 8

NEW TAKANINI SCHOOL.

THE OPENING CEREMONY.

MINISTER OFFICIATES.

PROGRESS OF THE DISTRICT.

The new school at Takanirit was opened by the Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister for Education, on Saturday afternoon in the presence of all the children and most of the residents of that rising centre. The Prime Minister had intended being present to perform the ceremony, but pressing business rendered this impossible, and the Minister for Education officiated in his stead. Mr. Massey, however, forwarded a telegram expressing his regret at his inability to be present. Mr. T. H. Sandford, of Takanini, who was appointed manager of the school by the Auckland Education Board pending the school committee election on April 30, presided. The arrangements for the entertainment of the visitors, which were on a liberal scale and unusually attractive, were in the hands of Mrs. A. Collings, secretary of the Takanini Welfare League. Mr. J. Boddie represented tho chairman of the Auckland Education Board, and he was accompanied by Mrs. N. E. Ferner, and Messrs. A. Bums, J. Patterson. J. P. McPhail, H. S. W. King, and G. Brownlee, members of the board. Takanini is situated between Manurewa and Papakura, on the South suburban line. As tho settlement is of very recent growth, no school had previously been provided, and the children travelled by train to attend that at Papakura. The Takanini Welfare League, however, took the matter up with the Education Board, and a school site of four acres was secured at a cost of £500. School an Uurgent Necessity. The building which has now been erected is built on thoroughly modern lines, and contains two large, airy, and well lighted classrooms and a wido entrance nail. Both classrooms are provided with cross ventilation and the. windows are so arranged that when the scholars are Beated at their desks the light will fall over their left shoulders. This is in accordance, with the best scientific advice. The largo, level section has been fenced, and when the necessary shelters have been erected the buildings will represent an outlay of £1800. In welcoming the visitors, the chairman spoke of the " mushroom" growth of Takanini, and mentioned that only a few years ago they did not even have a railway stop. The growth of the settlement was such that a school became an urgent necessity, and the Education Board, evidently recognising that Takanini was going to expand, had given them an imposing and artistic building, of which they were all proud. On behalf of the residents he thanked the Minister and tho board for the assistance they had rendered, and assured them that in the future they were -going to make a positive nuisance of themselves in asking for facilities as their educational needs increased. Mr. Sandford then extended a welcome to Mr. J. Hanghey, the new headmaster, and Mrs. Haughe-y, who had arrived from Cambridge just prior to the ceremony. The Minister was presented with a gold key, suitably inscribed, and asked to declare the building open. Social Centre tor the District. The Hon. C. J. Parr said he had to confess that although an old resident of Auckland, he did not know where Takanini was when the request for a school was placed before him, and he took the creation of this new settlement as another evidence of the phenomenal growth of the city and province of Auckland. He mentioned that the Whitiora School at Hamilton furnished the finest illustration of this remarkable development which is taking place in the province. He said that the original school was built less than three years ago to accommodate 190 children. The following year it was found necessary to add another room to cater for a further 80 children, and again in the next year 150 more children were applying for admission, and the school had "to bo enlarged. On Thursday, when he again visited the school, he found that the average daily attendance was 550. This meant further enlargement and was truly representative of the problem which he found facing him all over the province. The Minister congratulated the residents of Takanini on having a school of the finest type that was now being erected. It was due to the persistent yet polite agitation of the Takanini Welfare League that the growing settlement had been provided with this modern and wellventilated building. The ideal site of four acres would provide for the educational needs of the district for all time. He hoped that the people would take an interest in improving the property and make the grounds tho garden of the district. " I hope that the district which has done so well will progress further," said the Minister in conclusion. " Let the school be the social centre of the district. Take some pride in it, and above all help tho teacher to bring out what is best in your children." Mr. J. Boddie also congratulated the residents on the result of their efforts to secure a school in their midst. He said that the board was always anxious to grant reasonable requests for educational facilities, but unfortunately the Minister could not always give them the money they required. Ho paid a tribute to Mr. Parr's energy and interest in the building up of a thoroughly modern system of education. High Ideals for the Children. The Rev. W. C. Wood, chairman of the Papakura School Committee, and Mr. C. 11. Lupton, chairman of the Manurewa School Committee, briefly congratulated tho residents of Tlfkanini. The chairman then made a presentation to Mr. J. E. Elliott, headmaster of the Papakura School, on behalf of the children who were withdrawing from his tuition to attend the new institution. Responding, Mr. Elliott spoke well of the behaviour of the children, and said that it had been his endeavour to develop character. It was not so much to him that they should prove to be the best scholars so long as they " held their bats straight and played tho game..' He mentioned that in all the years that children had been travelling by train to school from the Takanini district he had not received one serious complaint from the guards or inspectors concerning the conduct of the children on the train. During the afternoon selections were plaved by the Papakura Town Band, under" Bandmaster F. W. Fell. After the building had been inspected the visitors were entertained at afternoon tea in a largo marquee, which had been erected in the grounds.

REQUEST FROM WEYMOUTH.

NEW SCHOOL BUILDING.

A request that a new school building be erected at Weymouth was placed before the Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister for Education, at Takanini on Saturday afternoon by a deputation representing the residents of tho Weymouth district. It was mentioned that the school was now conducted in a hall, which it was claimed was quite unsuitcd' for the purpose. Moreover, the building was frequently used for other purposes in the evenings, causing delay in the start of the school work on the mornings following. The Minister promised to consider the request.