AN OVERCROWDED SCHOOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18551, 8 November 1923, Page 11

AN OVERCROWDED SCHOOL.

POSITION AT PAPAKURA.

EXTRA ACCOMMODATION URGED.

The matter of the enlargement of the Papakura School was again considered by the Education Board yesterday, when a letter was received from the local school committee forwarding copies of correspondence which took place recently between that body and the Minister for Education. In reply to a charge made by the committee that the board had taken no action in the matter, although the application for enlargement had been before it for three years, the secretary, Mr. E. C. Purdie, stated that the board had done its utmost to expedite the matter, and the application was referred to the department several months ago as one of the most urgent on the board's list. It was explained by the advisory inspector, Mr. D. W. Dunlop, that, the senior inspector had previously refused to recommend the enlargement of the school, because he was of opinion^that the erection of a school at Takanini would relieve the congestion at Papakura. He had failed to take into consideration the fact that both Papakura and Takanini were rapidly growing districts, and even while the Takanini school was building, there was sufficient increase in the school population of Papakura to fill all the vacant space at Takanini without relieving any ol the former congestion. It was now fully realised that this overcrowding could only be met by the provision of extra accommodation, but nothing could be done until the department moved in the matter. It was decided 'that a letter be sent to the department pressing for an early reply to the board's previous application.