GRAFTON SCHOOL MEMORIAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18896, 19 December 1924, Page 13

GRAFTON SCHOOL MEMORIAL

TRIBUTE TO LATE TEACHER.

INFANT PUPILS' PLAYGROUND.

A memorial tablet to tho late Miss Hopper, who was for over 30 years infant mistress at tho Grafton school, was unveiled yesterday afternoon by the Minister for Education, the Hon. C. J. Parr. The whole memorial consists of a wellequipped playground for tho infant children, which has been levelled from a rough paddock at a cost of over £300. This sum was made up partly from subscriptions by former pupils of Miss Hopper and partly by a Government subsidy.

The chairman of the Memorial Committee, Air. McGregor, said that the playground had been placed near the children's department so that they might remember the noble woman who had laboured there so long. He urged the children to learn from the example of their teacher that playing the game and doing things brightly and happily were what counted ' most in life. The children had loved Miss Hopper for her kindly thoughtfulness and for the way in which she had always shared good things with others.

The chairman of the school committee, the Rev. A. Thornhill, in accepting the grounds on behalf of the children, said that the result had been attained by means of co-operation between the individual subscribers, the Board of Education and the Education Department. The department had suggested four acres as a reasonablo area of ground for such a school. They, however, had a long way to go before they reached that goal. The committee were making great efforts, and already over £120 had been raised in addition to that spent on the memorial. About another £120 would be needed to complete the work. Air. Parr said that, when a teacher could inspire her pupils with such lasting memories as Miss, Hopper had done sho must indeed have been a success in tho school. The teacher was tho king-pin of the whole business of education. As tho teacher was so were the children. Tie complimented tho Memorial Committee on the amount th<sy had raised and on the wisdom with which it had been spent. Ho wondered what Mr. Thornhill would have said if he could have seen the school grounds before the present Minister for Education came into office. Formerly they had been only half their present size, but he had persuaded the Government to find £1650 for practically doubling the area. Of the money for the present memorial a large proportion had been provided by the Government. Iu the few years that he had held office he hud thus at least attempted to do his duty by the Grafton school. The Minister later announced that if the Education Board and the school committee could find another £40 for levelling the school grounds he would recommend the Government to provide the remaining £80 needed. The chairman of the Education Board, Mr. A. Burns, iu proposing a vote of thanks to Mr. Parr for his attendance at the ceremony, said he thought he could promise on behalf of his colleagues to find £20 of the money mentioned bv Mr. Parr.

After the children had been granted a half-holiday for their breaking-up day, to-morrow ( the ceremony concluded with the distribution of sweets to the children.