NEW SCHOOL WANTED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20332, 13 August 1929, Page 10

NEW SCHOOL WANTED.

RICHMOND ROAD BUILDING,

ATTITUDE OF THE MINISTER

IMMEDIATE ACTION URGED

The necessity for the rebuilding of the Richmond Road School was stressed at a meeting of the Ponsonby School Committee last evening. The chairman, Mr. R. A. Rew, presided. Representing the parents in the district, the committee stated it viewed with alarm and indignation the attitude of the Minister of Education, I fori. H. Atrnore, shown by his recent statement in the House of Representatives in reply to a question in reference to the rebuilding of the school. The commilteo considered the statement was in direct conflict with tiie assurance given personally to the committee by tho Minister during his inspection of the school last February. On that occasion he had promised to use his best endeavours to have an amount put on the Estimates for the next financial year for the erection of a new building at Richmond Road.

Realising that the school buildings were unhygienic, out of date, and not calculated to meet tho requirements of such a large district, the committee wished to point out that the Parnell School referred to by the Minister was originally designed and built as a school, while Richmond Road merely consisted of a collection of old buildings, some of which were over 70 years old, and were used originally as barracks. They bad been thrown together as necessity demanded, and were unsuitable in every way for the requirements of modern education.

The committee stated that no repairs or structural alterations had been carried out for several years past in anticipation of tho erection of a new school, the necessity for which had been fully recognised by tho Auckland Education Board and tlio Education Department since 1922. The position was now so acute that the committee was of the opinion that the whole of the facts should be placed before the public. It would bo readily understood that owing to tho question of the site for the new Parncll School being undecided, tho erection of a new school in that locality could not be proceeded with in the near future. The result would bo that neither school would be replaced for some considerable time.

It was resolved to urge upon the Minis ter the necessity for the immediate re placement of the Richmond Road School