SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23400, 17 July 1939, Page 7

SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY

REUNION OF OLD PUPILS WORK. OF KARAMU SETTLERS [from OCR OWN correspondent] HAMILTON, Sunday The 50th anniversary' of the Karamu School was celebrated yesterday at a reunion, of former pupils and teachers. When it was first decided to establish a school in the district, the early settlers cleared the land and each donated £5 toward the cost of the building. The Karamu School is one of the two schools remaining in the Auckland Province with a teacher's resilience attached. The school opened with a roll of 13 pupils, this rising to 16 during the first week. To-day, the roll stands at 27. The first teacher was Mr. J. W. Marsden, who was appointed when the school was opened in 1889. From that time until 1891, the school was operated on a half-time basis with the Xgahiuapouri School, many of tlio pupils crossing the Waipa River daily, some swimming and some in canoes, in order to receive full instruction. Id. 1891, the Ngahinapouri School was closed, but the schools were operated on the half-time basis again, from the end of 1900 to 1906. Since then, Karamu has continued to bo a full-time school. The school had the distinction of having, a committee composed entirely of women from 1910 to 1923. It is believed to have been the only school committee in New Zealand to consist solely of women. After 1923, the affairs of the school were again managed by a committee of men.