SCHOOL CONTROL

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24250, 16 April 1942, Page 8

SCHOOL CONTROL

COMMITTEE ELECTIONS LITTLE INTEREST SHOWN LABOUR TICKETS DEFEATED Meetings of householders for the biennial election of school committees were held last night throughout the Auckland education district. Bad weather conditions in the city and suburbs resulted in poor attendances at nearly all the meetings, and reports from a representative selection of schools show that the attitude of the public was for the most part apathetic. In many cases there was no need for an actual election as there ".7ere only as many nominations as seats to be filled.

Great interest was taken in the election of committees at two of the larger city schools, Grey Lynn and Westmere. At Grey Lynn the Labour Party offered a ticket of five names, but none were successful, and the old committee was returned. About 300 householder! attended the meeting at Westmere, where a full Labour ticket was also defeated. There was a good deal of controversy over the payment of men who had given their time recently in digging trenches in the school grounds. In the more outlying districts, such as Orakei, Te Papapa and Blockhouse Bay, a much more lively interest was taken by the people and there were several changes in existing committees. The election at Orakei resulted in an almost complete change in the personnel of the committee. The Education Board controls 660 schools in the province and it was estimated that committees, for which nominations closed on April 8, would be chosen for about 600 of these. No nominations were received for the Mount Eden School committee, and in some other instances no committees were elected last night, although final figures will not be available at the board's offices before the week-end. To meet any such exigencies, the board decided at its meeting yesterday to hold further meetings of householders on Wednesday, May 6. Nominations will be accepted until April 29. Failing the election of a committee at the second meeting, school commissioners will be chosen to control the schools concerned for the year.