GIRLS' COLLEGE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7039, 29 January 1910, Page 7

GIRLS' COLLEGE

ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATION. GOVERNMENT GRANT PROMISED. The rather inadequate accommodation at the Wellington Girls' College is to be extended to cope in some degree with the increase in the numiber of pupila yearly offering themselves for enrolment. At yesterday's, meeting of the College Governors, the following letter from, the InspectorGeneral of Schools was read:— The Minister has approved a grant of £3500 in aid of the following additions to the Girls' College, to be built on part of the present site, in such a manner as eventually to form part of a permanent structure in brick: (1) Two class-rooms. (2) Two laboratories (one for physical and chemical work, such •as bears on domestic science, and one for physiology and other biological work, with the same general aim). (3) A cookery room. (4) An art room. Of the grant, £SOO, jf required, will be available before March 31st, 1910. ■ It will be. necessary that the plans of the rooms in question, with .some indication of their relation to the future complete building, should bo approved by the Minister. Subject to the conditions named herein, payments on. account of the grant < will be made from time to time . on progress certificates of the architect. Mr Lee said that the department had not given the board what it wanted most particularly, a large assembly hall. The Hon. Dr Findlay had told them that the Government would do as much for the Girls' College as it had done for the boys, where 'it had put up an assembly hall at a cost of £IO,OOO. But in this case the grant had been reduced from £IO,OOO to £3500. . The board had asked for an assembly hall —ian- absolute necessity in such a school—the present totally inadequate hall was to be converted into a gymnasium. Instead of that they hail got a luxury in the way of an arts room. "The fact of the matter is," said Mr Lee, "that we axe governed. Every educational body in the Dominion is now governed, by the Department, which does things according to its own ideas; not to ours." Dr A. K. Newman moved that the board's architect be instructed to prepare plans.

The question rose whether the whole of the building, as it will bo when completed, should be planned. The chairman' suggested that complete plans be prepared, so that the second part could be erected as soon as the money was available. Mr Leo: How long will the present building last? Mr Brandon: It is only twentyfivo years old, and it will easily last another twenty-five. Miss Bichmond: Quite thatMr Lee: I question the wisdom of planning a building which will not be erected for twenty-five yea<rs. Opinion is always changing as to how school buildings should be constructed,, and the plans may be .out of date before the building conies to be erected. Mr W. F. Ward: But the building will have to .be completed before twenty-five years hence. If we haive the same influx of girls every year as we have now, wo will soon have nowhere to put them., The secretary (Mr Powles): We .had 170 girls ■ last year, of whom 16 have given notice that they will leave. I have bad applications for admission from ninety more, making 244 for this year. I doubt if we have room for these. i Dr Newman then moved that the board's architect be asked to prepare rough plans of the building, as described in the letter, to be submitted to the Minister. ■ Mr Lee thought that architects should be asked to forward competitive plans. He moved this as an amendment. The amendment was lost, and the motion adopted. ■ . Mr Brandon pointed out that there was no special!v appointed ' architect to the board, although, for many years the board's work had been given to one firm- . The board therefore went mw> committee and selected the architect to whom the work will be given.