CLASSROOM ACCOMMODATION

Opunake Times, 20 February 1948, Page 3

CLASSROOM ACCOMMODATION

OPUNAKE SCHOOL RESULT OF DEPUTATION The vesed question of overclouding at the Opunake District High School was again raised when the Taranaki Education Board on Wednesday heard a deputation from the school which sought, among its most immediate needs, a temporary building to house pupils for whom there would he no classroom accommodation when the school re-opened for 1948.

The chairman, Mr. W. H. Jones, and the board’s officers are to investigate the availability of a suitable building in an effort to find some' accommodation as soon as possible. If and when the building is found, application will be'*’ made to the Education Department for authority to move it to Opunake. The acting-secretary of the Opunake School Committee, Mr. H. E. Collins, and the headmaster, Mr. F. J. McLaughlin, formed the deputation. Bigger Roll Expected

• The deputation strongly objected to the BoarcOs suggestion of shifting a portable room, 27ft x lift, to the Primary school. The room would only hold thirty pupils and would be an “ice box” in the winter in such an exposed position. Mr. Collins added that when the school reopened, one class, standard 2, would he without a classroom. The primary roll was about 300 pupils at the opening of the last school year, and about 346 at the closing. It was expected that the school when it opened this year would have a roll of 340, and that by the end of the year the figure would be about 360. Mr. Collins suggested that the hoard might as a temporary measure, bring in another school building to accomodate the surplus.

Mr. Jones said the Education Department bad authorised the building of a new block at Oimnake, but its provision was going to take time. He did not kitffW whether the board’s staff knew of any available school building, biit this could he investigated. * The new year was going to be a difficult one, said Mr’. McLaughlin. As Form 4 this year would have 70 pupils—which implied two fifth forms next year — and as an increased roll was expected at the end of this year, it was easy to envisage even greater accommodation difficulties in 1949.

Two Rimmed Building Mr. McLaughlin suggested the Board might consider providing a two-roomed building at the school, which would help materially. “We hope to have something new up by 1049, but not by the start of that year, I’m afraid,” said Mr. Jones. 4 When Mr. 1). Wards asked whether .any suitable building remained at the New Plymouth airport, Mr. Jones replied that buildings had been converted into living quarters tor staff and into transit flats, and he doubted if tliere was a building tliere that would be available for schoolroom purposes.

The likelihood, of moving the old Mangahumo school, which has been closed for some years, but which is temporarily occupied by a teacher and his family, is among the expedients the hoard will investigate. The deputation received an assurance from the Chairman that the plans for the new building were being drawn now and there was every chance of tenders being called in 5 months, and the Hoard would do everything possible to facilitate the erection of the building. The Opunake Committee was also authorised to remove the gorse- round Hie primary school uf the Board’s cost.