NEW SCHOOL WANTED.

Otago Witness, Issue 3763, 27 April 1926, Page 32

NEW SCHOOL WANTED.

ALBANY STREET OBSOLETE.

DEPUTATION TO EDUCATION 110 A lit).

A deputation waited on the Otago Edu. « ttipon Hoard ai ita meeting on lliursdayto u g« once again the necessity of proceeding wit 1 1-3 it delay with the construction of r now building in place of the old Albany Street School. Mr A. .lordan (secretary of the Albany Street School Committee) «id that tl»e committee was responsible «o the householders in the vicinity for the education of their children under proper conditions. For .K>me years past the construction ol the n»w school b*d f»ecn umler discussion, and the parents in the north sou cons dered that the time had arriv*- when prompt action should be taken to provide a new school. The present school hail served its purpose very well indeed, and it was time it was retiliwd. lhe speaker referred io the lack of up-to-date heating appliances wi the school, and to th# fact that some of 'ho rooms did not receive full light from tfcw sun. It was badly situated, he continued, as it had dilapidated buildings on one side, and the outlook con sequcntly was sordid. The playground was far too small, and the children had no opportun ty for going in for gardening on the ground. lie asked the board to do its best to supply a nwv school. Mr C. Kawlinson, head master of the school also referred to the disabilities under which the school had to work. lhe boys had to bo taken out on the street for drill, and there was always a danger from passing motors, and since the highway had been built they had their school gardens. The school, both inside and out, waa very rritch in need of repairs, but tbwse were i««*£ being asked for owing to the possibility of thair getting the new ftchool. The light in the school was bad and the light from the sun in some of the rooms poor. These particular rooms got no sunshine. The v«&nr.iation of the rooms facing the street was not good. Because of the noise and dust from the street, the windows had to be k*pt closed in two of the rooms. The furniture in all of the towns except one was of the old type. The surroundings on two sides consisted of very dilapidated cottages These were really dp eyesore, and snould not be there at. all. In some instances the cottages were within a few feet of the school buildings, and the children sometimes heard conversations carried on by the occupants. He thought that in the interests of the children, of the teachers, and of the district generally, the board should make a move towards getting a new school. Mr D. G. Gray, a member of the committee, also spoke. Mr Jordan said he would like to mention the lack of accommodation by shelter sheds lor the children. The Chairman (Mr J. Wallace): Do you suggest we should get some of the buildings from Logan Park? Mr Jordan: That’s a very good idea. The Chairman: A very poor idea! Mr J. A- Wilkinson: For playing sheds The Chairman said the board had fought the question of the new site pretty strenuously for the past year or so. They had tf site now in view, and the position as that they would have to approach -he tion Department for the building. He had seen it mentioned in the press that a certain body was going to suggest that they should get another site. He would suggest quite openly that that body itio'dd do nothing of the kind; that the I'd i:ai'op Board should get the land agreed < n The suggestion made by the body be referred to was one which be thought should not have been made.— (Hear, heard A member of the board: Have we gji a title to lhe land? The Chairman: We have an .nVuiar.?. The speaker continued that Sir Ji.nca Parr (Minister of Education) had •tsa-iiJ some years ago that the idea was that they should replace an old school in the centres each year. Caversham School ha 4 been rebuilt last year, and he thought if. was a fair claim that Albany Siren School should bp rebuilt this year. Ail he I'ould promise the deputation was *hai *n* bccrd would press their claim, and ask tha* n beginning should be made on the no® A'bnry Street School at the earliest possible moment. It was decided that the. architect should prepare plans and specifications for the new school, and that this should be for* tided to the department with req icot for a grant for the construction of the building.