AN INCOMPETENT DEPARTMENT

Patea Mail, Volume XLIII, 30 July 1919, Page 2

AN INCOMPETENT DEPARTMENT

MR. PIRANI HITS OUT

A SCATHING CRITICISM

Discussing the Ministerial statement with a ‘Manawatu Daily Times’ representative, Mr. Pirani, chairman of the Wanganui Education Board, said the history of the Campbell St. school, for instance, was a discreditable one to the Education Department. 'The ■ Board were not the originators of the suggestion that the school should be brought up to date. Mr. Hogbcn, the Director of Education, five or six years ago made the suggestion that the school was unfit for occupation, and he suggested that if they could get a better site the Department would find the money for a now school. After a great deal of trouble a transfer of site was arranged for, and the Government took over the present site, and the Board lost all title to it. In accordance with Mr. Ilogbcn’s suggestion, the Board employed Mr. Anseombc, a Dunedin architect who had just returned from America after making a special study of the subject of school construction. Acting on Mr. Hogben’s advice, Mr. Anseombc drew a most elaborate plan of a school of two stories, and including a school clinic for medical examination of the children and a dental department. When these plans came before the Minister, he said it would be ridiculous to think of erecting such a building during war time, and suggested that the Board should get plans prepared for an infant department. They did that; in fact, they had sent him five different plans, and had tried time after time to get from the Department and the Minister some idea of the amount of money they would be likely to authorise for the erection of a building. In this they had absolutely failed. “The trouble is,” said Mr. Pirani, “that there is not a single man in the Department in Wellington who knows anything about school architecture or material or construction. Mr. Spencer who holds the position of supervisor, had to begin to learn when he took over the job. There is no money for Campbell St., and yet the Government has just authorised £16,000 for one school in Auckland which cannot bo bigger than Campbell St., which has seven hundred pupils. Mr. Hanan makes a great deal about the condition of the schools in other districts ; but I should like to say that it is not the Government which has given us our best schools. During the last ten years the people in this school district have raised more money for school buildings than all the others in New Zealand put together. In Marton, for instance, they raised £SOO, in Patea £2OO ; in Wanganui no less than £18,500. We have not much to bo thankful for to the Government for schools and playground. As for the central halls, they are an absolute necessity for • schools of % 200 pupils. When in England I carefully investigated the matter, and the authorities wore unanimous on the point. The architect of the London County Council told mo that a man who said the central halls wore not a necessity did not know what he was talking about. The Wanganui infants’ school is the best in New Zealand, and the central hall is a feature there. The Wanganui people have raised £I,OOO to have this built.” Air. Pirani regards the Education Department: as constituted as ‘ ‘ absolutely hopeless, ’ ’ and strongly sympathises with the Palmerston agitation to stir up the dry bones and do away with the present infamous condition of affairs.