OTAUTAU’S CLAIM

Southland Times, Issue 20496, 26 May 1928, Page 8

OTAUTAU’S CLAIM

DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL RIVERTON OBJECTION LODGED PETITION TO EDUCATION BOARD At yesterday morning’s meeting of the Southland Education Board, the following petition was received from members of the Riverton School Committee with regard to the establishment of a District High School at Otautau. In a covering letter it was stated the petition is being forwarded to Mr Adam Hamilton, M.P. for Wallace.

The petition reads: “We, the undersigned members of the Riverton school committee and residents of Riverton, view with alarm the strenuoua efforts Otautau residents are making to have a District High School established there. If those efforts should prove successful it will mean that there will be two third rate schools in the Western Difr trict, in place of the one efficient one now established. May we remind your of some of the history of the Riverton school? Briefly, it is this: About seven years ago after a lapse of several years the District High School was re-established in Riverton At first there were few pupils and these were taught by Mr Rae M.A., who was the headmaster of the local primary school and some of his assistants. Later a permanent teacher was appointed and then a second and third were added to the staff. To day as well as the headmaster we have three highly qualified teachers. The 77 pupils have every day the services of four teachers and for one term of each yearwhen the manual training school is open, there are six teachers available for 77 pupils. During the seven years the school has been established, many hundreds of pounds have been raised locally (apart from Government subsidies) for gymnasium, science equipment, typewriters etc. The school is a beautiful, substantial brick building with a spacious assembly hall. The 77 pupils are drawn from Riverton, from Tuatapere and intermediate stations and others come down the Otautau line from Ohai, Nightcaps etc. From this latter place they arrive at 9 a.m. and leave at 5 p.m They do not miss any lesson periods; they do not have to wait unduly for the return journey at night, nor do any have to travel an excessive distance. Now, if a school be established at Otautau what will be the results, first to Riverton? The attendance will fall, the teaching staff will be reduced and general efficiency impaired. What will Otautau gain ? For the convenience of their own local pupils, after jeopardizing the secondary education of all children in the Western District, they will only have at best one small school with perhaps one teacher. Owing to the lack of a daily train service they can only expect to have their own local pupils supplemented by others from Ohai and Nightcaps. Enforcing the Government regulation to ensure the success of their school, means compelling the pupils from Ohai and Nightcaps to attend at Otautau or pay train fare to Riverton or Invercargill. And then do you really think that the parents realize what a “one-man” District High School really means? Do they have any individual teacher capable of teaching French, Latin, English, science, typewriting, book-keeping, shorthand, geography, history, mathematics to 20 or 30 pupils in four or five different classes? Yet, if such a school is started they will be compelled to support it or else pay train fare to another school. These facts cannot be controverted and we pray that you will give them careful consideration before lending your support to a movement so very trimental to all concerned.”

After the petition had been read Mr A. W. Jones stated that it would pay the Government to form consolidated schools instead of district high schools. The people were lulled into the belief that their children were getting a good education, but the pupil would not progress. District high schools in other places were a leak on the public purse. He supported the objection to any other district high school being founded.

Another member stated that five district high schools with an attendance of under 30 some years ago, had collapsed. He maintained that Southland could support a number of district high schools. That they were proving a success was shown in the high standard of examination passes. Mr Rice said that district high schools served a useful purpose. A large number of country children who could not attend the town high schools were attending the district high schools which were at present in their infancy. Their numbers would swell later. Mr Jones: The children are only getting “half-pie” education. Mr Rice: I object to that, remark. It. reflects on the competency of the teachers who are doing good work. Mr Jones is entitled to have his own opinion, but he must not thrust it on the other members. He is not the only member of the board, Mr Jones: I don’t profess to be. Mr Rice: Mr Jones has always been against district high schools. Mr Trotter: The board is inconsistent if it objects to the establishment of a district high school at Otautau. It has the desired number to begin one so they’re entitled to it. Especially with the up-to-date transport svstem nowadays. Mr Perrelle: The point is this—the Department has advocated district high schools as necessary. Mr Carswell: I would be the last to deprive the children of educational facilities; but if the young people thought of entering a profession ,they’d be better at a central school with proper specialized teachers. Secondary education shouldn’t be overdone in the country. Mr Thomson: The matter of establishing a district high school rests not with the board, but with the Department. Mr Jones: I am not entirely opposed to these schools, but they were not got on their merits. Some of these twopenny-half-penny schools should never be established. Mr Perrelle: Twopenny-halfpenny? Mr Jones: They haven’t justified themselves. Another member sponsored high schools at Gore and at Invercargill. Mr Carswell: Twenty is too low a num. ber for the necessary attendance. The Department should raise the number. It was finally decided to forward the petition to the Department with a letter stating that the board was not entirely in favour of the proposal to establish a district high school at Otautau.