HIGH SCHOOL AT QUEENSTOWN

Southland Times, Issue 23444, 26 February 1938, Page 20

HIGH SCHOOL AT QUEENSTOWN

Board Requested To Purchase Sites MORE INFORMATION IS REQUIRED The necessity for the erection there in the near future of a district high school and a manual training school was emphasized by the Queenstown School Committee in a letter to the Southland Education Board yesterday. The committee added that it had been making inquiries about suitable sites for this purpose. There were three sections near the primary school which were suitable, and the committee enclosed a plan of the sections and the prices asked by the owner. It considered the prices vdry reasonable and urged the board to acquire them if possible as sections in Queenstown were very scarce and any vacant ones were rapidly being sold. Even if there was no immediate prospect of building it would be advisable to acquire the sites as the committee felt that the erection of the schools would have to be undertaken in the near future. It was decided to ask the Queenstown School Committee to submit more particulars. The Education Department advised that an amount of £67 had been granted for the purpose of swimming instruction for primary school children in the Southland district and that the president of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association would be pleased to co-operate with education boards in the matter. The local executive of the association had been asked to get in touch with the boards. During the present month while the school curriculum was relaxed the department was desirous that swimming instruction should receive special attention in localities where facilities were available.

The secretary reported that arrangements had been made with the City Council for swimming instruction for Standard IV pupils to commence immediately. The cost to the board for this instruction was £35. This left a further £32 for distribution. Some schools were already receiving instruction and were called Upon to pay transport expenses. It was suggested that these schools which had helped themselves in this matter should receive first consideration.

The Education Department also wrote that the International Red Cross Committee of Central China had appealed to the New Zealand school children to contribute towards the relief of suffering in China. The Order of St. John and the New Zealand Red Cross Society had made an appeal to the public and had collected with the help of the Government, about £6OOO. It was now desired that the children should be given an' opportunity of contributing to the ffind and approval had been given for the insertion of a suitable notice in The Education Gazette. The department would appreciate the board’s assistance and would be pleased to know whether the board would accept subscriptions from the schools. It was decided to co-operate with the department. The meeting was attended by Messrs S. Rice (chairman), H. Smith, W. Bell, W. Excell, W. Grieve, F. G. Stevenson, and J. Campbell.