FACILITIES FOR EDUCATION

Southland Times, Issue 23676, 26 November 1938, Page 5

FACILITIES FOR EDUCATION

Position At Stewart Island MR BECK’S STATEMENT CHALLENGED Strong exception to a statement made by Mr J. A. Beck at a banquet at Winton early this week that Stewart Island had been neglected from an education point of view was taken by Mr W. Bell at yesterday’s meeting of the Southland Education Board. “I would like to make some reference to a statement made at a banquet held at Winton this week,” said Mr Bell. “The statement referred to the way that the island had been neglected from an education point- of view. Well, one might be excused for making'stupid remarks during the heat of an election campaign, but there is no election on now and therefore there is no excuse for making statements that are contrary to fact. I visited Stewart Island with the Minister of Education (the Hon. P. Fraser) and, speaking at his welcome the chairman of the committee told the Minister that the interests of the school were well looked after by their representative on the board. “On that occasion we discussed with the Minister the question of secondary education for the children at Stewart Island. Mr Fraser offered to give the island another teacher qualified to teach“ secondary subjects. The secretary went fully into the matter with the island residents, with the results that no support for a secondary class was forthcoming. One or two families that were giving their children a secondary education preferred to send them to Invercargill. “SPECIAL CONSIDERATION” “A statement like that should not go unchallenged. It amazes me to find a man making such statements because he obviously does not know the position. Stewart Island has received special consideration at all times from . this board and there are no people more willing to admit that than the people of Stewart Island themselves,” he added.

The architect (Mr J. J. Gough) said the Half Moon Bay school bad received better treatment than any other school of that size in Southland.

The chairman (Mr S. Rice) said he felt grieved indeed that a responsible member of the community should make such a statement. One could understand it in the heat of an election,' but in the cold light of day there was no excuse for such misrepresentation. “We have always considered Stewart Island very sympathetically,” he added, “and have done everything we can to make the lot of the people there as easy as possible.”