HIGH SCHOOL QUESTION.

Colonist, Volume XL, Issue 8956, 31 August 1897, Page 2

HIGH SCHOOL QUESTION.

REPORT OF DEPUTION TO WESTPORT. Thr following report by the deputation of the Education Board who visited Westport to report on the High School question was presented at the Committee meeting of the Board, yesterday, and will be discussed today ; "By appointment your Committee met the Weatport Sceool Committee, and fully discussed the subject with them. The majority of the School Committee were clearly in favor of constituting the Westport Boys' School a District High School, to which girls could be admitted for the secondary subject?, though coma of the members woald prefer that ro ttsrs shou'd go on the Bame way as at present, but with a higher olats for eec nd«y Bubj^ots without fese. A^ to the probable attendance, it was imp saihle for your Committee to obtain any accurate info mation, the numbers nam d be : ng merely e-tiimteg. It wa? pointed out as the opinion of the Sohool Committee that the lower the feea charge! the greater would be the attendanc?, but tta*t with a fee of four or five goiaeas an attendance of 30 might be reasonably antic<p^ts<]. If tbi-< estimated attendance imy be accepted as a bißi3, and if the f £8 thus oilcul* ted upon ooald be supplemented by a substantial annual grant from 'he pubHo funds available for Heooidary edaoatioD, your C mmitt o would recommend that the experiment cf » Diatriot Higb School for Westport sbou'd be tried, but they do not see how one cm ba oarried on oat of tin ordinary revenue of tbe Board. While in Westport the Committee c-r-fully examined tke sohool buildiiists, and are unanirmmly of ODirion that it would be a want >n distraction of i valn^blo building to take down tha b"»v'3 eohool, the rooms in which are lofty, and in the main well ligbt-^d. Yoor Committee wou'd recommend that a grant Bhonld be male hefora next winter for anotber fire pace in the end room nearest Palmers ton street, and for anotber window in this room — making the bulging fit for another twelve or fifeen yeir'a good servi'e. To oar ry on tb° work of seoondary e^no^iion, whether as a Dis rict High Sohool or otherwise, yoor Committee are of opinion tbat an additional room will be required, to cost, cay, £250. The building wonld be merely antioip^ting the growing r.-qnireme its of the primary sohool, should all schemes of sccondav education fail to pro7e su'oessfu'. Th* qu?s ion of the " Distant Scholarships " will napd to ba cons'der.d in this connection, and yiur CoT^mit cc assume that in the event of a District High School being e-tablished, all candidates, Eay in the Bailer oounty and in the Birongh of Westport will 00-upete for Fcbolar?h : pj tenable at the District High Sohool." The remainder of the report deal with visits made by the Committee to Addison's Plat, Cape Foulwind, Oeal Crsek, Rnmmerlea, Granity Creek, Denniston, and Waim^ngaroa. Generslly the school buildinga and grounds were found in good order, r-nd oreditable to the respective sohool committes.