SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 April 1921, Page 5

SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS.

LARGER AREAS REQUIRED.

FINANCE THE DIFFICULTY.

By Telcuiaph.—Press Association

Wellington, Last Night. Regarding the expansion generally v)f existing inadequate school playgrounds, the Minister of Education told a Wellington deputation to-day that all aver New Zealand, in consequence of past short-sightedness, only too many schools required larger playing grounds. Dozens had playgrounds of less than an acre; some only half an acre, and hundreds only two acres. He wanted to make it clear, because recent criticism suggested the contrary, that in the last eighteen months the present Government had done mdre to increase playgrounds throughout the Dominion than had been done for twenty years before. He did not make the claim in a spirit of boastfulness; it was the Government’s duty to do it when the money was flush, or when they thought it was flush. If times were flush now he would not trouble a few hundreds to prepare the Terrace playground, but at the present time the Government was quite unable to finance the purchase of more playgrounds. It would take the Government all its time to provide school accommodation for all the children who needed it.