CHILDREN SUFFER.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 December 1923, Page 4

CHILDREN SUFFER.

SCHOOL OVERCROWDED. “SERIOUSLY AFFECTING HEALTH." PARENTS SHOULD PROTEST. The serious overcrowding of the Central School, New Plymouth, is making teaching conditions almost impossible, and is seriously affecting the health of the pupils, stated the headmaster (Mr. D. P. Evans) in his annual report at the prizegiving ceremony yesterday. Mr. Evans stated: “At the end of last year the roll number was 628; at the end of. March, June, September and December of this year it was 696, 707, 730 and 750 respectively. The highest roll number during the year was 753. This shows a steady, though not phenomenal growth, which may be taken as a criterion of its future expansion. Accommodation in both schools is severely taxed, in fact, in some classes there is serious overcrowding, making teaching conditions almost impossible, and seriously affecting the health of the pupils. “Why do not parents unitedly protest against such conditions in a town of such importance as New Plymouth ? The increased average attendance warrants the appointment of another permanent assistant, but so badly constructed is the school, with its immense rooms, that it will be necessary to place two assistants in one room—a most undesirable method of organisation. “Speaking generally, the attendance throughout the year has been very good, although there are still some parents who do not recognise the importance of regularity and punctuality.” The matter was referred to later by Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., chairman of the Central School Committee. Mr. Smith said that the committee of the Education Board quite realised the state of affairs, but nothing could be done unless pressure was brought to bear on the department at Wellington, and he appealed to the parents to co-operate with the committee and the board in impressing on the department the need for more accommodation. Another matter which was of the utmost importance was assembly halls. In the Wanganui district such halls were scattered all over the country, but in the Taranaki district they were not known. They were very important adjuncts to a school, and the Central School Committee was going to make a special effort to procure one.