SCHOOL GRANTS APPROVED

Taranaki Daily News, 11 October 1929, Page 8

SCHOOL GRANTS APPROVED

; CABINET REACHES DECISION ■ ROOMS AT FITZROY AND CENTRAL. > ■ J REINSTATEMENT AT TIKORANGI. ■ 1 Grants for two additional fresh-air 1 classrooms at Fitzroy and one at the Central Infants’ School, New Plymouth, , and for the re-building of the old wooden school at Tikorangi were yesterday approved by-Cabinet, according to advice received in New Plymouth from the Hon. H. Atmore and from Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P. The Government’s decision on these matters is the result of agitation by the Taranaki Education Board over a considerable period. So far as the .Fitzroy grant is concerned it is in accordance with the recommendations of a sub-committee to the last meeting of the board. The architect was then inctructed to prepare plans for two modern classrooms in wood to form the commencement of a new block that will ultimately replace the old school, one of the classrooms to accommodate standard 6. It was pointed out that the total floor space gave accommodation for 471 pupils, whereas the attendance at the opening of the new term had risen to 517. In the course of its report the committee said that of the four rooms in the older part of the school three were overcrowded, one of them with two teachers containing a class of 70 pupils, though there was accommodation for only 53. Of the four rooms in the lower part of the school, two were orer-' crowded. In one of them, with room for 52 pupils, there was a class of 75 with two teachers. In standard 6 a class of 42 pupils was housed in the gymnasium, and even when the new room was completed there would be no accommodation for this class in any room in the school. “The use. of the gymnasium as a class-, room was- agreed to purely as a war measure in 1917, and at the urgent request of the Minister. . . . During winter the gymnasium ie almost a freezing chamber, the temperature during the forenoon session at times not rising above 45 degrees. The provision made for heating a room of .this structure is necessarily quite inadequate. Though well enough ventilated, the gymnasium is not lighted as a modern schoolroom should be. The use of the gymnasium as a classroom deprives the children of the provision made for them as a place wherein during bad weather, drill, inside games, folk dancing, etc., can b& carried on.” The application ’for a new room at the Central Infants’ School had been renewed several times. The secretary (Mr. H. W. Instill) reported to the board at its last meeting that teaching was being carried on un- • der impossible conditions. There were 86 children in the primer 2 room, 56 in another room, 60' in another, 55 in another, and 56 in another. The total floor space was 3090 square feet and the roll number 313. The old wooden building at Tikorangi is a relic of the earlier days of the province 'and has long been recognised as totally unsuited for use as a school. It was inspected by Mr. Atmore when lie passed through the district at , the beginning of the year, and he then agreed with the representations' of the settlers that something should be done urgently to alter the conditions. Tikorangi reinstatement had first place on the board’s list of projected works in order of urgency. Now a grant has been made for a new building and for extra rooms at Fitzroy and the Central school the list stands as follows: Midhirst, re-modelling; Mokati, movable room; Okato, one fresh-air room; Lincoln, re-instatement; Tarurutangi, reinstatement; Tataraimaka, re-modelling Whakamara, reinstatement; Oaonui, remodelling.