TOWN’S PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Taranaki Daily News, 24 February 1932, Page 11

TOWN’S PRIMARY SCHOOLS

PUPILS FIRST SN OLD FORT ’ I LEARNING UNDER DIFFICULTIES PRESENT EDUCATION FACILITIES •• ■ ; Primary school education was inaugurated in Hawera prior to 1875, classes being held for the pioneer children in the old blockhouse. Records show that this building did not possess furniture suitable but, nevertheless, in April of 1875 there were 29 boys and 19 girls on the roll. The school on the present site facing South Road was built and opened in May, and jubilee celebrations were held on May 15, 1925. At first Wellington inspectors visited the school, but in November, 1876, Taranaki took over the work. About the middle of 1878 the roll began to swell noticeably, and by 1881 had risen to 186, with an average attendance of 169. Alterations and additions to the buildings were completed in January, 1886, and, only three years later, there were 181 boys and 156 girls attending the school. i

Over the 56 years’ existence of the school there have been only nine headmasters, three of whom held control for no less than 46 years. Those were Messrs. Stack (29 years), Mair (14 years) and Harrison (3 years). The complete list of headmasters, with the dates they took charge, is as follows: F. J. Dunne (first headmaster), May 13, 1875; Chamberlain and Thomp> son, 1876; John Harre, May 15, 1876; Alexander Mair, October 2, 1878; Alex.

Mathieson (acting), July I, 1892} BL -CL Al. Harrison, July 25, 1892; Cl Harrison (acting), November 28, 1895; C. A. Strack, January 27, 1896; J. Nairn (siting), March, 1924; F. A. Bates, April, 1924; and the present headmaster, J. W. Thomas, April, 1929. There have been many assistant teachers both male and female over the years since th® school began, and many of these people have gone on and made their mark in the teaching world. In the meantime Hawera had continued to grow and in 1922 there began the agitation which ended in the erection of the Turuturu school beyond the Waihi Road intersection on Glover Road. Five acres of land were taken for school purposes and, when the formal opening took place on September 19, 1927, .there was an attendance of 88 pupils. Mr. T. Middlemas was the first ehairman of the Main School committee and Mr. A. K. Fyson was the first to occupy that position at Turuturu. PROGRESSIVE MOVE. Under Mr. J. W. J. Harding’s term of chairmanship, the Alain School committee moved for the erection of an infants’ school, and in May, 1928, the present fine free air type of building, with continuous lighting from its 60 degrees roof angles, was opened. This school i» 1 said to have been one of the first of its kind in New Zealand and passing along South Road are impressed with its efficient beauty. A later development has been the institution of a dental clinic at the Main School and under the joint control of the Hawera, Tokaora, Turuturu and Tawhiti school committees. The grounds at th 6 Main School are extensive in area and a model of neat- - ■ ness. Dr. W. M. Thomson is the chairman of the present committee and the school roll stands at 605, of whom 198 are at the infants’ school. When the Turuturu school was opened there were 60 pupils, and this number has now increased to 163.' Mrs. Carter ~ was head teacher for the first three months, the present headmaster, Mr. F. W. Mason, taking over on February 11, 1928. The building is a long wooden one with four classrooms. Air. C. H. Bowman is chairman* of the present committee. GENESIS OF TAJWHITI. Residents in the vicinity of Nolantown. began what was really an infants’ school in a house in Campbell Street about 1917, for it was considered too far to send tho smaller children to the school in South Road. Overcrowding at the Main School eventually resulted in the erection of the very fine Tawhiti school along Galt Street off the Tawhiti Road and within the borough. The school was opened on March 1, 1920, Mr. H. W. Jackson being the teacher in chaise. The first day there were 70 odd children, but tins number increased to 120 on the second day, and later in the year the roll was still greater. To-day there are 194 pupils and the school, originally of three rooms, has been added to. As it is a concrete build- • ing, the cold was severe on frosty winter days, and two years ago the committee raised £5O and the board voted a further £.150 for the installation of a modern steam heating plant. Now there is a boiler in each room with pipes encircling the walls and, in addition to vastly improved heating, it has been found much more economical. At first the grounds surrounding the school were not paved and the rain caused pools and muddy paths to form. There is now over 500 yards of concrete paving as well as & drive, flower beds and excellent playing facilities.