HOUSING SCHOOL TEACHERS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13358, 24 December 1906, Page 2

HOUSING SCHOOL TEACHERS.

HARDSHIPS IN THE BACKBLOCKS.

The matter of teachers' quarters in school buildings was brought before' the Minister for Education by *th» deputation from the Tararaaki Education Board which waited on 'him on Saturday. There are. three schools in the) district which have residences "attached' ' and from the teacher at one of tjhese schools tha~ following letter was receiyeH by =th;e Board :— -: • , . J. "I respectfully -bsg to draw 'your Boar<l'^.iatten,{i<iinj to the* state jai*4/he> attached residence ' at the > > school , 'and reqaiest ,:that you' will allow me house allowance. The residence, which •consists of throe attached rooms built along; the width of the school, .- is v far from satisfactory. Room No. 1 is Bft, by • lift, and is kitchen, - living 'room* dining room, scullery, and good»nesa knows what all in on©. Partition lined at one side and cracks from £in to i j in in between the boards^ Rooto ,N O . 2 .is 'about 12ft by '12ft, and has for a window one pane of glass about lfvn by 20in, placed five feet from the floor, after the style* of a ventilator •'- f o r a prison cell, "^©•oni' No. 3- (the bedroom) is very ; draughty* To get to No. 3 we -mwst jpass through room's 1 1 and 2. The |alace( has only the back «ntranoe. , There -are noi sheds or outhouses! .There is a paddock attached tp tho : school grounds. Excepting about one ' aero the remaining school property ; (14 acres) is standing bush. This 5s a big item in the^ many "drawbacks as I -Lave ip pay* £oV grazing my horse, ; which I must keep ,to carry me jto the school.". 'A, postscript states that since the foregoing had been written „tihere "had been a heavy downpour of rain, and -it .Jiad; beaten in under the wlidow of tbe bedroom, making, a 'httlo laVe "on the" ffdor. This -was the rooan in which tlie teaoher, his v wife, and two ..children under •%S months old ,had' to sleep. Ti«s J teacher in question has charge . of "twoJ, schools* / . £> The Minister sugg^esteii that .if. , the atten'daince warranted , it, , the who?ie of, the /buildi^gil in /qiuestioin, should be devoted 'to schoiol work, and'a, grant for- a residence, applied 1 for. • ? .