SCHOOL ACCOMMODATION AT WAITARA.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13946, 29 April 1909, Page 3

SCHOOL ACCOMMODATION AT WAITARA.

A PETITION

A petition was picsentod to the Education Hoard yesteiday liy Messrs. C. A. (Jiiustiid, .1. Iliittonhurr, and Hoy. I K. T. Head on hohall ol muirly se\em.\ | householders «t W.ntiira, liming owr j sixty fhildren of an age siiiruble lc>i attending an infant scho.il, rind a-.Kinii t .that such a school he erected on »Jce east side of the. Waitara l{ut*\ it wsim pointed oak thnt tliu Hoard had \,nvn asked to enlarge the- exikVin^ Wnit.iin School, and the petitioner^ «tip oi opinion that the hotter plan would f>< to erect this infant s< Ikml. Ueleieiic-i was made to the growth of V\ .i i ! ;< i a (luting tho lust live years, and n.-, tl< ie was no douht it would \( i y mu< ii increase in the near inline ii «■!■> tlioiiglit there was plenty i-t innm loi two schools in tln>, ihore oi Ii ii altered tfiwn. Tlk'V (oiisidt>ied a n nil. ml school could lie undei the control oi the |)resc^nt master, and that l>y lia\m<i one or two teachers ft om the existing school in Waitara no injun would Ik done to t!ic> i>resent staif, and they c-ould have an arrangement w hic-li v. oulcl he a great ooon to the residents oi Wnitara Kast. The Rev. Mr. Road referred to the danger to the infant children when crossing the river bridge owing te the large droves of cattle that \>*<re brought in to tho freezing works. Mr. Faull said that many years ago there was a school on tho east side of tho Waitara River, but with the consent of the people it had been joined on to tho present school. In reply to a question, the Rev. Mr. Road »aid the matter had been placed before the householders' meeting, and the newly-elected donimittoo h.id decided by seven votes to two to make tho present application. Tt was stated that 1W school rosorvo nil which site the deputation propose} to build had been leased for forty-mo years.

Mr Kennedy said if this were in tho hack-blocks .where tho roads wvv« kneedeep in mud, there would ho s< uio point in tho application, hut as it v as lie did not think there was mnc_ hardship in those children having to walk two and a half miles to school.

Tho Chairman pointed o'lt fiat tho Board had refused a request from th<' Vogoltown proplo, who hud nuido nut a much hotter caso. Ho eniphnsi od tlie need for caution.

Mr Morton did not consider <he cases parallel. At Waitarn there exited urgent necessity for enlarging tlto school. There had boon no nooo- ■- it \ for enlarging tho Control School si i tho time the Vogoltown residents hkmlo their application.

Mr Faull drew attention to tho f,-tet that the lease of tho Waihi School site would shortly teni'in■ito and urged that if thi - now school was to bo erected then it should he built on a site thnt wo-ild *o convenient for the Waihi chi ld '■<■,•) if that school had to ho closed.

The chief inspector, Mr Ballantyne. did not favour the erection of a •»»!■' school. Mr \Yylie, headmaster of the Waitara School could not undertake the supervision of a side school without neglecting the present school. Me was not »t all in favour of tho est-.sh-lishment of these side school^, for in a very short time there would come an agitation for a full standard school. Should the present «»plicalion he granted the Board would have to deal with other applications for similar schools in place* where the position was the same. He contended that it was much better for the Board to concentrate its energies on getting largo schools which would encourage tho )>pst teachers to come to tho district. Th<> children at Waitara had good metalled roads and footpaths. Tlie main point to be considered was that the Waitara School would surely bo injuriously affected by the establishment of tho proposed side school. Replying to Mr. Adlsim, Mr. Rnlliintvne said an infant school wouldnlso detrimentally affect tho Wait;in. School.

After further discussion Mr Morton moved: "That the Hoard regrets ft cannot »<>eede to tho request of th< petition askinp for tho e^tahlishtpvni of a side school at Wnitarn East as it considers that such a stop would h< very detrimental to the working mid interests of the present school." Mr Kennedy seconded, niid tho notion was carried.