NEW SCHOOLS FOR OLD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12061, 17 July 1917, Page 5

NEW SCHOOLS FOR OLD.

DR TRACKER'S CRUSADE. BIG ORDER FOR EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. " I am going to make a raid on the Education Department," said Dr Thacker, member for Christchurch East, this morning. "There are three very large schools in the district, East Christehurch, Waltham and Sydenham. They are all old, and they are greatly overcrowded. Tin.', sanitation of them is wrong. The lighting of them is all wrong."

" Yesterday," ho continued, '' I wont over tlio Sydenham School with the chairman (Mr K. 1j- M'Keoi;:. the head master (Mr T. M Gallon). and the iiist lady ineinher of the committee, Mrs Loney. The whole place from top to bottom its condemnable. r lhe tioors are bad; the place is lull oi dry rot; there is no foundation; the heating is by fireplaces, and the master and the front children are right up against it, j while the ventilation is by windows at the children's backs, and if the windows are open there is i\ constant blast of air across their.backs. Overcrowding is excessive in the children's rooms. In one room. 18 x 20, they pack from 45 to tiO infants, sometimes three infants in a desk ior two. That is most appalling for tho children and the teachers. "These kiddies," Pr Thacker added, "are to bo tho recruits to fill the vacancies made by the loss oi men. and after seeing the lip-to-date schools in America, such as preparatory and junior and senior technical schools, no comparison is possible. Wc have got to equal if not outstrip (»erman.v when the war is over, and if wo do not start with the kiddies— —" " All through the playgrounds,'' he continued, " there are open drains and loose shingle. There ought to bo two or three bubble fountains inside each main door'ior the children to drink at, and there should be lavatory aceoinmodatiion inside. The place should be water-sewaged ; there shonld be. washbasins and towels, and it telephone cabinet in the yard to communicate with a room indoors. "At the corner of Wordsworth and Queen Streets along from the school the City Council has a vacant section. That should be given to the Kindergarten Association for an up-to-dato kindergarten school, where tihe bigger children could leave tho infants and call for them after school. Heeon tly, through the activities of Mrs Chilton and Mrs T. E. Taylor, the Kindergarten Association has acquired practically an acre of ground opposite the Phillipstown School, vrWe In the near future it is hoped to erect an un-to-dato kindergarten school. Mr Ilanan has promised favourable consideration of votes for building equipment and teaching, and he Ls also considering the question of put-ting grants on the Estimates for greater incidentals for the primary .schools generally. "Considering that! the city is doing its level best to educate the public to the utilities, of the electrical scheme," ho added, " : t is astonishing that current has not' yet found its way into some of these big primary schools. Radiators would save cord costs, there could bo watier-heaters for children and teachers who cannot, go ofijwthn promises for lunch, and the scliKils should ve liehted by electricity." Dr Thacker added that he was going to bring the. matters up in his speech in the and when ho got time from his parliamentary duties lie would deliver an illustrated Sunday lecture on primary and technical schools in America.