EDUCATIONAL NEEDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12717, 12 August 1919, Page 6

EDUCATIONAL NEEDS.

CONFERENCE IN AUCKLAND f I ' j SHOCKING OVERCROWDING J ALLEGED. t [Per Press Association.] j AUCKLAND August 12. 1 A conference convened by the Eclu- < cation Board and Members of Parlia- ; meat and educational authorities was ; held to-day to consider certain matters 1 of inquiry. < Mr Banks, chairman of the board, in » an opening speech, said that the Conn- j cil or Education had passed a resolution ( that no one child should have less than i 12 square feet of air space, yet so i limited was the present accommodation ■ that it would take £500,000 to meet , that requirement throughout the . Dominion. It was a disgrace that in a country like Now Zealand such a condi- ] tion of affairs should exist. They must do all in their power to bring about an improvement. Dr,- Reekie said that the overcrowd- ; ing in many of_ the city schools was . shocking, only eight square feet being, provided instead of twelve. Something must be done immediately. A formidable list of figures was presented. showing the requirements of the Auckland provincial district. Sir Frederick Lang moved, and it was resolved unanimously that the Auckland members of ’ Parliament present should support to their utmost the interests of education and to that end act in concert and urge Parliament to vote a sufficient amount durmg_ the coming session to place education upon a satisfactory footing.