EDUCATION BOARD.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8196, 28 July 1906, Page 6

EDUCATION BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Edu- I cati.on Board was held at Welliugtou on Thursday, and whb attended by Messrs Robert Lee (chairman), J. Kebbell, E. Feist, A. H. Vile, W. Allan, T. W. MoDonald, A. W. Horb, M.H.R., W. 0. Buchanan, .and W. H. Field, M.H.K. A YEAK'S BUILDING. The secretary, Mr G L. Stewart, submitted a statement summarising the operations of the year ended July 25th in the vay of building and acquiring land. The building was as follows:—New schools—South Wellington, Maaterton District; High School, Carterton (brick), "ortblar.d (brick), Kereru, Hukanui, iNireabo, Korora, Akataravva. Additions—Te Horo, Martinborough, Training College (now in hand). .Removal—Mang^maire.

Residences. —Nireaha. Additions —Herein, Bideford. Now in hand— Kororß, Scarborough, Kouini. About to proceed—Makara, Ronsokokako. The negotiations regarding sites are as follow:

Sites acquired.— Makara, % acre, residence; Dyer Settlement, two sites; Longbusb; Rewa, 5 acred; Carterton, small addition to residence site; xesidenoe. Under consideration.—Pahiatua, Lansdowne, Martinborough, Waionine, Wateftalls. A SCHOOL FOR LANSDOWNE. The Sites Committee reported on the application for a school at .Lansdowne that the attendance at the school at Te Ore Ore was steadily declining. Out of fifty-two on the roll only twelve were of European parents. The establishment of a school at Lansdowne was not likely to affect this school, and it would be too far away to injure the Opaki School. The committee thought the Lansdowne petitions had made out a strong case. The Chief Inspector concurred in the recommendation, but expressed the opinion that the real solution of the question was the establishment of a second school for Maaterton.

Mr Hogg moved, and Mr Feist seconded, "That the report be adopted, and tnat application be made to the School Commissioners for five aores of tbe Education reserve at Lansdowne as site for a second school for Maaterton." Mr Fleming said that Maaterton

main sohool bad nearly seven hundred children, or with tbe side sohool between eight and nine hundred. He believed the town would be best served eventually by a sohool at eaoh end. The motion was agieed to. The committee recommended, in

regard to the Kaiwarra Sohool, that tbe department be requested to take steps to acquire a portion of the Pickering estate for tbe purpose of a new shool site.— Adopted. THE PAHIATUA PROBLEM.

Regarding the Pahiatua Sohool, the committee believed .the present eite was unsuitable, and should be abandoned in favour of a new site of seven aores, which could be obtained at a oost of about £l3O an acre. They believed that £I,OOO was enough to defray tbe cost of the site, and this sum could be realised from the sale of the present site and buildings. In that case

the sum of £1,300, already promised lor additions to the present sohool, ■would be available -for the ereution of the new school.—Messrs Hogg and Feist moved the adoption of tbe report. Mr Allan resisted the proposal, on the ground that there were matters of more pressing urgency that required attention, and that seven aores was rather a liberal present to J make to any sohool.—Mr T. W. MoDonald thought two aores would be ample, seeing that nity schools had to put up with half an aore. Mr Buchanan supported tbe motion. Mr Hogg pointed out that the oldest portion of the present building at Pahiatua was not so old as the newest part of the Masterton Sohool. iThe attendance at Pahiatua was not so large now as in 1905, so there could be no* necessity for further accommodation. The report was merely asking the Minister to take the whole responsibility of shifting tbe sohool. Mr Feist said it had been claimed that the diphtheria in Pahiatua was due to the unsuitablenesa of the school site. The chairman pointed out that it was necessary to provide for the high school classes. He tnougbt the suggestion an excellent one. Mr Field approved the proposal, but urged that it should be left to the department to say whether the area should be as. much as seven acres. He moved as an amendment that tbe Board should ask for seven acres, or suoh other area as the department should think proper. Mr McDonald seconded the amend-

met, which was lost by four votes against Messrs Field, MoDonald* and Allan.—The report was adopted. Messrs Vile and Hogg were deputed to confer with the Eketahuna Sohool Committee, with a view to procuring a new site. Leave of absence was granted to tbe following:—P. Fiulayson, Nga-tu-i, to Augutt Ist; F. M. Chapman, Mangamaire, one month. —N. Z. Times. _____