THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1919. HIGHER EDUCATION.

Wairarapa Age, 20 November 1919, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1919. HIGHER EDUCATION.

The visit of the Hon. Sir Francis Bell, Minister of Education, to Masterton, has been attended with eminently ' satisfactory results. The Minister, after visiting various parts of the town and hearing the views of loading citizens, gave an emphatic undertaking to provide a High School for Masterton, separate and apart from the Technical School. He would not state definitely, what amount would be voted by Cabinet for the institution, but he gave an assurance that the building would bo such as would satisfy the requirements of the district for a considerable time to come. He relieved the Trust Lands Trust of all financial responsibility in the xnatteiy and stated that he would be perfectly satisfied if the Trustees wqjjld devote their funds .to the expansion of the Technical School. This is precisely the attitude we expected the Minister to take up* It has-been insisted from time to time in these, columns that it is the duty of the State to provide for. the higher education of the rising generation, and that the funds of the Trust Lands Trustees should be devotod to special objects connected with the various educational institutions. The Minister has recognised the duty of the State, and has asked for no assistance from the Trust in regard to the financing of the, institution. The offer of the fishponds site will not seriously diminish the revenues of the Trugt, and funds will be available for assisting in the development of the Technical School and the primary schools within the district. AH that now romain&,is for the Education Department to fix upon a definite site for -the High School. There should be no difficulty about' this question, as we shall show in a separate article. Meanwhile, the Minister is to be congratulated upon having so promptly recognised the educational requirements of the district, and upon having pledged himself and his colleagues to the provision of an institution which will be worthy of the Wairarapa, and will be a lasting benefit to present 1 and future generations. Wo can only express the hope that, in view of the urgency of the matter, and the fact that the District High School was disestablished months ago, no delay \«11 be experienced in acquiring a site and proceeding with the erection of the necessary buildings.