Infant Block Opening Adas Another chapter To M.D.H.S. History

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 May 1949, Page 2

Infant Block Opening Adas Another chapter To M.D.H.S. History

MARTON, Last Night (OC).—Another Chapter was auded to the history of the Marton District High School yesterday afternoon when the new seven-room infant ololk. built at a cost of about .130,000 and covering 1.2,000 square feet, was ollicialiy opened by the chairman of rhe Wanganui Education Board, Mr. W. B Tennent (Palmerston North). The ceremony was attended by pupils of the ichooi and several hurdred spectators. It was fortunate that rain which set in at about 11 o’clock eased off alter lunch, thus permitting trie proceedings to be held out of doors although the sky was heavily overcast Since last June an average of 27 men have been working on the building ,whinh contains sufficient timber to construct eight houses. The chairman of the school committee,, Mr. A. S. Todd presided and also on the official dias were Messrs. Tennent, N. Bron.ily, W. G. Price, r. C. Janmngs, Education Board members, Mr. G. N. Boulton, the board secretary, Mr. L. S. Barsanti, the architect, the Mayor and mayoress, Mr and Mrs. T. E. Barton, Mr. E. B. Gordon, M.P. for Rangitikei, and Mrs. Gordon. Mr. Todd congratulated the Education Board architect on his design oi the school and said it incorporated every feature to make it comfortable and healthy for the children.

An additional 15U0 teachers were required in New Zealand to keep pace with the growing school require ments, said Mr. Tennent, but he saw a grave danger that if the deficit in the teaching profess, on was made up under the recently announced schemes, about a quarter of the profession in New Zealand would have a lower standard than in the past. The scheme to operate included the certification of probationary assistants after only one term on probation instead of the customary year and their replacement with second year training college students who normally attended training college lor three years. There was also an appeal lor young men of personality, 21 years of age, to enter the profession and a lowering of educational entrance requirements. Mr. Tennent said that in his opinion the scheme was unfair to the teachers, trainees and the children. He felt that teachers would prefer to do extra work rather than see the standard of their profession lowered. “We can’t have too high a standard for training our children. We should take every step to see the teaching standards are maintained and even increased, but we want to be fair and see the rewards are sufficient,” de-j clared Mr. Tennent. Referring to the new infant block, Mr. Tennant said the building was modern in every respect. The board’s! programme required 200 classooms by 1952.

Others to speak at the opening were Mr. Gordon, Mr. Barsanti, ana the headmaster. Mr. Thompson said he was glad '.:o see that the that the drab conditions of schools built 20 and 30 years ago were no longer good enough and the authorities were recognising the need for better school design. The Marton School roll had increased by 36 per cent, since 1944, added the headmaster, and the school roll now stood at 706. A special plaque commemorating the opening of the school was placed in the corridor of the new block. During the afternoon the Marton Municipal Band entertained with musical selections. An added attraction was the presence of the Natoinal Film Unit, who filmed the opening ceremony. There were a number of amateur and professional photographers also present and cameras were clicking in all directions. NIGHT CLASSES AT M.D.H.S. The dress-making evening classes to be held in the Marton District High School from next Wednesday, were referred to by the chairman of the Wanganui Education Board, Mr. W. B. Tennent, at the opening of the new infant block at the school on Saturday afternoon. Mr. Tennent said he was pleased to learn that one of the school’s specialist staff was prepared to give night classes for adults. It was not the desire of the board that a school should be open only between 9 a.m. and 3.30 p.m., but that it should become a centre of community educational activity. PERSONAL. Mrs. J. A. Harris, Turakina, was re-elected president of the Wellington Central Provincial of the W.D.F.F. at the annual provincial meeting held in Palmerston North last week. Mrs G. G. Oliver, Tutaenui, Marton, and Mrs. C. Scott-Maundrell, Rata, were appointed to the committee. Mr. R. W. Christensen, who has been stationed at the Maewa railway station, between Makino and Halcombe, has been transferred to Marton on promotion. BASKETBALL. Because ot the opening of the new .nfant block at t.ie Marton District High School, no senior basketball competition matches were played in Marton on Saturday. However, the primary schools’ competition was inaugurated with the following results: Marton No. 2 23, v. St. Stephen’s 0; Marton No. 1 5, v. Junction 5. Owing to rain the second spells were cut down considerable.