SCHOOL BOUNDARIES

Wairarapa Daily Times, 16 March 1932, Page 6

SCHOOL BOUNDARIES

COMMITTEE MEET BOARD. A meeting to discuss amendments to the boundaries of Masterton school districts was held on Monday, the actingchief inspector, Air Boden, presiding. Also present were: —Alessrs Alex. Donald, W. 11. Jackson, A. Williams and Colonel T. W. McDonald (members of the Wellington Education Board), and also members of the Central, T est and Lansdowne School Committees. The meeting was called by reason of the fact that Alasterton West had a class of 60 accommodated in a. corridor, while the Lansdowne School liacl two empty class-rooms. There would have been no difficulty in arriving at a settlement but for the fact that the AUctoria Street Side School is at present attached to the West School, making this school a 6C grade, while Lansdowne is graded SA. Geographically, the Side School is much nearer the Lansdowne School, and the Lansdowne School Committee insisted that the Side School should be attached to their school. If this were done it would make Lansdowne into probably a grade 6C school, while Alasterton West would revert probably to 58. This proposal was strongly opposed by the Alasterton West representatives, who offered as a counter-proposal to transfer the Railway Settlement and Bentley and Villa Streets to the Lansdowne area, retaining a corridor to Victoria and Wrigley Streets, thereby keeping the present standard of their school. This would only mean that 32 pupils would change from Alasterton AVest to Lansdowne, and would not appreciably affect the overcrowding at AVest. The Department’s attitude was that a temporary measure should be introduced, so that no expense in removing teachers would be involved.

After considerable discussion, the Alasterton West suggestion was made a recommendation to the Education Board, and was carried by 11 votes to 9. The Lansdowne Committee also pointed out that Church Street, which was at present included in the Central School area, should be attached to Lansdowne, as it was nearer to Lansdowne than Central. This suggestion did not meet with the approval of the Central Committee. The chairman of the Lansdowne Committee, Air 11. H. Daniell, stated that it was the opinion of his committee that the boundaries should be fixed by the Education Department or Board without regard to local prejudices, as such prejudices might react to the detriment of the children bv the overcrowding of the schools.