Our Diocesan Institutions.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XIV, Issue 6, 1 December 1923, Page 331

Our Diocesan Institutions.

SCHOOLS;

The diocese lias now two secondary schools. We hope there will soon be more. A school (or schools) is badly needed m the Bay of Plenty district. These schools should pay their way m a very short time arid wheii they have been thoroughly built up, the profits from them should be available for helping the foundation of others. We want, however, riot only secondary schools but primary schools also. In the meantime the parish of St. Luke, Havelock North, has a church primary school; it is only a small one, as yet, but we believe it is doing splendid work m spite, of stringency of funds. Schools are not a luxury, they are an absolute necessity if the work of the Church is to be efficiently done. We recognise this m the Mission Field. There the whole success of the Mission depends upon them. Although religion' is the relationship between the Soul and God, arid Christianity consists m the personal love of the Soul for Christ and our brethren, m Christ (the Christian Church), yet there is so much to know, if we are to know Christ, about God and His dealings with men m the past and m the present, so much to know about the Christian life, Christian morals, the means of Grace, the Christian Church that we must teach these things systematically both to young and old. Sunday schools and Sunday sermons are hopelessly inadequate, "Bible" classes appeal to only a few, and tend to encourage the idea that religion is only a department of life, a thing for Sundays and for the special few. All children and all adults require much instruction, but above all the Christian influence to be felt only m Christian schools if they are to know how to live and how to worship. We must not be satisfied with a bare beginning, though this has been a good one. ST: WINIFRED'S SCHOOL. St. Winifred's now two years old ha^ fifty pupils, several of whom are boarders. It is situated quite close to the centre of Gisborne but m a residential quarter, healthy, beautiful and convenient; and it is a well built residence that was and is an ideal home. There is nothing lacking there but one thing; it has insufficient ground attached to it for recreation. The management and teaching under Miss Webb is of the very best, : not only from an ordinary education point of view but from the Christian standpoint. Parents and visitors are greatly struck with the^ splendid; atmosphere. of the" school land with the love of th>:jpu|jils /for it^ Another

teacher is coming from England to begin; work next term and we hope the number of 'pupils then will be much greater than it is even; now. The school takes girls of practically any standard up to matriculation, it is inspected by the Government inspectors, is visited by the Bishop, and it is to be examined this month by the Rev; J. G. T. Castle M.A. and no pains are being spared to keep it at the highest point of efficiency. .We strongly advise parents who really wish their girls to receive the best, education, amongst the best surroundings and m the joyous atmosphere, of a real Christian home, to send to Miss Webb or to the Diocesan Secretary at once and ask for a syllabus of St. Winifred's. .• HERETAUNGA SCHOOL. ':.:* This school, as everyone kno^s, is at Havelock North. It has grown from a small beginning and has had various vicissitudes but is now housed m a splendid building with; fifteen acres of ground at Havelock Norths, The school is not yet the absolute property of the diocese but by' arrangement with the shareholders toolong to describe here it is practically under the control of the Church. The staff has been very carefully choseny both the principal (the Rev. J. G. T. Castle M.A.) and his first assistant being expert educationalists and teachers and sound churchmen. Applications for admission should 'be" madeas soon as possible. The school will open under the new regime early" m February, as a preparatory school fbr boys; we hope it will eventually de svelbp'its higher department and become a first-class secondary school. The grounds are divided into playing fields and there is a first-class swimming- bath. To have established two schools m two years is great progress, but we must recognise that 'we have been slow m beginning this important branch of Church work and are still far behind some other dioceses. The Diocese of Waiapu is well provided with boarding schools for native boys, and girls, an account of Te Aute, Waerenga-a-hika and Hukarere will appear m our next issue.