SCHOOL OVERCROWDING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 28, 30 November 1945, Page 5

SCHOOL OVERCROWDING

SIDE SCHOOL SUGGESTED

PLAN FORI- OHOPE With the object of easing the limited accommodation at the -Whakatane a suggestion to establish a side school at Obope "was made by the Headmaster > Mr I. B. Hubbard, at the last meeting of the Whakatane School Committee. Outlining the scheme, Mr Hubbard said that when a school became too crowded or had a big district where numbers of small children were required to travel by bus ? it was usual to establish a side-school controlled l'rom the main school Avfoere children could be taught up to Standard 2. His suggestion Avas that the committee might obtain permission to use the Presbyterian Church Hall at Ohope. There were between 30 and 4.0 small children travelling from Ohope. The Chairman, Mr J. W. Wilson, pointed out that there was. a drawbacks One teacher would teach up to Standard 2 and many parents would not wish their children to be taught at the side-school when the main school was actually fairly close, li the side-school were established,

those children at Ohope eligible for enrolment would not be permitted to travel by the school bus to Whakatane. On the other hand, the question of . accommodation at the Whakatane School was acute. It was taxed to the utmost.

Mr 11. D. j'aterson stated that lie did not thing there was much chance of the committee obtaining the Presbyterian Council's permission to use the Church as suggested. The geiv oral feeling in that quarter was that the building was a Church and should remain as such. It was used as a hall ; but only for church (unctions. Services were held in the building every Sunday. The chairman stated that although, there was a large population at Ohope at the present many families were there Irom necessity, and would move over to town as soon as houses became available. The Headmaster pointed out tbat. a side school could be closed at any time if the committee wished. At the suggestion of Mr Paterson, the committee resolved that the secretary should write to the Ohope Ratepayers' Association enquiring as to whether the proposal to establish a side-school at Ohope covering classes up to Standard 2 would be favourably received.