OHOPE PARENTS WILL INSIST UPON SCHOOL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 35, 20 December 1948, Page 5

OHOPE PARENTS WILL INSIST UPON SCHOOL

Firm Instructions Given Executive Thursday night’s meeting of Ohope parents was well-attend-ed, and decided unanimously to form a Parent-Teacher Association, instructiing the executive to take the strongest action possible, even to recommending “direct action” if necessary to insure that a school is established at Ohope in time for next year.

It was felt by all present that the best site offering was the Caledonian Sports Ground, previously turned down by the Education Board’s architect after the flood earlier this year, and every endeavour is to be made to persuade the authorities to reconsider that decision.

To back up representations along those lines, reports are to be obtained from the County engineer, Mr C. H. Brebner, and from the Health Inspector, M A. R. Knights, concerning the suitability of the site. Mr Brebner offered to take levels and include in his report data to prove that efficient drainage of the area was practicable. Those reports, when available, are to be placed before the Education Department, along with a report of the meeting, showing the parents’ determination to insist on early action, and are to be used in whatever other ways the executive com siders will further the cause. It was further agreed that the Association should press the Education Department to obtain title to the sports ground area, which could then be used as a permanent school site with provision for a teacher’s residence, which the meeting considered would make it easier to persuade better-graded teachers to seek and hold the job at the Beach. Should negotiations in connection with that site break down altogether, then the meeting instructed the Association’s executive to press for immediate Ministerial consent to the use of the picnic site opposite, which the Domain Board is prepared to lease as a temporary school site, a proposition to which the Education Board has already agreed. Urgency of the matter was stressed by a number of speakers, and it was agreed that, as soon as the preliminary actions instructed had been taken, the committee should call another general meeting to decide what „ action parents as a body should take to strengthen the executive’s hand and to back up any moves that had been made. Following is the executive elected: Chairman, Mr T. Danks; secre-tary-treasurer, Mr Murray; committee, Mesdames J. Dickson, C. H. Brebner and W. M. Clark, Messrs S. Petersen, C. H. Brebner, D. C. Stevens, J. H. Armstrong. As a nucleus of funds, £lO raised by the school children was handed over to the Association, which fixed its subscription as 5/- per family or *2/6 per individual. Mr F. G. Cutler, convener, expressed his satisfaction at the attendance, and apologised for Mr S. Collis, who, though unable to attend, had given an assurance of his support. Following the meeting Mr E. R. Marryatt entertained for art* hour with a film programme dealing with Chinese resistance to the Japanese invasion of their country.