NO BLAME ON DEPARTMENT

Chronicle (Levin), 17 July 1946, Page 8

NO BLAME ON DEPARTMENT

WELLINGTON, July 16. II 0 was entirely as a loss to luiderstand how any part of the bhtnie J'or the present state of affairs at the Taita School could be laid on the Education Dcpartnienl, said the .Minister of Education (Mr. Mason) today. ^ On .Tauuaiy 2-S, the department received from the Wellington Education Board an applicntion for a grant of £110 to coyer the cost of additions 1o the hitrines. The board was notitied that a £-3 to £-2 grant was a[iproved. No douht there were good reasons why the board did not ]iroceed with tlie work, but the deparinicnt was not coni inunicated \yith again until it received a letler from the board on .July S asking for an additional grant of £:tol to cover the cost of an additional blpck of latrines. From this tlie department could only infer that the work ])reviously authorised had not been couijdeted. The reason given for the inrreased grant was that the numbers at the school had riscn in the nieantime. On July 15, tlie board was liolified that an additional grant had been made. Therefore, although it was" strictlv correct to sa^v that the board was ivait'ing- for financial approval from the de partinent, approval had aetualJy been sought only a few days previously. On only two occasions when the board— - which is entirely responsible for the niaintenance of school buildings iu its area — had asked for grants in connnction with the Taita School lavatories, the department had, in .each ca.so, ai*provqd within ti few days. The Minister added, however, that, in fairness to the board, it should be pointed out that it faced a nmltitude of ditlicult school building probloms in Ihe TTutt Yalley of a magnitude un equalled elsewhere in New Zealand. The Ooniniissioner of Works had now nffered to help the board expedite the provision of additional lavatory accomuiodation at the Taita School.