SECONDARY EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 287, 28 August 1908, Page 7

SECONDARY EDUCATION.

THE "FREE PLACE" DIFFICULTY. NO PROVISION FOR THE GIRLS, i! In a very short time, the neiv annexe to ! the Wellington Boys' College, provided by the Government for tho accommodation of the free secondary pupils from tho primary "will be completed, and the "no room" difficulty which has hitherto existed will, so far as the boys are concerned, be satisfactorily settled! There still remains for solution tho difficulty of finding accommodation for the girls. There is no room at the Girls' College, and tho ' only temporary adjustment possible was indicated- by 1 the chairman of the Education . Board (Mr. Robert Lee), at the board's meeting yester r day.

' THE DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL. . The completion of the new building at the Boys' College, he said, while solving one difficulty, left for tho consideration of the board two serious problems. There were three secondary departments under tho authority of the Education Board, one at the Normal School, a second at tho Terrace, and a third at Newtown. Tho secondary department at the Training College did not come into the question, as that formed part of tho constitution of he school. At tho Terraco and Newtown, however, they would suffer a loss of about 90 boys—about 50 froni tho former, and 40 from the latter.

THE TEACHERS. At Newtown thero was a secondary staff of two, while at the Terrace the staff numbered three. _ The departure of the boys. meant a reduction'of the staff, and tho board had to consider the future of those teachers to whom, in the nature of the altered circumstances, it would bo necessary to give three ilionths' notice of termination of their engagements. The board was bound to deal fairly-with those teachers, who were highly qualified and of proved efficiency. It would no' doubt be possible, when the time arrived for tho staffing of the now schools at Pctone, Maranui, and Lansdowne, to find, in tho inevitable changes which would result in the staffs of a number of schools, certain positions for the ladies and gentlemen who would shortly be faced with the loss of their present positions/ DISESTABLISHMENT. _ The altered conditions, ho contended, practically meant the disestablishment of the city district high schools as at present constituted. Thero were still left, however, a certain number of girls, about 100; and as there could not be found accommodation for them at. the Girl's College, it would be necessary to come to some temporary arrangement for the continuance of a secondary department at one or both of the schools in question. Ho himself favoured two separate departments. Ho would, first of all, move that the board present to the Department a statement of the facts of tho position which would be created by the partial disestablishment of -the high school departments at the Terrace and Newtown, and ascertain the v J iews of the Department rcgatding tho same. This was seconded.

THE DISCUSSION. Mr. A. W. Hogg was of opinion that similar treatment to that accorded to tho' boys should be shown to tho girls. As to the teachers who were threatened with, the loss of their positions, lie thought that tho college governors might bo informed of tho facts, and asked ..that they endeavour, if possible, to find positions for them in their own schools. Ho would move in that direction later. Captain M'Donald agreed. ,Ho thought, however, that there should be a consolidation of tho remnants of tho existing departments at tho Terraco and Newtown. The Chairman said ho recognised that whatever was done could only bo regarded as a temporary arrangement. Mr. Field, M.P., urged that tho strongest representations should bo made to tho Government ro tho matter. Mr. Vile supported, and tho motion was then put and carried unanimously. Mr. Hogg then moved in terms of his previous suggestion, which was agreed toi 1