HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1167, 30 June 1911, Page 6

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

[/ '■ •■ffi-ojn...Our Special Correspondent.)

; THE .'EGEAL COURSE. I-. A special meeting of tho.tPetone West }'!School- ComiuittTO; was held last'oveuing f; for the purpose' of discussing theactkm i-:oftho local High School Committee- in ; . iatrc^cinff-a rural-course, into its sylMr.J, G. Castle occupied, the ■ chair. A number ./of tho public wero [ present, and alsosome of the High School j Committee. : : ■ ■ -.- ;.-■ , v The chairman explained that the meet- | in? had been called, so that parents could j air their vis-,vs oil the : matter, as they I would undoubtedly be ultimately concern- :, ed. "We have nothing to "say about tho ! High School Committee,' , ho , added, "but |. it is their system wo want to deal with. I We should have some say in an alteration |. of a. curriculum.' Mirny, people- have tlie ! opinion that this rural course is designed . to inakc,farinei-s of pur children; but this \> is, not the case.' The most that can bo 'aimed at is. an elementary grounding." , Quoting>a letter from Mr. P.'CJFreeth,': [ tho chairman remarked," that, tho.'" writer f stated that in. all-'.the countries.in Europe I (and America, rutal:. courses had mostly {. been donQ^wayy-with.. Petono was'not a ; suitable'.district'for: a rural course,' as it ;. was ■ essentially' nil. industrial'' district. ;. Then thero'.was.tho question of aVspecial j < instructor ■"■which , ..would also have. to*, bo ; faced. Further,- the "curriculum" would be ; crowded, iMany teachers w«ro against it, : and,many-pupils.in other districts asked ; for-an'exemption. At , tho present time !■ Petono'.bad won a name for its secondary i education, anil it -was to. be hoped that '. -they would';rto't-."play with farming," but ■ would coiihnuo the upkeep of their.sec- ! ; ofldary department as it existed. : . "Mr. iT. (Mayor) stated that : agricultural colleges, in America hadnnLmially'turned out thousands of men who i. were practical Ho : submitted' /that education shculdbe -fitted to oirfoc- : cupations. In Petone the-- professional : and industrial pursuits were-provided for ;'• in the High School, but;there was no pr'o--1 - vision for mining nor agriculture. Iu Enjj- >: land, added the speaker, tho rural course ;.,hnd been worketlr.ifith success irisomoof the f counties at technical", day* stihbolsV. This . would indicate that' they ought'not to , ,- interfere -wjt.h the syllabus of tho Dis- | trict High; School. They - ought .to moot ;, this problem through a technical day' school, andtthe Petone Technical School j should deal -with the - matter - and endea- *, vour to frame a scheme which would meet - the case. The- council had in the past !'.' b.eon generous in educational matters, and 'they had granted tho land for this pro- > posed rural course. ..Personally, he -would ; suggest that tho council, should offer a ; prize for the best-kept cottage garden, • and market garden. Generally speaking, r however, they would have to give tho I matter grave consideration. : :. Mr. McMillan suggested that Mr. M*Kenzie (chairman of the District High ! School) should give his views. ;. Mr. Piper pointed out that tho first ]■ question to decide was'whether this comi nvittee had a. right to- attend .the proposed conference of the board, teachers and High School Committee. He would move: "That no conference would be sat- ; isfactory in. the opinion of this meeting i for the establishment•';of a mral course '; unless Potone West School wore repre--1 sented at such conference." . ' N :■■ An amendment was .-moved: "That this ' meeting has every confidence in tbe High 1 School Committee's action, and heartily '. support them." ; -" ' The chairman hoped that the mover : of the amendment was a resident of Petone West. ■;',' ' * Tho mover: "I think that you are- tak- : ing , a very narrow view by splitting east ;• and west. This is a question for Petone." ! (Cries of "No, no," and disorder.) ':> :■ The chairman: Gentlemen, wo havo not :•' come here to split hairs. ; Voices: It looks like;it. (Disorder and laughter.) .:. ■ , ■ Proceeding, the chairman said that, nl- : though this was a broad question, tho ; meeting was really one' for Petono West - residents. : Mr. Bedingfield was of the opinion that .the-motion "was a useless one. It could : not alter the law, which was adverso to the proposal. Mr. Pipor submitted that the motion U-was correct. They could demand that'they ■ should have a bearing', and tho motion, 1 if carried, would at least command the Tcspect of the authorities if it did not '• succeed in making them-climb down. • ' The motion was cafried. : Mr. Piper hoped that no, discourtesy had been shown Fllr. ,'. M'Kenzie,. and he '< would suggest that that gentloman now give his views. ■ - -, • '■■ Mr. FM'Kenzic said that tho rural '■ course was not for the purpose of creating formers, but to give children a love of the soil, nnd' to help them to earn an independence which was more easily [achieved in the country thau incur pack- •! cd towns, where, if they remained, they ; would be working men and women all their lives. This course- was real y on the lines of "the greatest good for the grcat- • est number."- .......

Tho Lower, Hult. High School .Committee have decided to .commemorate Arbor ■Day br planting a portion of the lungs Eoad 'with shelter trees. Mr. Elders nomination for the Education Board wul be supported by the committee. CoronaHon medals will be presented to the children next- Wednesday afternoon.