SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1849, 8 September 1913, Page 8

SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS.

AN AUCKLAND SUGGESTION. An interesting suggestion was mado by the Mayor of Auckland,, Mr, C. 'J. Parr, at the opening -of the infants' division of the Napier Street School on Thursday, when ho touched upon the question of providing suitablo playing areas for the children in the city . schools. ' , In new suburban schools at Auckland, said Mr. Parr, at-least four acres or land was being obtained by a prudent ' board, so that the" pupils there would nave no lack of playing area. ' It was the'city-schools, however, that needed these "breathing spaces" most. There were in Auckland numerous,parks-and pleasure grounds on which the-council spent large siims of money annually. This money was not grudged in the least, but these spaces were mostly for adults. .If a sum of from £500 to ;■ £1000 were set asido annually by tho 1 council from the money so spent, and a . similar donation were mad? by tho Edu--1 cation Board, then they _ would be in a position to ask tho Minister to do his manifest duty and add a like sum. There would thus bo a'fnnd available annually for expenditure on school play- ' grounds, whiclj were essentially parks ' for the young people. 1 ' The Mayor stated tha't ho was. sure ' the council would back him up, and ' with tho co-operation of tlio board, tliM ! could go right ahead and bring tho ' necessary pressure to bear upon the * Government at Wellington. It was. a > long way bettor, said Mr. Parr in con- ' elusion, for a boy to have the oppor- " tnnity to build up a strong, healthy * frame that would endure sickness, than ' for him to be merely able to pass tho ' sixth standard.'