ALLEGATIONS REFUTED

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2156, 23 May 1914, Page 6

ALLEGATIONS REFUTED

COMING IE ABO SCHOOL _ A fortnight ago rather serious allegations wore made concerning tho alleged insanitary and unclean condition of tho Te Aro School. This matter was referred to at the. monthly meeting of the Wellington Kdueation Board held yesterday by tlio chairman (Mr. Robert Lee). He said ho would like to say something iu regard to the Te Aro School. Ho wished to make every allowance for the heated expressions made during tho excitement of tho school committee elections, but some rather unfavourable criticisms of the school building mentioned had been passed. As the matter was important, he had made a point of going over tho school, and after doing 56 he could say that tho allegations nuvrlc were absurd—it was a sound building all through, and was- a good school. Duo of tho allegations was that the »scheol iras not-clean, but he had gone closely into tho details of the school, and tho only spots that lie could say did not look 'clean were soffie of the floors, but on inquiry ho had ascertained that the floors were made of matai, whMi as was well known, darkened with age. 'He had ascertained, further, something that was to the credit Gf the school, which was that tho floors, when be-iiij* swept, were sprinkled with lysol as a disinfectant—a very excellent thing— which further darkened the timbers hx staining tbqm. What at first siji'it had looked like dirt was really something that was its favour of the school. Every precaution had boon taken to keep the school clean, worn to using a disinfectant. There had also been a eomolaint that ono of the rooms was dark. Veil, they all had rooms with a southerly aspect, and these were not so light as th's others—-the lteht was dtdl.' In that refr.ird it had Wn decided to malm an improfonipnt that it was thomdit would benefit the wovkhKr of the school. The refet-Mien had applied to one or two disused class-rooms, hut onc'wns now being thrown into j»motlier class-Ton'n, which Wntlld PiifdiV the Sixth Standard to b* awimmndaierl as a whole, instead of it brine: divided into two. He did not, an a rule, t*k« mifh notice of such ftnteiwirfs. but in fairness to the board ho thought it was well for him to defend the board as {a? as possible.