HEADMASTER AND BOARD

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2749, 18 April 1916, Page 6

HEADMASTER AND BOARD

TROUBLE OVER NEW BEJJHAMI'ORE SCHOOL. At the meeting of the South Wellington school district householders last evening, Mr. George Flux, tho headmaster of tho school, crivicisod the policy of the Wellington Education Board in regard to the attendaiice at the new school at' Britoinart Street. "A year ago," he .said, ''we.had a.roll of over 1000 pupils at South Wellington— a number considerably in excess of the accommodation. Then came the opening or the new school in Britomart Street! ihe Education Board had appointed a stair to a full school, and pupils from the surrounding schools (but chiefly from this school) were expected to fill About 120 children from this 'school \oluntarily left lor the new school, <md these, with drafts from other schools, about half filled tho new one. But the board had to justify, itself to tho Education Department for its demand for a school of a certain size, as necessary tor the needs of the district. So an order came from the board that all pupils resident on the newly-formed district were to be instructed to attend the. new school. _ After the 120 volunteers had left this school there remained some 130 other children attending this school, but resident in tho new district. When tho 120 volunteers left, the main school was not full, but the infant school was overcrowded.

'.'lf the board, as a mattor of policy, not as of right, Lad pressed for a reduction of the number of pupils in the infant department, I should have had no ground of complaint, hut when it camo to further reducing. the roll of the main school (which after the 120 volunteers had left could quite easily have accommodated more pupils), I keenly resented the indifference of the board to the disorganisation of this 'school in order to fill the new one, 'and to justify it in the eyes of the Department. I appealed to the board >to reduco the nuinbsrs only, where there was overcrowding, but to no purpose. The new school must be filled, disorganisation here notwithstanding. So the 130 extra children were ordered to proceed to the new school in spit-o of the fact that no children can be forced to leave a school except for misconduct. The infant department lias always been ovorcrowded because it was too small from the start. This was pointed out by mo and the infant mistress of that

time when the plans for the present building came out, but the building was completed in spite of it. I am advised by the board officials to draft a portion of tho- infants into the main building, but they know, and anybody with even a modicum of knowledge of school life

and work knqws, how undesirable such a step would be. Whatever happens I cannot agree to this. I have spoken,plainly because. I feel keenly the indifference of the hoard as to the result, of its policy.