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TECHNICAL SCHOOL

NEW BUILDING NEEDED

AN URGENT REQUEST

DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER

Onco more tho need of Wellington for a new technical school building was impressed upon the Minister ot' Education (tlie Hon. J. A. Hanan) by a deputation representing the Education Board, the Technical School Board, and tho Citv Council, which waited upon lum yesterday. Mr. Hanan told the deputation in effei-t that ho realised the justice of tho demand, but that ho had no money available wherewith to satisfy it. Mr. J. P. Luke, Mayor, said that he was glad to speak on behalf of the City in support of tho request made by'the Department. He reminded-tho Minister of his strong advocacy in tho past of technical education'. Of course tho war mado it impossible for tho Government to do everything it would

like to do, but the need of a now school was so urgent that tho deputation urged it. He believed that a suitable site had been procured, but this was not enough. Tlie great- need was for a- new school, and it w<is an instant and pressing need. As things were now it was impossible for the teaching staff to do its best work or for the

pupils to get the best results from it. And notwithstanding the war wo could not afford to let education g0 by tho hoard. No opportunities must bo filched from the young of the rising generation. Tno buildings now occupied by the school ought now to be resumed by tho City Council bccause tho council needed tho.. spsce, and in any case the rooms woro unsuitable for the purpose for which they wore now used l . Mr. G. Frost, chairman of the Technical School Board, said that tho conditions under which the school was worked were tho same as thoso prevailing a year ago, whon the last deputation had approached the Minister. In the meantime the number ot students had increased 1 . Mr. Hanan: How many attend trado classes? ~ Mr. Frost: Wo lmvo 1163 attending trade and commercial classes, and I believe three-fourths of theso attend trade classes. He went or. to say that the progress of tho Wellington school as compared' with the schools in Au=kland and l elsewhere was hampered because of tho bad accommodation and tho scattering of then classes in buildiiigs nil over the City. Succceoing Ministers had offered tho board sympathy, but ui> till now nothing tangible in tlio way of improvement had been done for the school.

Impossible to Carry On. The Hon. J. G. W. Ait-ken, chairman of tho Education Board, said that.the fact of tho matter was that if the Government could not do something lot technical education in this City tiio Board would liavo to writo to the Government saying that unless -something was done at once tho board could not he responsible any longer for technical education in this City. (Hear, lieor.) He did not make this statement as a threat. It wefc plain statement of simple truth. Tho school had no homo, lhe classes were carried on in unsuitable buna in different parts of the town under conditions which were not always hygienic. Since 1910 there had been practically no increaso in the number of pupils, and this was owing solely to tho conditions under which technical instruction was imparted. Tho present position was intolerable. Wellington was tho first city to tako in hand seriously technical education, and it had now no more buildings than it had then. It was urgent that tho Government should tako over at onco tho four acres or so available of the 'Mount Cook site, becausc tho City 'Council wished to resume at once tho land and buildings on which tho Technical School Board had been squatting for many years, paying no rent at all. Tho Education Department had placed additional duties upon tho boards, and on Wellington had been placed responsibility for the district of Marlborough. This required more offico space, and the board would have to ask tho Technical School Board to vacate somo of tho room now used for school purposes. If tho Government would go on with tho construction of the building the City Council would givo a donation of £10,000, and with, a grant of £10,000 from the Government, a building could bo erected which would satisfy the needs of Wellington for some time. Wellington had been very unfairly treated in regard to technical education in tho past. Buildings had been erected in other smaller towns, as for instance, in Wanganui, which would almost satisfy the needs of Wellington. No Money. The Minister, in reply; said that the first question to be decided was that of the acquisition of tho site. He had twice brought the matter before Cabinet. The first decision was "No actior at present," and the second decisior was "To stand over until after tlu war." The deputation knew what hii recommendation bad been ; but Cabine had not seen eye to eye with him abou triving this site for this puri>ose. H< would bring tho mattor again befori Cabinet when there was a full meeting —when Mr. Massey and Sir Josepl Ward came back. Ho hoped that tin representations made to him would hi put. beforo Cabinet with equal force. With regard to tho applications fo a new building, lie wished to tell th deputation tho position in which h found himsholf. He had in hand applj cations . for new buildings "to th amount of £34,000, including £20,00 for tho Wellington school. But th amount voted for technical schoc Wildings was £14.131. and the amoun anthorised was £0550, _ leaving onl £7584 still to bo authorised. Ho noo say no more about being unable t nromiso the deputation a new schoo! He was well aware of tho need for il . however.

He regretted to say_ that lio could find no policy in existcnco for tho control and development of technical education in New Zealand. And if tliero were a policy there would bo need for tlio money to carry it out. Only recently ho had discovered that tliero was an outstanding liability against tho Department of £38,000 for capitation for manual and technical classes. 110 would talto another opportunity of going into details about tliis matter. Ho indicated, also, that although there was need of certain changes in our education policy, opposition would ccrtainly bo encountered when tlioso changes woro proposed regarding technical education, as tliero had been about other changes.

Naturally, and nuito rightly, the attention of his colleagues was concentrated on winning tho war—(Hear, hear) —and they were naturally more cautious in examining every item of public expenditure to he sure that it was necessary. Only essentials could he provided for in war time, _ for nobody could say what tho position would be, two. years from now. Theso were tho facts to bo faced, and no Minister could got as much money as ho could before the war. He could not refuto the statements mad« to him about affairs in Wellington. 'Would it not be possible to rent more buildings in Wellington if ho gave assistance in this direction?' Mr. Aitkea said that there was not

an unoccupied building within reasonable distaneo of tho centre of the city, and tho present toclinical school. Every hole and corner was occupied. And it was also extremely likely that the flat in tho Y.M.C.A. building now used by tho Technical School classes would bo taken from the school authorities by the end of the year. Mr. Hanan said that ho did not thi'ifk the sito question could bo settled until Mr. Masscy and Sir Joseph Ward returned, and until that was settled it would not bo of much use to talk of new buildings. Mr Aitken asked Mr. Hanan to accept for himself and his colleagues, Mr. Massev and Sir Joseph Ward, an invitation to conic and inspect the present premises, and Mr. Hanan promised to convey tho invitation as requested. ________

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19161026.2.43

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2912, 26 October 1916, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,324

TECHNICAL SCHOOL Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2912, 26 October 1916, Page 6

TECHNICAL SCHOOL Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2912, 26 October 1916, Page 6

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