NEWTOWN SCHOOL SITE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 120, 7 February 1918, Page 3

NEWTOWN SCHOOL SITE

REMOVAL TO TOWN BELT OPPOSED. At a meeting of the Newtown School Committee last evening the secretary was instructed to write to the Town Clerk as follows:—"In reference to Councillor Luckie's motion re the Town Belt, the committee of the Newtown School enters its emphatic protest against _ any interference with the school sites as it is considered to he a most suitable one, and directed that the enclosed lettor from the headmaster be forwarded to the City Council with a request that the council refrain from coming to a decision until householders have had an opportunity of discussing the proposal. (Signed) R. 11. Chinchen, secretary." . The letter from the headmaster (Mr. H. Pariknson) referred to above was addressed to the School Committee and is as under:— "I desire to draw the attention of your committee to a proposal that is to be brought before the City Council having for its object the removal of tho Newtown School to the Town Belt. Though the proposal is in its very nature 'so absurd that it is not likely to be carried into effect, vet, when monoyed interests are concerned, it is never safe to neglect possibilities. The time has passed, or is at least passing, when anything was regarded as good enough for a school. It is becoming recognised that the interests of the nation are wrapped up in those of the rising generation. The idea of the school as a ; centre of social and civic life is rapidly extending in pome countries, and has already taken root to some extent in New Zealand. For its full development it requires that the school should be placed in proximity to tho homos of the people, not thrust away 'on the Town Belt,' or in any other" inconspicuous and unapproachable corner. The physical, moral, and' mental training of the nation's youth is of "vastly greater importance than the interests of a few commissionhunting land agents. Looked at from this point of view, the site of our school is beyond question the best that could be selected in this neighbourhood, and is one of the best in tho city. It is-truo that it is not beautiful, but correct ideas about schools and their surroundings are of recent birth, and time will bring improvements. "Instead of the school being shunted on to the Town Belt, about the leant suitable locality that could be chosen, let me suggest another scheme. Imagine the boundaries of the school area extending to take in the Minerva Street and Emmett Street frontages. Surround this block with architecturally beautiful school buildings—architectural beauty is not necessarily ■■xpeusive— taking- full advantage of our plentiful i sunshine. Within this quadrangle of buildings picture a civic playgroundplaygrounds are of more value than | picture theatres and marble bars—sheltered by the buildings from our too plentiful winds—a drill ground for our citizen soldiers, playing grounds for I our young people of after-school age, social meeting-places for young peopled I societies, accommodation for the afterschool education that is bound to come lin the near future—all these, and mom I in tho one centre of the life of tho "Such a proposal is not chimerical: it i s in keeping with modern views ofthe training of the young for civic life; it is easily 'practicable; it would retain the schonj within reach of the children of the district: and it would be far less expensive than would be the carrying out of tho proposal that has prompted this letter. I therefore sugG cst that the committee should take steps to have its views on tho question placed before the City Council when tho proposal is discussed."