SCHOOLS ON THE BELT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 231, 24 June 1919, Page 6

SCHOOLS ON THE BELT

COUNCILLOR LUCKIE'S SCHEME A SPIRITED DISCUSSION IDEALS, PREJUDICES—AND FUNDS BIGGER SCHOOL GROUNDS NEEDED The proposal being made by Councillor Luckie, by notice of motion in the City Council, that city sehc-ols should be removed from the congested areas to roomy sites on the Town lieit, was discussed at a meeting in the Masonic Hall last night. The meeting was organised by the Teachers' Institute, which is opposed to the scheme. Members of the City Council present were Councillors Luckie, Shorland, Thompson, Bennett, and Cliapman. Several members of school committees were also present. Mr. C. Haslani presided, and lie indicated the purpose of the meeting. Mr. 11. A. Parkinson, general secretary of the institute, .spoke in opposition to the • proposal. Ho said that a. change was coming about in the i'.ims of schoot, and lie believed that to move schools into the outskirts of cities would retard this change. Formerly the idea was that children should have enough ".schooling" to enable them to earn their living. Nowadays the aim was to prepare young people for living their lives as free citizens of .1 democracy. • Stating his reason for his opposition to the removal of the schools from the centres of population, he said that tho home' must remain, as it always had .been, the ,-basis of British life, but that in the home the training was not adequate to fit a child for his responsibilities as a citizen, and that tho only place the training could be given was ths school. There must o» 00-operation between the school and the home. So he would oppose the removal of school far from the home. The school of the future would not turn its children out at tho age of. 14 years. The school to lie looked forward to would be an institution which would provide for the future education of the young citizens in the ranks of the'junior wageearners. It would be the'centre of the social life of the younger, community, if not al6o of the older community. Larger Sites Needed, It was true there was need for larger sites for schools, and that sites cost money, but so did lives cost money. Many ,voung lives were wasted now because of lack of such training as ought to be provided for them in the, years after tha Sixth Standard age. He would never 1 suggest that schools should be like prisons, in which the scholars were to spend dreary hours. Teaching methods of the present day should be such as to present lessons in such shape that the scholars more eagerly absorbed them. It was because the'Teachcrs' Institute opposed the waste of life by lack of development of the powers bf tho young that it stood for a better education system, and a development of the school as a force in the community, for only by the school could the young be saved from wasted lives. This applied chiefly, of course, to those children who were not able to win scholarships. He would not "throw any bricks" at the Town Belt scheme. He would treat it merely as a proposal to move the schools away from the centres of population. He would urge, on the contrary, that the school buildings be made better,; p.nd that the sites in the congested areas be improved by the demolition of the poor dwellings in the neighbourhood. He spoke of the neelect of education by the authorities. There was lack of funds and lack of interest. There should be more generous provision for education and schools by the Government, and there should be more interest taken m education bv the people. He believed that the civic authorities should be concerned in education. Reasons Against Proposal. Mr. Hasiani moved: "That this meeting is strongly opposed to the removal of certain schools from congested areas in the city to sites on the Town Belt." He'stated as reasons in support of tho motion that hardship would thereby be imposed on children immediately concerned if the schools are removed from their present sites; that this hardship would bo imposed on prospective continuation scholars for tho 6ame reason; that the school could never bo a social centre in the community if removed out of tho centres of population on to tho lown Belt; and that the Town Belt should be kept ns a breathing space for the population generally. Like Mr. Parkinson, lie would not admit tho impossibility of getting larger sites for playing areas .adjacent to the present schools. ' Mr. Mackenzie seconded the motion. He acquitted Mr. Luckie of any sinister object in making his proposal. He believed that Mr. Luclie had made his woposnl in the interests of the children. But Mr. Mackenzie urged that it was also in lie interests of tho children, especially ot little children, that schools should be near to the homes. Councillor Luckie in Reply. Councillor Luckie said that in no other city in New Zealand, in its original layout, had the interests of education been so neglected as in this city of ellington. No reserves were kept for recreation, with tho result that the Wellington City Council' had to spend more hioney. on making recreation grounds than almost all the other municipalities in jho 1 country. He attached tho greatest importance to school recreation, and the training oi tho body in the school days ot the boy and girl. The present school sites wore utterly inadequate The of Mr. Parkinson and Mr. Hasl.un were that larger sites were necessary but that the larger sites should be round the present schools. At New own tor fcOO children there was a gravel area ot two and a hajf acres. Other schools were no better fixed. To get areas ot, say, ten acres round every school in New Zealand would ' cost enormous sums ot Dioucv and tbe teachers must know, «j» he knew, how" slender were tho chances of the Government finding the money tor a very long'time. A\'as t'no burden to bo placed ou the municipality? He urged the use of the Town Belt because there the areas were at once available at no cost. And ill answer to the argument that distance would be the bar to puttin" schools on the Belt, lie said tnat he "did not consider that this was so miportiuit cis the other consideration--plcnty of room—and also, he said, that in fact the Town Belt was almost iu tuu centre of the city. He insisted on t < importance of outside athletic games as part of the training of youtli. "Sacredness." Ho knew he would meet with objec; lion on the ground of tht> "sacreducss" of tho Town Belt. I'hey had seen wnat the Mayor had said, lie was sitting on the fence at present, uncertain on which 6ide to. come down, and rather anxious to be on both sides. The Mayor would allow schools to be near the Belt, witn the/ playgrounds on the lielt; ho would allow shelter sheds to be on the Belt, but he would not allow the schools to be put there. The Town Belt was Used partly for tho recreation of grown-ups, but nothing was done for the children. The cry was that the Belt must not be encroached upon. Tho result of this policy was that it was used as a grazing run for cattle! It. was said that the Town Belt was the lung of tbo city. But what was tho use of a lung that was not breathed through ?. Nobody ever wont on the Town Belt. One of the arguments was that if the Town Helt wero used for this purpose, possibly a good purpose, it might lend to the use of the Belt for a wrong purpose! He would not press his proposal were he not seized lully of the hopelessness of getting larger sites in tho congested areas. The Town-planning Association, Mr. A. Leigh.Hunt, speaking for the Greater Wellington Town-planning Association said that the association disagreed with Councillor Luckio's proposal, but apotoved his objective. The Town Belt belonged to tho people of Wellingt™ — . ~ .. Mr. Luckie: And none of them use it. Mr. Leigh Hunt said that the fact that the Belt was not used did not prove that it would bo useless for all time. The Belt belonged to tho people of Wei-

iington. Tt was not for ihe people of Wellington to provido school sites; that was t;>e <luly of the general Government. He would not support iiny scheme involving encroachment 011 the Belt. His association would co-operate in any organisation to force the central Govertimcnt to provido school grounds. The -Government was what the people made it. He was sura that Councillor Luckie's proposal would meet with opposition and ertui thai action would he taken by application through the Courts for mandamus should the proposal he carried by the council. Ho suggested that thero should be formed a school grounds committee of tho Town-planning Association. Other Councillors. Councillor -J. 0. Shovland said that he did not think for one moment that Councillor Luckie's motion would get through tho couu.'.il. Councillor Luckie had shown before a desire to have the Town Belt cut up. Councillor Luckie: "What? Councillor Shorland: You have said it is an iron ring round the city. Councillor Luckie: it has caused the congested areas withiu the city. There is 110 doubt about that. Councillor Shorland said 110 was glad tjfat ut length tho teachers were taking an interest in school grounds. Councillor AV. M. Bennett said that he dkl not propose to criticise Councillor Luckie's motion. But he could not understand the opposition of some citizens to the occupation of parls of the Belt by private bodies of citizens for recreation. The vesjilt of such occupation was that the Belt was improved, and that where one person would uso it in its rough state hundreds would use it in its improved state. (Councillor Luckie: Hear, hear!) But he was opposed to the erection of any buildings on the Town Belt. Ho deplored the apathy of the Government towards education, especially towards technical education. 1 A Country View. - Mr. E. Moss, member of tho Education Board, slid that he was not a resident of Wellington. But he had been at one time—before he went into the country. He admitted that his sympathies were with Mr. Luckie, and it seemed to him that all tho arguments w'ere in favour of Mr. Luckie's proposal. The Town Belt was used for playing grounds for golfers, for cricket and lootball, as a run for entile, a place for growing gorso and noxious weeds! Might it not better 1» used for some purpose for the benefit of the children? As to the argument that the scholars would have to travel too far to schools on the Town Belt, he compared the lot of the city scholar with that of tho country scholar,, who had often to ride or walk ninny miles to school. Mr. J. A. Thomson, chairman of tho Terrace School Committee, submitted a unanimous resolution of his committee that 011 no account should the Town Belt be used for any purpose except for recreation. Practical Points. Mr. J. J. Clarlc, also a member of the Education, Board, supported Mr. Luckie's proposal. He said that those who talked of getting areas of ten acres round every school in the city ought to realise that this was impossible. No one in the room would iive to sec the thing done. But they might all live to 'see Councillor Luckie's ideal realised. Mr. W. J. Gaudin pointed out that it would cost a great deal to make playing areas 011 the Town Belt, perhaps mora than it would cost to buy areas'round tho present schools. And then the Government would have to build new schools. A voice: We want them in ally case. Councillor Luckie said that his idea was that the Government would sell the present sites and with the proceeds mako the new grounds. Mv. Ha-slam, replying, said that the institute, as nil institute, was not coucprn>;(! with the conservation of the Belt". That was the concern of the citizens. But be urged that there were 110 suitable sites left 011 the Belt that would be accessible. The motion was then put to the meeting, and was carried 011 the voices.