A CROWDED SCHOOL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 123, 18 February 1920, Page 8

A CROWDED SCHOOL

MARQUEES IN THE PLAYGROUND SITUATION AT CLYDE QUAY The unusual appcarance of two largo marquees pitched on the girls' asphalt plavground of the Clyde Quay School yesterday caused a Dominion reporter to Diake some inquiries about the reason for "the tented field." Ho was informed that the erection of the tents was a temporary expedient to cope with tho anticipated number of scholars that are likely to prosent themselves at the openine of the school to-morrow. The Clyde Quav School, as has already been pointed out in these columns, has been overcrowded for tho past year or two, and tho position is now so acute that extra room must be provided. The marquees, supplied by the Defence Department, aro a provision for tho inevitable, but in order to provide accommodation (again temporary) of a more solid character, it is understood that the Education Department has decided to provide a structure costing about .£IOOO, to be erected at the Clvdo Quav end of the old Te Aro railway reserve. There are those who hold that if such an amount (or perhaps a little more) were spent on additions to the larser 6chool itself, the benefit would be of a more permanent nature.. The Clvde Quay School consists of a main school of eight class rooms and an infant school of four class rooms. In the main school, allowing each child a space ot ten square feet (an allowance by no means excessive) there is accommodation for 440 pupils. Allowing for probable withdrawals, and making no nllowanct lm rassibl:! admissions, ,there are SfiO children, without the infant school, to occupy the rooms, which, as stated above, can hold 446.

In the infant school there is accommodation for 208 children, but us there were already 190 children on the roll, it will be seen that there is not much room available for the increased num.bor of infant scholars that is very likely to be on hand to-morrow morning. The martiuees referred to will hold about 40 children each, and jn fine weather inaT fterr« the purpose intended fairly well, but it. is doubtful if they will afford tho shelter children need in rough, cold, or wet weather. The two tents occupy tho whole of the limited playground 6nace for the girls on the southern side of the school, and this will havo the effect of crowding the playing space on the northern side.