OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 155, 26 March 1920, Page 6

OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS

.PIIIST WORK OP NEW MINISTER. ; The new Minister of Education (MivO.; J. Parr) said yesterday that lie intends to take up as his first task the cicr.crowding problem' in schools. He Ims already had something to say .about conditions in 'his own:city..of Auckland, .and )io :Ims spout some tinjo t.i acquiring a' personal 'knowledge of conditions in Wellington, where the state of-'things is con-, sidered to lw almost as tod .as in Auck-' ■ land. Fortunately the very worst over-; crowding is confined to these two .cities.' In Christchurcli the evil is not -very • serious, and in Dunedin it exists .-hardly iit all. Mr. Parr feels that his 'first' important duty is to see that overcrowding, is checked by .the .ereotion as_:Si)eodily as possiblo of suitable isdhool buildings, t In Wellington a preliminary difficulty .is to find '.sites -tor 'the .schools to ihe ; iuilt, for .it will not /be possible -to enlarge all the 'buildings on their present sites, For the ipiirposo t<rf jgaining -first ■ 'hand information about sites 'Mr. Parrspent some hours yesterday in inspect-' in;; the Girls' College, in company with' the Director of Educntion.'.the .chairman of i:he 'College Governors (Mr. W. F. Ward), and tiio -chairman .-or the Educa-' tion Board (Mr. T. Forsyth). Mr. Parr .visited threo or four possible sites ,in .the southern portion of the city for the proposed subsidiary girls'. school. After •Easter, by which time 'Mr. .Parr .should }iuvo been sworn in as Minister, lie .intends to visit Christclmrch and 'Dunwlin to see what is the condition of the schools in thoso. cities in respect .of this pvii ,o'f iovercrow'ding. - "I . consider this should lie my first .duty;" .saiil /Mr. Parr. '"I (want ;tp see that the conditions in every school (ire made healthful. It is no use to ..provide the best , system ..of jeilucntinn .for children if .at the same time we house ■them in Bchools under'.crowded .conditions, <and so undo all the -good work of tjio .physical .training we .are .at .pains ■to provide for them." .