ISLAND BAY SCHOOL

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 41, 12 November 1926, Page 5

ISLAND BAY SCHOOL

RESIDENTS complain of its ' CONDITION. The condition of the Island Bay school was severely criticised by speakers at an indignation meeting held on Wednesday. The chairman of the School Committee (Mr, C. Flanagan) said that he was heart and soul with the Committee when they resolved to call the meeting in order to have something done to "that building in Clyde Street, which is called a state school.". "It is nothing short of a crime,” he declared, "to herd children in a building not fit for any factory. Is it any wonder that epidemic diseases and unhealthy bodies are prevalent in the district, when 700 children pre breathing the same putrid atmosphere?” "The district,” ho continued, "was growing rapidly and something should be done to the school. Ileferring to the use of shelter shed as an open-air school, he remarked that in wet weather the children sitting there received a shower bath on account of the ooze from a concrete retaining wall at their backs. Mr. 11. F. Clarke, secretary of the School Committee, said that tho overcrowding was duo to the abnormal increase in the growth of the district in the last few years. "There are thousands of milking sheds in tho Dominion that would put the shelter-shed at the Island Bay School to shame,” ho said. Mr. L. Hennessey, of the School Committees’ Association, said that Te Aro, Mount Cook, and Newtown districts were in the same position as existed at Island Bay. Mr. J. J. Clark, a member of the Education Board, pointed out that the school roll-call for the September quarter had Increased from 652 to 703 in the last three years. The average attendance in 1823 was 584, and in. 1926 it was 593. The increase of 51 in the roll in three years was not alarming. The matter of overcrowding in the school had been before the board for some time past and the board was of opinion that the school should rot he added to. The time seemed opportune for another school in the district rather than for adding to the old school. (Hear, hear.) On Julv 12. the Island Bay Committee was advised of that decision. and was asked to look for a”; other site. The committee had hot vet suggested an available site, nnd the hoard was now in trentv for a block nt land, which, if was believed, would give the relief required. The board Mlieved that the school should be on the western side of Island Rav. After several more speeches had been made, a resolution was passed, calling anon the Education Department to roctifv tho trouble of overcrowding at ’pc school nt once, also declaring that the Victory Park site be given serious rear siderotion . and that the board should nrnceed with tho erection of a school largo enough fo ai'ommodate the chit ilron of the district. . A further resolution disagreeing w” 1 ’ the Department’s policy of limitin'' schools to attendances ot 700 was pasted