PROUD REPUTATION

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 80, 1 October 1931, Page 11

PROUD REPUTATION

SOUTH WELLINGTON

SCHOOL CELEBRATION

Old friendships were renewed and many happy reminiseeneea were exvhaiiged at the anniversary celebrations ;of the South Wellington School, ( which were held yesterday afternoon and evoning. Present-day pupils and teachpra, and ex-pupils and teachers from all parts of "Wellington, mustering in force to pay tribute to their school, which for thirty-five years has been a memorial to education in Wellington. In the afternoon all the presentday pupils and many of the ex-pupils -.were assembled on the playground, j Where they listened attentively to addresses by men interested in the history of the school. 'Among those present were the Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop), Mr. B. M'Keen, member for the district, Mr. W. For•yth, and Mr. A. C. Blake, representing: the Wellington. Education Board, : Mr.' E. S. Hilton, secretary of the Education Board, Mr. G. B. Powell, architect to the board, and Mr. Q. It. Stewart, ex-secretary of the board. ■ Several apologies were received, including one from the Hon. R. Masters, Minister of Education. Letters were received from ex-pupils, both in New Zealand and abroad, expressing their regret at not being able to be present, and wishing the school success. • "Prior to the commencement of the addresses the school children sang "God Defend New Zealand." ' In his opening address, the chairman, Mr. E. C. Feltham, said that with very great regret he had to apologise for the absence of Mr. George Flux, first headmaster of the school. Mr. Flux Snade a special visit to Wellington from •re Kuiti in order to be present, but r day or two after his arrival he was taken ill, and was at present in a private hospital. Mr. Flux was one of the finest headmasters.Wellington had ever -had. "I am very pleased to think that ifi my school days I canio under his' influence,"; he said.. "Mi-. Flux has avery warm spot in'tke hearts of everyone. There are no birthday honours or New Year honours for teachers, but he finds his reward.in the,young lives he has* helped to mould." i Mr.. Feltham also apologised for the absence of Mr.Alex M'Kenzie,.one of the first.teachers at the school. Mr. M'Kenzie mot with a motor accident some months ago, said Mr. Feltham, and he had not fully recovered. The speaker "also paid a tribute to the work of-.the late Mr. J. Thomas, who controlled the school from 1916 until 1926, sad to the present headmaster, Mr. J. X. Edie., •LOOK BACK WITH PRIDE." The Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop) said it gave him great pleasure to be present at,the celebration, not at the 'jubilee, because to attain the privilege of having a jubilee the school would need to be established a few more years. "To-day we are celebrating a certain terni in the life of this school, inthe actual life of tho school through 35 years, and in the life of the present building through 25 years, but whether we look on it as the 25th or-35fh anniversary, we x can look back with pride on what has been done on this site in the years gone by," said Mr. Hislop. i "This school has turned out many useful citizens, who take their part in; any iSvalk of life they choose to follow, and who play that part as it should be Mr. Hislop saia he was well aware of the splendid reputation Mr. Flux had created for himself. He was a man who could look back with x>"de on-the iv^ork he had done. He was followed '■*»V the late Mr. ThoWas, who c«"e* on the school tradition, which to-day ■was in the hands of the present headMr^Hislpp said that such, a gathering ■was not a proper place for controversial matters in regard to education, but perhaps he would be permitted to mention one great change that had taken place in the education world m the.last 25 of 30. years, and that was the great increase in the centralisation of control. In the past, he said, headniasters were given great liberty in tlie control and conduct of thei* schools, whereas to-day they were under ;» definite, inexorable, central, and bureaueratio authorities. "Whether that is , all to the good or not is a matter of 1 opinion, but one might venture to suggest that one of the reasons for the r-weat success in the past was the freedom headmasters were able to adopt m their ichools, and I for one will take j a good deal of. convincing before x can come to the conclusion that the restrictions placed by the central authorities" are all to the good,»he said. In conclusion, Mr. Hislop said he hoped that the cause of education would so prosper that the people of New Zealand would be able to look back with pride on the work teachers of to-day were Mr'T. Forsyth, chairman of the Wellington Education Board, said that, many people to-day thought that the schools were not what they ought to be, but the people who criticised were not closely associated with the. schools. One heard people say that the schools were not" giving them what they expected, and-what they were paying for. He, however, was always prepared to stand up' for education/ particularly primary education. With the passing of time things changed, and it was only natural that the public should think that the education of the young should alter accordingly. There might be some merit in an opinion such as that; / but he was not prepared to say that the present system was obsolete. LOYALTY SO THE SCHOOL. Speaking to the children, Mr. Forsyth »,aid he wanted them all to be loyal to the school. There was a tradition ■bout it that was worth keeping up, »nd carried on by them when they went erit into the world. He hoped that in another twenty-five years, when the real .jubilee,came along, some of the children who. were present would have their pames inscribed on tho roll of honour and the roll of fame. Mr. B. M'Keen, M.P., also spoke (fcbout: tho traditions of tho school. , i Other speakers were the headmaster ■{Sir. Edie), the school captain (Fred Tonks), and the ex-pupils' representative (Mr. W. J. M'Keon). At the: conclusion of the addresses ponve of the children gave an exhibition of folk dancing, after which those present inspected a display of school work. 'At the request. of Mr. Forsyth, the /headmaster granted the children a holiday on Friday in honour of the occasion, EVENING CELEBRATION. The celebrations were continued in $he evening, when 8 number of speeches was given, interspersed with musical and elocutionary items. There were about 600 old scholars, ex-teachers, and (- ex-committee members present. Mr. E. C. Feltham again spoke, and related many incidents that happened at the school in the early days. vHe also explained the origin of the school motto, "Act well your part, there all the honour lies." ' Other speakers were Mr. C. B. Harris, chairman of the School Committee, Mr. C. Lippitt, chairman.of tfie Home and School Association, and Mr. W. J. M'Keon, ex-pupils' representative. An interesting collection of photographs covering the life of the school from 1896 to 1931 mp«i exhibition. At the conclusion af^he speeches and the musical programme, dancing was inidmlged In and continued until a late BWe. ~.■■••■