THE MANGAPAPA SCHOOL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2108, 17 June 1907, Page 4

THE MANGAPAPA SCHOOL.

A deputation , headed by Mr. Malcolm McLeod and consisting or Messrs G.E. Barton, ■ Clayton, Henson, J. ,y nl< f 1 ’ T ' c Morgan, Grundy, W. Abrojcl, J. a Woodward, Colonel Mmtei, auci others waited on tho Hon. Mi. oai roll at. tho Farmers’ Club rooms on Saturday in reference to the MangaP Tr S M 00 McLeod said they had to bring’ forward the matter of overcrowding of the Mangapapa school. Last January the Minister was interviewed and he told;them to put their grievances in writing. They did so and Sir E. -O. Gihires, on 15tli December, 1906, wrote acknowledging the letter of Bth December “relative to the matter of school accommodation at Mangapapa forwarded . »> the Hon Mr. Carroll to the minister of C Education, and will be kept by tho Department for .reference, but the Education Board, being the body charged with the administration of the educational a Hairs of your district, tho Minister, in accordance with rule, can discuss the matter only with the Board. Continuing, Mr. Mcl/cod said they were at ' tlieir wit’s end about the matter and the Education Board had twice made application for an enlargement of the rooms. Foi two years the rooms have been overcrowded. Two years ago. Mr. • Hoghen, Inspector-General lof l?chools, was interviewed and ho said that while there was room in the .main school he was not in favor of the extension. The Board made » hitlier representation and matters went on till the Insiicctor’s recent visit and Mr. Hill said there was no possible excuse for delaying the extra accommodation as the Gisborne school was crowded. 'AppLoation was made for a grant and under date June 13, 1907, tho following letter was received from Mr . Crawshaw, secretary of the Education Board : “Addition to school,.—-Tho following reply has been received from the Department in reply to the Board s latest application for addition to Mangapapa school: Reterring to your letter of the 21st mst„ and to previous correspondence, 1 am directed to say that, considering, that the total accommodation provided by the Gisborne, Mangapapa, and Ivaiti schools is so much ni excess ot th’ attendance, the Minister regiets that ho cannot see his way; to make a grant for additions to Mangapapa school as requested by the Board. E O, Gibbes, secretary. Mr. McLeod said that Mr. Cole, tho headmaster, was present and could give figures. It was unreasonable to say that the Kaiti school could be used . I he schoo should accommodate 104 but actually 120 were present. In Qne room there were 92 children, but the floor space was meant for 52 children. For three years they had naturally suffered in consequence. It was not fail- plav to tho scholars. It was not local agitation merely hut the Education Board had approached the Government in tljo matter. At the householders’ meeting many suggestions were, made, cne being to the effect that it would be better to burn the school rather than destroy the children. He assured the. Mmister that the teachers had suffered in health and it was. the same m regard to the children- Those present were of opinion thftt> tllO situnvion was intolerable. Mr. Colo, headmaster, stated that there were two rooms in the school, 30 x 21, and one room contained 93 children, giving a floor space of less than seven square feet and the other room had 76 ehiljlrpi}, and gave ten feet per child. They could not do their woric properly. It was bad enought at this time of the year and in summer time it would bo unbearable. It was a matter of urgent necessity and some provisions should he made for these children. It thenschool was crowded and the Gisborne school had its full complement, it was absolutely impossible to sent the children such a distance as Ivaiti and tho reasons given were palpably unfair. They should have the acconnuodation and room for children that every place had. , Mr. W. Morgan said that tho lotter was read at the meeting of the Education Board in Napier last iveek and he promised to lefer the matter to the Minister here. If the Board had the matter in hand it would have been dono twelvo months ago, but tile Department takes up a most peculiar attitude. The Minister would see the absurdity of the children’s coming to the Kniti for actomniodatipn—it was . ridiculous to think iso. The Board was faced with a similar position in Hastings and Mahora where the Department replied in a similar strain. The question arose as to whether they could turn tho children out The Board s solicitor? »»y Th e commrttco have the power to r«‘iusO odmittame t-o any more and perms.,)? l tu en tne question would be faised. The conditions must be unhealthy and insanitary and the people were not asking too much. They had no more space than ‘the average attendance, but they could not go by that. Olio teacher had from the 1 preparatory classes to standard two, mid the other took from that upward. One section outnumbered the other, and a class could not be divided, it bad to be put into one room. This district was more peculiarly suitable than a good many others, with an increasing population. The Gisborne school roll numbered 862 with an average attendance of 786 for last week. Mangapapa. and Kaiti were both increasing, and consequently the children also. If Gisborne school had room it may be filled in a week. It was ridiculous to ask a .child to go from Mangapapa to Kaiti. The Board had exhausted all means in their power and their letters were fairly strong. They could not turn the children out and the only thing was to refuse permission ; then something would be done. Mr. G. E. Darton pointed out that, the Education Board had done all in its power and the Act was being broken by the Department. Tlio law distinctly provides that each child should have 12ft of space and they : only had 8 square feet and the Department hrfve full knowledge that this took place. The average attendance is 130, but the roll number lias to be taken and when 159 children are to be crammed in space f0r.105 it showed that something was radically wrong. The rooms should not bo uniform in schools ; the standards cannot, be divided. Each standard must go in one room or the other. Mangapapa is a defined district and there were more children than they had accommodation for. It was compulsory for them to provide accommodation for' those in the school district. Tho question of Kaiti having moro accommodation did not enter into tho discussion at all. Tho Minister, in reply, agreed that the deputation had made out a very

strong caso. It would give him great pleasure, , as the district’s representative, to jj.ut;,their" views.; betpro, tho Department anil‘ do nil , in his power to secure compliance "with then- request. It was a pity that, when orooting the school live yoars ago, the Department had not a greater appreciation of tho potentialities of tho district. Ample accommodation for future requirements should have been provided, as in the caso of Kaiti. Doubtloss tho Dopartmont had, not much knowledge of local, conditions whoil using-tlio •argument that surplus accommodation' at 1 one school might be used to relievo the congestion of tlio other. it would bo, his duty to point out that,the conditions were such that it was practically impossible to expect the oxcoss of scholars at Mangapapa to bo accommodatid nt tlio Kaiti school. (A voice: That is tlio point.) Tlio localities wore quite distinct; with a considerable distance of road intervening. Aftor some roms.rks on education generally tho Minister concluded by expressing his pleasure in receiving the deputation.•• l Ho trusted that ho would ho ablo to prevail on tho Department to moot their wishes. (Applauso.) TE ARAI SCHOOL GROUND. Mr. Morgan urgod that when acting up the To Arai estate tlio Government should rcsorvo at least three acros for onlarging the To Arai school ground. Tho present sito was only throo-quartors of an acre in aroa, which was totally insufficient for requirements, especially when _ the increased attendance that would follow tho cuttiug-up of tlio estate was taken into consideration. There had not boon time to arrange a deputation on the subject, blit ho (Mr. Morgan) was authorised to place tho matter before Mr. Carroll. Mr. Carroll said that ho had l-ecoiv-od a lettor from tho To Arai School Committee, making similar roprosontations. This ho had forwarded to tlio Minister of Lands, accompanied by his own notes on the request, with which lio ontiroly ngreod. Ho had not yot rocoived a reply, but anticipated that there .would he no hesitation in granting thifroqucst. ICwas only a small matier to set aside threo acros.

Mr. Morgan : We are very moderate in our roqnosts, but aro quite willing to take more than threo acros if wo can got it. (Laughter.) Mr. Carroll: Well, if you can. get five acres I recommend you to go for it, that being the same area as Mangapapa has. *Mr. Darton pointed out that tho school was Very advantageously and centrally situated. If there was good accommodation for horses tho children would ride in from all round tho estate. Proper utilisation of the present school would probably save erectin • another school on the estato.

Mr. Carroll: Yes. we must look forward a little. 'When the estate is cut up thoro wi]l.be several additional families settled there. I will do all I can for you. Mr. McLeod thajikod tho Minister for their reception, and the deputation withdrew.