OPENING OF THE BINGSLAND SCHOOL.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 101, 26 September 1874, Page 3

OPENING OF THE BINGSLAND SCHOOL.

The opening of the new school recently erected by the Bast Christchurch district committee at Bingsland took place last evening, and was celebrated by a tea meeting and entertainment. The tea was very largely attended, the ladies presiding at the various tables having a great deal of trouble to supply the wants of their numerous constituents. However, all were at last satisfied. The ladies and gentlemen giving trays were as follows Mesdames Ledsham, Burrows, Petre, Blythe, Adams, Thomas, Flesher, Ward, Fenton; Misses Grierson, Ford, Woodford; Messrs Ward, Fenton, Otley, Sopp, and Hill.

Before giving the proceedings of last night it may not be uninteresting to give a short notice of the building itself, particularly as it is one which is a credit alike to the district in which it is situate, and the committee under whose auspices it has been erected. The school building is 70 x 30 internal measurement, and rests upon a continued cement

concrete foundation, in which are inserted air grates for ventilating below the floor. Entrance is gained by a porch on either side, and one at the eastern end. At the eastern end are two vestibules, each six feet wide, with separate entrances into the main school for boys and girls. The main schoolroom is 64 x 30, having in the centre a moveable partition enabling the room, if required, to be divided into two. At the eastern end of the room is a gallery planned to accommodate 150 children. A dado runs around the whole of the main schoolroom 4ft 6in high, above which the walls and ceilings are plastered. There are four fireplaces in the main schoolroom, but the ventilation has not been attended to very carefully. This, however, is in course of alteration. The height of the room is 21ft 9 in. The school is lighted by three triple lance-headed windows, and two single ones on each side. In the porch is a double lance-headed window, while the vestibules are lighted similarly to the side of the school. Above the front porch is a bell turret plainly but neatly constructed, which is 60 feet high from base to vane. The ventilation is by means of tubes underneath the windows, with gratings outside, and slide valves inside the building, On the roof there are five small gablets for ventilation on each side, added to which there are circular perforated discs in the ceiling. The style is gothic, with ornamental barge boards and crested ridging, and the building, as a whole, is a very creditable one to the district. Mr S. C. Farr was the architect of the building, and Mr Thomas Greig the contractor for its erection.

The tea being over, the entertainment proceeded. Mr Wynn Williams occupied the chair, and on the platform were also his Honor the Superintendent, and the Rev H. C. M. Watson and Mr R. D. Thomas, members of the district committee. The room was filled to overflowing.

The chairman said that he was not going to make a speech to them at that time, as he would have to do so later on. He wished to congratulate them on the large concourse which had assembled there that evening, and he could assure them that the members of the committee regarded the completion of so large a building as this with great interest. He would not longer detain them, but call upon the children to sing a song. The proceedings opened with a song, “ The Reindeer Song,” by the children of the school, who were ranged on a platform behind the chairman. This was very capitally rendered, the number of childish voices having a pretty effect, while the time kept was exceedingly good. The remainder of the programme was rendered as follows :—Recitation—“ How Prizes are given at Agricultural Shows,” Mr Hull; song by the children—“ The Slave’s Dream” (very well sung); reading—“ The Effects of Scandal,” Mr Taylor ; song—- “ Have you seen the Elephant?” Master Ward (loudly applauded) ; recitation—- “ Death of Marmion,” Mr Feesong— “Hurrah for England and New Zealand ” (very well sung) ; piano solo, Miss Cocks (well executed) ; song—“ Fifty Years Ago,” Mr A. Glasson (encored), substituted “ Round goes the World,” The chairman said they had now arrived at the time when the usual ten minutes interval came in the programme; as no one could get out of the room, Mr Hill had suggested that they should endeavor to amuse them for some time with a few speeches. [Laughter.] However, as speechifying was very dry work they would make them as short as possible. [Hear, hear,] He had received letters of apology from His Honor Mr Justice Gresson, and Mr and Mrs Tancred, who regretted that they were unable to attend that evening, His Honor the Superintendent and Mrs Rolleston had, however, honored them with their presence—[cheers] —and they were very glad to see them. [Cheers.] They knew that His Honor took a very great interest in the cause of education, and was always ready to come forward on occasions of this kind. [Cheers.] Nor was Mrs Rolleston at all behind in interest in this; but of course the ladies could not take such an active part as their husbands, though their goodwill was with them. He thought that large as the progress they had made in the cause of education, they had still a great deal of work to do. It was very cheering to see the hearty and cordial manner in which the parents of the children had come forward in the cause of education, bearing a very heavy proportion of the expense. There was one class of persons who should never be forgotten on occasions of this kind, and that was the masters and mistresses of the schools. [Cheers,] He thought—and those before him knew whether he was right—that Mr Hill and those under him were entitled to the very greatest credit for the admirable manner in which the children of the school had been taught. [Cheers.] He hoped that the parents would try and help the committees and those who had charge of the children, looking over the little difficulties which were inseparable from the launching of such a scheme as this. [Cheers.] He would now ask his Honorthe Superintendent to say a few words. His Honor, who was loudly cheered on rising, said it gave him great pleasure to be present amongst them that evening, the more so as he had taken a very prominent part in the initiation of the present scheme of education. [Cheers.] The present large gathering they saw before them was a most interesting sight, and one which he doubted very much if they could have seen under the old system. So far as they had seen that night, Mr Hill’s control over the young people under him was perfect, and afforded them a very good criterion of the way in which the work was carried out in the school. He thought that much was due to the masters that the schools had taken so high a position as they had done, and this, he believed, was again due to the concentration of large masses of children in one place, instead of having them scattered about. [Hear,] He again expressed the pleasure he felt at being present that evening. [Cheers.] He congratulated the district upon the erection of so capital a building as the one they were now assembled in. [Cheers.] The Rev H. C. M. Watson next spoke. He said he had been most unexpectedly called upon to address them, and he felt that it was not at all a good compliment to address an audience without having thought out the question. He would only say this, that the opponents of the present system had called it a Godless one, but he might say that in their schools there was half an hour’s reading of the historical portion of the Bible, which was more than there was given under what was called the church schools. He trusted that the sectarian system had passed away

for ever, and that the result would be that they would firmly establish a system in which all could join, all of whatever religious opinion they might be. He said this because it had been said the present system was an irreligious one. He would not longer detain them but would only hope that they would remember this as an answer to this assertion. I" Cheers.] The programme was then proceeded with as follows: —Piano solo, Miss Cocks; dialogue “ Brutus and Cassius,” Mr Hill and Mr Fee ; rounds by the children (excellently sung) ; recitation, “ Lay of the wedding-ring ” Mr Hull; song, “ Never forget the dear ones,” by the children. Prior to the national anthem being sung, votes of thanks to the ladies, who had provided the tea and to the chairman were passed by acclamation. We may say that the singing of the children throughout was most creditable, alike to the master (Mr Hill) and the children themselves.