NGATEA HIGH SCHOOL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4662, 15 February 1924, Page 1

NGATEA HIGH SCHOOL.

OPENER Bl MINISTER. MEMORIAL'!’ABLET U NVEILED. The Ngatea District High School was ■ formally opened by the Ministei of Education, Hon. C. J. Pari', on Wednesday last.. There was a large attendance of residents and childieji of Ngatea, and representatives from the school committees of the district. An apology was received from the headmastei of the Turua School, who wired his best wishes for the future of the hr,st high school to be inaugurated on the Plains.

-The Ministerial parly comprised the Hon. C. J. Parr and Mrs Parr, Mr T. W. Rhodes, M.P., Mr A. Burns, deputy chairman of the Auckland Education Board, and Mr D. W. Dunlop, advisory inspector to the Board. Owing to the heavy shower of rain the ceremony was performed in the •school

On rising to speak, Mr Parr, who was greeted with applause, said that he was- very pleased to have to come all the way from Wellington to perform such a ceremony. It was not the first time he had visited the district, having been there twenty years before in a canoe. He congratulated the district on the marvellous progress it had made. No district in New Zealand had .shown the progress evidenced on the Hauraki Plains. He thought that the Government was entitled to considerable credit in making but of a swamp one of the most progressive districts in New- Zealand, and wished to eulogise Mr J. B. Thompson, who had started and carried out the drainage scheme. He was born and educated in New Zealand, and had risen to the position of Undersecretary of Lands. He congratulated Ngatea on having such a splendid school site. Half of the schools in New- Zealand had less than two acre; of ground—Ngatea had five acres, a good building, and a good residence for the teacher. With this start it was up to the district to make the most of its advantages. A great deal of money had been spent on education—but it was money well spent. It was nd "use building roads- and bridges and skimping on education. Money spent cm educating the boys and girls of New Zealand to be good citizens was money well spent. He was glad the Government recognised this and had increased the education vote. Three and a half million, pounds was now spent on the education of the 22,000 children in New Zealand. To the children he would say that if they wanted to get on in life make the most of their school days. No matter what career they chose education was a necessity. It was a priceless possession, easily carried, and could not be lost. Parents were not doing their duty if they neglected to let their children obtain all the education possible .so as to fit them to compete with the world. He therefore urged parents to send their children to the district high school, where they would get a sound secondary education, not a classical one for this was not required, but one that would enable them to go out and be on equal terms with others. The Government had been able to provide a district high school at Ngatea. Trouble had been experienced in getting a sufficient average, attendance, and he had been disappointed to hear that it had fallen below twenty, but he belived that there had been an excuse for this. However, just as it was his duty to provide a high school, sb was it iiis duty to take it away if the average attendance fell below twenty. The Ngatea District High School should have been closed last year, and he would issue a warning that unless the minimum average were maintained lie could not make any provision for the future. He wished to congratulate the district on having contributed towards the cost of the additions to the building and to having raised the rank of the school to that of a district high school. He urged parents to help the committee, to help the school teachers, and to improve the .school grounds. The Minister then declared the splendid * additions to the school open.. , . UNVEILING THE TABLET. The next ceremony was that of unveiling a tablet containing the names of 28 men who left the Ngatea school district for' the great war. Unfortunately the tablet was not in its permanent position, as it had to be returned to Auckland to have the lettering completed. Before performing the ceremony the Minister said that he was glad to know that the district had not forgotten the men who went to the war; It reflected credit on Ngatea, for time passes, and this was apt. to he forgotten, it was fitting that the tablet be in the school, where 't would be an object lesson foi all time. Had it not meen for men such as those whose names were written on the tai',let in letters of gold the Empire might easily now be under the German flag. He came with pleasure to unveil the tablet, though it contained the named of those who had died for their country. It was. to their glory that they had not failed in the time of need. He hoped that tablet would be a memorial for all time, and an incentive to the boys and girls of the school to do their duty and become a credit to their country and their school. The Minister thmi drew the flag from the tablet and called for three cheers for the men who had gone to the war. Messrs: T. W. Rhodes, M.P., and A. Burns also spoke congratulating the district on having obtained a district high’school