THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto : Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1924. PAEROA’S MANUAL SCHOOL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4728, 23 July 1924, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto : Public Service. MONDAY. WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1924. PAEROA’S MANUAL SCHOOL.

After some seventeen years’ agitation a matter that ha>s caused grave dissatisfaction in this district to parents, pupils, and teachers is to be satisfactorily settled. We refer to the fact that Cabinet has at last iseen fit to make a grant towards the establishment of manual and cookery training classes in Paeroa. The building, when erected, will not only be a decided acquisition to our town, but it will be an institution that will go a long way towards enabling our children to enter life as fully equipped as other children in the province. There is not a parent who, at some time or other, has not protested at the chil - dren being compelled to undergo the lengthy train journey to and from Thames to obtain three hours’ manual training tuition. The School Committee’s action in refusing to allow the pupite to go to Thames during the winter months has met with the hearty approval of parents, and although the action was taken in the interests of the health of the children, it did not overcome the fact that they had of necessity to miss a necessary part of their education, to obtain which they were entitled to be given reasonable facilities. The establishment of a manual school here will not only benefit our local scholars but, owing to the central situation of Pae roa, nearly one hundred pupils will be able to attend from Tirohia, Netherton, Komata, and Karangahake schools. It is very gratifying to think that the claims of Paeroa have at last been recognised in this direction, and the local committee, and Mr H. Poland. M.P., and the Mayor (Mr W. Marshall), are to be. congratulated on their persistent efforts to have so desirable a change brought about. The establishment of this school, in Paeroa is only the forerunner of further important works to be taken in hand by the Education authorities in the future. Some four years ago the department purchased an area of about fourteen acres of land at the end of Miller Avenue, Paeroa, and on this site the manual school will be built as part of a major scheme for the erection of a technical high school, to eoist about £lO,OOO.