NGATEA HIGH SCHOOL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5199, 4 November 1927, Page 3

NGATEA HIGH SCHOOL.

CLASS-BOOM AND LABORATORY. ■OFFICIAL OPENING. The new class-room and laboratory at the Ngatea District tiigh School was officially opened by the chairman of the Auckland Education Board, Mr A. Burns, yesterday afternoon in the presence of a large gathering of parents and committeemen from other Plains schools. “The progress of a district can be gauged by its school,” said Mr Burns, one has only to look at the old school, now used as a shelter-shad, and compare it with the building now in use, to note the rapid advancement of Ngatea and the Hauraki Plains.” Mr Burns said that the additions had been looked forward to for a long time, but the district nojV had a school of which it could ba proud. He complimented the committee and the people of the district on the interest taken in the school, as manifested by the, contribution of £470 for a high school room as a district war memorial. PLEA FOR SUPPORT. Pleading for support by the whole of the Plains for the secondary school, Mr Burns said that it was recognised nowadays, that a primary school education was not sufficient to eriip a person for life, and boys and girls becamei better men and women if they had a few years at a high school. It was disappointing to note that the attendance at the secondary department of the Ngatea District High School remained so small. There was now a permanent staff of highly qualified teachers, and greater progress was expected. He was well aware of the objections voiced by some people to small high schools, but, he wished to point out to those parents who sent their children out of the district that in other parts of the country small district high schools ‘had shown that very good results could be obtained. Many children matriculated in three years at district high schools, whereas the university course was four years. Quoting the cases of Te Aroha and Cambridge, Mr Burns said that as rapid, strides could be made at Ngatea if Plains parents patronised their o.wn school instead of sending the£r children to Thames or Auckland. Mr E. L. Walton (county chairman) expressed the pleasure of the district at the provision oof a suitable room for the secondary department, and thanked Mr Burns, the, district’s representative on the Education Board, for his very great assistance. : The chairman of the Kopuarahi School Committee, Mr W- E- Hale, congratulated the district on having passed another -milestone, and in supporting Mr Burna’ plea. for support for the secondary department pointed out that the district now had facilities a little better than most country districts. ! The Revs. Averill, Chatteris, and Hall also spoke, after which Mr Burns unlocked the door of the building and declared the new class-room opened. While afternoon tea was being prepared the parents and visitors, were concocted through the school by children and shown samples of the work of the various classes. These comprised exhibits of writing, drawing in all its branches, including pastel work and mapping; paperfolding, and modelling with, paper, wood blocks-, and wax. THE NEW CLASS-ROOM. The new class-room, which will accommodate the secondary department in place of the war memorial room, of which it was dispossessed by the growth of the primary school, is a fine, .well-lighted and ventilated room about 30ft lopg by 25ft wide. Along the walls are benches well equipped with sinks and apparatus for the teaching of many branches of science. Included in the recent additions to the school was a much-needed sheltershed.