FIRE PREVENTION.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5491, 23 October 1929, Page 2

FIRE PREVENTION.

INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS. MINISTER SYMPATHETIC. During a debate in the House on the Education Estimates Mr A. M. Samuel, M.P., asked the Minister of Education what steps he proposed to take with respect to the teaching on fire prevention in State schools. The loss per head by fire was greater in New Zealand than in any other part of the world, and many such fires could have bden prevented by fire-preven-tion education. After quoting a passage from the United Fire Brigades’ Association Conference report, regretting that the promise of the Director of Education to incorporate the approved system of fire lessons and drills for schools in the new syllabus was not approved of, Mr Samuel dealt further with the matter. He called the attention of the Minister to a paper written on the subject of fire-prevention education by Mr C. W. Malcolm, a schoolteacher at Paeroa, and a member of the local fire brigade, and also a suggested set of lessons by the same writer. Mr Samuel said he considered that the adoption of this proposal was an urgent and necessary economic reform. He asked if the Minister would give instructions for the carrying out of the promise made by the Director of Education regarding the adoption x of fire prevention lessons in all schools.

At a later date the Minister wrote to Mr Samuel stating that he would be glad to give consideration to his suggestion that greater attention be paid to fire instruction in New Zealand schools, and that he would write to Mr Samuel again in due course. From the foregoing it would seem that at long last something is to be done in the matter, and the sooner something concrete is accomplished the better it will be for the Dominion.