OUR SCHOOLS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume i, Issue 52, 25 February 1879, Page 3

OUR SCHOOLS.

A dear friend of the Editor of the Palmerston Times, a Mr Gower, said once at a public meeting, that the houses in the Manawatu were more like bee hives, for tho children came out of the doors in swarms. And really the vast increase of population that is taking ploce in the , junior portion of humanity is more like swarming than anything else. If any one wishes to satisfy himself as to the suitability of this climate 'for the Anglo-Saxon race, let him make periodical visits to our country schools, and note the gradual increase of numbers attending them. The Halcombe school, although affording ample accommodation ■ when it was first opened a year ago, is now so overcrowded that nothing but exceedingly good ventilation prevents it becoming a hotbed of disease. With room for (at the outside) about 75 children, there were, at the time of our visit, considerably over. 100 packed in it, and on that occasion there were, as the attendance register showed, many absentees. In order to get from one part of the room to another, we -were obliged to do a little wriggling akin to " eeling." How Mr Harris and his assistants manage to get through their work is a mystery to us.. We were very glad to hear that instructions have been given to provide increased accommodation for a hundred children. The _ sooner the instructions are carried out, the better for all concerned.

Of the additions to the Feilding school it is our intention to say something in a future issue. With Tespect to the Palmerston school, it must be highly gratifying to Mr and Mrs Locke to witness the great increase of attendance since they have taken charge, and at present there is not more accommodation than would suffice for just ones half- the number attending. The Committee are moving in the matter, and we hope they will not allow themselves to be driven by a parsi» monious Education Board to accept insufficient accommodation. No school in the District is better adap<* ted for receiving additions, and we think it desirable the increase should take the shape of an erection <m the South side of the present structure, and be of course in external unifor-

njity with it. One part of the now 40touilding might be with advantage partitioned off for a clap room. But • one thing must not be lost sight of, and that. is, the uselessnees of the present gallery in ibe infant school, owing to the want of space between it and the wall opposite. A gallery is usefal, as by means of it a teacher can instruct a large number of chiU dren at the same time, but there is

only one position in which he must j stand to be able to command the at - tention of the children, and that posi • tion is, with reference to the Palmer* ston infant school, outside the building some few feet beyond the chimney. We therefore hope the Committee will go in for the extension of the infant school end of the building to at least 10 teet, as well as for the proposed addition at the side. Give the necessary accommodation, enforce the the compulsory clauses of the Act, and then, from our estimate of the Palmerston bee hives, there should not be less than three hundred bees congregating daily in the educational hive.