Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, JULY 29, 1919. SCHOOL ASSEMBLY HALLS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2008, 29 July 1919, Page 2

Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, JULY 29, 1919. SCHOOL ASSEMBLY HALLS.

THE assembly hall, which should be a feature of every school, was not included in the local school, although Mr Pirani informed a local audience, when speaking here some time ago, to the contrary. We saw 7 the sketch plan of the school at the Board’s office, and the architect and secretary said it w T as useless to include it, as the Department would not sanction it. The corridors, howeve]’, were made wide, which in a measure would servo for assembly purposes. The Minister for Education, in reply to'requests for the inclusion of assembly halls in school buildings, says: “The erection of assembly halls means increased cost, and if granted to schools in one district would necessarily have to bo granted to schools in other districts. In this connection, I may say that the largest and oldest school in my owm electorate is about to be replaced. Much as I should like to see an assembly hall provided in that school, I have had to decline it because the moneys available for building purposes are not such as to enable, a feature of this kind to. be provided in schools generally. The vote made available last session for expenditure for all buildihgs and sites was £400,000. In approving grants the claims of all districts for a share of the amount available have rightly to be considered. The liabilities at the end of March, 1918, amounted to £72,878, which would come out of the grant of £400,000. Up to the 31st March last, the expenditure for the year was £115,726, and the commitments amounted to £340,481 —making a total of £356,207. From the Ist April to the 30th of last month the amount of commitments was, in round figures, £70,000. This expenditure, with commitments, is the largest sum that has ever been authorised for buildings and sites within a similar period. As I have previously said, if the numerous applications are to be met, a very large increase in the vote for buildings will require to be provided next session. Last year the ordinary edu-

cation estimates were increased by £142,332. These estimates, too, will need to be greatly increased if the salaries of professors and teachers are to be raised and certain services are to be extended in scope.”