SEPARATE SCHOOL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3633, 3 May 1927, Page 3

SEPARATE SCHOOL

WANTED AT THE SEASIDE,

HOUSEHOLDERS CONFER WITH CHIEF INSPECTOR.

Upwards of . forty householders and'parents conferred with Mr. N. Lainbourne, senior inspector of the Wanganui Education Board, at the seaside yesterday morning. The meeting was held in the hall and the Inspector was accompanied by Messrs J. K. Hornblow (member of the Education Board) and F. Mason (headmaster of the local District High School). Mr. Hornblow presided and after welcoming Mr. Lambourne stated that the Beach residents desired the Board to sanction a separate school in place of the present side-school.

Mr. Alsop put the residents ease before the Inspector. He said the attendance now justified the sanctioning of a separate school. \At present children passing out of the fourth standard were'compelled to travel to Foxton to continue their studies in the higher standards. He said they were satisfied with the work of the side school as far as it went, but. the time had arrived for a complete primary school with, is possible, a male teacher in charge. The Harbour Board had set aside three acres of land as a site and the Beach residents were prepared to put the ground in order. The hall, however, was quite satisfactory in the meantime. Several families would settle at the Beach if a separate school was established.

Messrs McPherson, Nairn, Hart and the matron of the childrens’ home also endorsed Mi’. Alsop’s remarks and pointed out that another children’s home was shortly to be established at the Beach in which children above the fourth standard age would be included. The question of conveying children to Foxton was not on all fours with other districts where the children were gathered up from scattered localities. The. school would serve the children in a settled locality. Mr. Lambourne expressed surprise at the number present and added that he expected to meet about half a dozen people. He paid a. tribute to the good work being done at the side school and was pleased to know there was no complaint in that connection. Strictly speaking, he said, the present side school was outside the three-mile limit from the main school. In respect to the establishment of a separate school the Act provided that such could not be sanctioned within a four mile limit of another school, except in the case of centres of large population. If, however, the population at the Beach increased and there was a proportionate increase of pupils at the side school, the matter would! bear a different complexion. At present, however, there were only eight pupils above Standard IV affected, and for one of these arrangements could be made, on account of physical disability, to continue her studies at the side school. The Department would allow a grant of 6d per child per day for locomotion to Foxton if a conveyance could be arranged. There were many children in other districts who had to travel greater distances under very unfavourable conditions to attend school. The Department’s policy was towards centralisation. He would give the request careful consideration and send them a reply in due course.

Mi*. Mason referred to the excellent work being done at the side school and the interest the Beach people took in the school.

The following resolution was proposed by Mr Alsop and seconded by Mr. McPherson and carried unanimously-.—“ That this meeting of Beach householders urge upon the Wanganui Education Board the necessity for establishing a separate school at the Beach.” The usual vote of thanks concluded the meeting.