Protest at Schools Being Used by Army

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 206, 29 August 1942, Page 8

Protest at Schools Being Used by Army

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Aug. 28. Opposition to the continued and frequent use oi school buildings by Army ana Hospital authorities was expressed by a deputation of the executive of tne New Zealand Educational Institute, wnich met the Minister of Education (Hon. H. G. K. Mason) yesterday. While fully appreciating the present state of emergency and realising ail the demands of the Army to be paramount, the deputation said it considered that ultimate victory would be of littlo value unless there was a citizenship worthy of meeting post-war conditions, and such conditions depended on the work in the schools now for the duration of the war. The needs of the children wero being given little consideration by certain sections of those in power, this being a distinct tendency on the part of the military and hospital authorities. Schools tyorthy of the young folk had been built of recent years, and these were the very ernes that were being taken over. Hospital boards, it was stated by the deputation, -were clearly making a wrong use of the emergency regulations,which had not been introduced for the purpose for which they were being used. In the opinion of the deputation, school buildings were being taken on very slender pretexts and more for the purpose of saving inconvenience than for meeting real emergencies. The Minister, in reply, said that appreciated that, the position was unsatisfactory, and it was his intention t-o take the matter up with the Department of Health.