MINISTER OF EDUCATION.

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17167, 25 March 1927, Page 4

MINISTER OF EDUCATION.

VISIT TO OAMARU. The Hon. R. A. Wright. Ministeif of Education, aceompanied by IMrS Wright and his private secretary (Mr W. L. Deavoll), arrived oh Wednesday from the North. He was j received hx ihe Mayor (Mr. J. McI Diarmid). who gave lo the Minister 1 a cordial wHcome to the town, and by Mr E. P. Lee, M.P. for the diatrict, and a strong representation of [ local eaucational authorities. He was driven by car to the South | School by Mr Lee and was aceompanied by Mr J. Mitchell, representing the Education Board, and nearly j th-a whole of the members of the j School Committee and the headmaster. The first matter dealt with • was the disposal of the present ' teachers' residence and the greater portion of the land attached thereto and the erection of a new and up-to-date house. i Mr Mitchell, who acted as spokesman, detailed the whole schemei I and said that it was confidently an- ' ticipated that hy the sale a sufRcient ! suin would h-e obtained to carry. I'through the project. Mr Livingstone | and he had gone into the whole • f 1 the details with the School Commit- | teei, and had submitted a favourable ' rep'ort to the Education Board, i which hacl unanimously adopted the scheme ancl forward-ed it to the De» | partment with a strong recoxhmendation. The speaker said he knew that it was the policy of the Department and the Board not to huild teachers' residences in c^tres or towns, hut to grant headmasters a house allowance and let them rent houses to suit themselves. That \yas impracticable in the present case as the teach'er would be unj able to rent a house. j Mr Lee, in urging the proposal J upon the Minister, confirmed that, view, as did also the memher.q nf I the committee. | Mr Wright said the scheme appeared to be a good one. .He i appreciated the difficulty in renting | a suitable house for the same con- ! ditions existed in Wellington, where ! people were not building houses for j letting purposes. The proposal j made had not yet been laid before I him, but he would look into it, on. | his return to Wellington, and was | pleased to have had an opportunity j of viewing the place and receivibg | information that favourably impressed him and would prove help- ' ful in reaching a decision. Then the Minister was taken to view the site of the former school residence, which was destroyed by fire. He was advised that it was proposed that this land! should be disposed of, and the proceeds applied to the purchase of . a section. adjoining the school with a view to adding it to its limited playing area, and in particular for the small children. The Minister was again good. enough' to say that he viewed the proposal as a good one. The Minister also visited the North, South and Middle Schools where he was received by local committeemen, and heartily cheered upon leaving. He then passed on to the Waitaki Girls' High School where the High School and Junior High School pupils were assembled. He made particular inquiries in regard to the operations of the Junior High School and sought inform.ation in regard to its operations in ! some detail. This was afforded by | Miss Wilson, the ■ Lady Principal. j The pupils having taken their places Mr x Wright, aceompanied by Miss Wilson, passed successively through j all the class-rooms and saw all the | classes at work. He subsequently I made a tour of the grounds and in- | spected the land on which it _ is ' proposed to erect the new Junior High School, and at its close he expressed himself well pleased with all that he had seen. The party were entertained at lunch at the hostei, and subsequentJy proceeded to the Boys' High School. Here, after a detailed inspeetion had been made by Mr Wright, the masters and boys assembled in the Hall of Mpmories. Mr Lee, in welcoming the MinisLer said he felt that the Minister, now he had seen the system in operation would have a better opinion of the Junior High School. The Oamaru people, he said, were eonvinced that it was the better one . in the interests of the hoys and girls themselves. We wf/re doing in these schools work that could not be done in the primary schools. We were turning out boys and girls who were trained to think for themselves so that ii. after life they would not be the prey of agitators. Mr Wright did not take the bait so deftly presented, but treated the boys to a dessertation on politics ind politicians with particular re'erence to his qwn campaigns and "xperiences which they seemed to md verv entertaining. After the boys, under the direc-:-on of Mr Wright, had given cheers •or everybody, including their masters and their mothers, the proceedings terminated. *