HOSTEL FOR STUDENTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10288, 24 May 1919, Page 8

HOSTEL FOR STUDENTS

A FEILDING PROPOSAL,

A Feilding deputation, introduced by tho Hon. D. H. Guthrie, waited upon tho Minister for Education yesterday for the purpose of representing to him that, in connection with the proposed Feildins: Technical High School, provision should be mado for the erection of a hostel. The local people, it was stated, had provided In all ten acres of land for tho school and the hostel, and they -were also prepared to assist towards the cost of building tho latter. ' Agricultural education, it was pointed out, would be the main feature of the school, and the\ district being a scattered one, tho dots would have to come a considerable'distance from their homes. Hence the necessity for providing boarding accommodation. In reply, the Hon. J, A. Hanan stated that in the past the Government had not recognised the establishment of hostels in connection with technical schools by giving grants therefor; but several similar applications had come in, and the question of extending grants to such objects was now under consideration by tho department. To make provision for such hostels, as well as to meet the applications that were coming in for additions to technical schools, sneoudary schools, and universities —not to speak of primary schools—would involve a very considerable increase on the building vote now provided. Last session the vote was increased by £300,00U, but it fell far short of the claims now being made upon the, department. He had been considering during tho past week, for example, two proposals, each of which involved tho expenditure of over £200,000. One was the inclusion of tho free kindergartens in the State system. Their representations would be considered in connection with other proposals to come before him.