The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. " We nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice." FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22. 1918 PUKEKOHE'S EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 355, 22 February 1918, Page 2

The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. "We nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice." FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22. 1918 PUKEKOHE'S EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES

Departmental or official methods and ways are frequently past understanding and so it is in regard to the Technical High School projected for Pukekohe. For years the local School Com- ! mittee have been agitating for such a school to be established, the same to be a centre for the district between Papakura and Mercer, and to thus avoid the necessity of pupils having to travel to Auckland for advanced education. With regulations providing that at least 40 scholars should be available Before a request for a Technical High School could be acceded to parents throughout the district were canvassed and it quickly became discernible that a number largely in excess of the minimum figure were only too anxious to attend at Pukekohe for education. Indeed, as an immediate sequence the roll of scholars in the Secondary Department was, pending a Technical High School being secured, so increased that temporary premises, viz at the Oddfellows Hall, had to be requisitioned am! there the senior scholars still study under disabilities thai are admitted)',- a drawback in regard to both tile nature and extent of the aeeomniod ition. The scheme foi the Technical High School was thereupon submitted to the authorities aii'! visiting member* of the Education Hoard and a Government official sent from Wellington all repotted in its

favour. Last week, however, there was a somcwlial remarkable development. On Wednesday the Auckland Kducation Doard, vvlio had previously hali marked the pioj ct with their .support, "turned it down" and lvsoivul instead to erect an infant's depailment as an addition tn tin.- present public school at a cost of I'-'-'S to, which they had received nnthoritv Horn till- Department of Kducation. At ' the same lime the Boa id tinned a I deaf i-ai to the pe'ition of tli ■ ' School ('>)ti)inittee t h it matters should 1) • delayed p-ndim; the \ isii of the- Minis: : il,. Hon j. A liana;.. M.P i to Pukekohe. ■ Then on t ip of iln- e.iuu an an nouncenient f'om Wellington on Fridaj that tli< Conned et I.da i it ion li : derided to advice | he

Miuister to establish a technical high school at Pukeitohe.

The position is comical in the extreme. For some reason or other the Board of Education seems determined to force on Pukekolie an additional school building which is neither wanted nor necessary said to ignore claims for "higher" education that are undoubtedly warranted. Such would appear to be a ruthless waste of public money. At present a .space room at the existing

[ school could be easily adapted to afford extra accommodation tor tbe younger children whereas the seniors are not deemed worthy of recognition. The system of divided control of education is probably the cause of the illogical position arrived at. As things now stand the District High School and its Secondary Department are under the immediate control of the Auckland Board of Education but a Technical High School would be subservient only to a Board of Governors working under the Council of Education. Apparently the Auckland Board desires to reign supreme instead of paying heed to the district's actual requirements. The outlook is that if a technical high

school does not come to pass education in Pukekohe will receive a set-back and the Secondary Department will probably pass out of existence. In the case of the senior scholars sentiment is not unnaturally brought into play. Both boys and girls as they advance in age prefer to think that they are members of a higher grade school than the one at which their younger days were spent If this is denied them in Pukekohe they will assuredly,

where possible, persuade their parents to allow them to attend at some centre where their desires can be achieved and their asperations fulfilled or will bring their school career to a summary conclusion by engaging in business pursuits. In this way education, which was never ot such total concern to the country as at the present day, will be discouraged instead of being promoted.