COUNTY AND EDUCATION.

Shannon News, 16 March 1928, Page 3

COUNTY AND EDUCATION.

GRANT BY COUNCIL TO LEVIN DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL.

FOR ESTABLISHMENT. OF COMMERCIAL CLASSES.

A deputation, from, the Levin Dis- . triet High School, consisting of the chairman (Rev. J. D. McArthur), Messrs F. G. Roe, W. Falloon, J. W. ' Procter, and the Headmaster (Mr R. J. waited on the Horowhenua County Council on Saturday, with a request for a grant towards the commercial courses which it had been decided to establish at the school. Recently a deputation waited on the Borough Council, which agreed to grant £l9 to the scheme. On Saturday the County Council voted £ls. After the deputation had been introduced by Cr. Kilsby, the Rev. McArtliur outlined the reasons already made public as to the inauguration of the commercial classes. He explained that the committee and staff found that the school’s activities must be extended in , some way if the status of a . District v High School was to be retained. It had maintained an average of 91 in the" secondary'department until lately, but for some reason or other the nt- - tendance had and unless it could be raised in three weeks or so to the former level, the school would Ire reduced in status, and one of tire senior teachers in the secondary department would be taken from the school. A ■ teacher who was recently appointed was able to give commercial instruction, and there were at present .25 pupils for these classes. The committee required to raise £35.' As they had raised for various purposes a total of £350, mostly within the borough, in the last three years, they had pretty well drained their resources. Of the pupils who attended the secondary department, six came from the north end of the 'district an cl 48 or 50 from the - southern end extending as far as Paraparaumu. The pupils of the commercial classes wore assisting in this matter, and paying certain fees to make ' the scheme possible. The committee - were asking the County Council for £ls, and not in' the hope that they '' would get £5 or £lO, the irreducible minimum being £ls if it were possible to get itr from the Council. * The Headmaster, speaking in,, support of the request, pointed out that this was the only secondary school in the district, and he outlined the pro- , gresS made by it. The children interested the commercial course had agreed to pay 10s each as an initial charge, to help provide type-writer; and other equipment. There were 47 ✓ children in the district travelling north every day to Palmerston in 1 order to secure the education which, the Levin school was proposing to provide. He w.as persuaded that it was the desire of * parents in this neighbourhood that their children should not be called upon * to make that long journey to Palmerston and back ill order to receive that * which might be obtained locally. In answer to the County chairman, Mr Foss stated that about 12 pupils from Otaki and five from Shannon at- ■ * tended the Levin High School. Cr. Kilsby: What will it 'cost pei

annum? Mr "Foss: The Department meets all that. We ai*e only providing the equip ‘ment. - “ ''NllGii Mr Roe supported the deputation b. request, and remarked that two' oi more hours a day were lost by children -travelling to school at Palmerston. * THE CHAIRMAN SYMPATHETIC. The County chairman said that he ans, he thought, other, members of tin Council had been interested in the remarks made by members of the .depu 'tation. The Council had not, perhaps, the same conviction as the committee

of the necessity of. the scheme. He die not know how many members of tin ,Council had children attending the High School, but he realised the difficulties with which the committee were faced and also felt that the case which they * had put up was one worthy of tin Council’s sympathetic consideration 'The Council had its difficulties, and al-

ways felt, when approached bn matters like this, that they'.Were a little out „ side its sphere, and so it had a feeling that it should be careful. The Coupon r certainly had authority to make this grant, but it had to be spread over the county—-it could not be a riding mati ter. He was doubtful whether pupils I would come from the Tokomaru riding He knew that they came from tin Waikanae end, and even from .beyond this county. Times were not" very good, but the committee would probably say that £ls was not very much out ** of a revenue of between £15,000 and / £20,000.

V Mr Roe: Rates will be coining in next week. - The Chairman: We sincerely hope so. «- Personally, I have the very greatest t sympathy with this project. X will pro\,bably have some children attending this school in the future. It will not be

with that idea that I support the pro

posal, however, but because I know it '•* is right. We who are in isolated districts often have to part with our '•'children altogether so that they- may get their schooling. You will try to provide that. I can assure you the t Council will give it every consideration. , ■jt The ideputation then thanked the Council and withdrew.

BENEFIT TO THE DISTRICT. 'Addressing the Council, the chairmaa remarked that a straight-out grant "of £ls was asked for and it was not recurring. The vote would be spread over the whole of the County. He had v approached the matter with some hesitancy, because it was outside the ((Council’s sphere, but he realised that the committee were trying ( to do something that must be of benefit to the children in this district. If it w r as posit. sible for the Council to. stretch its finances to meet the committee’s request, he believed it should do it. Cr. Kilsby said he was quite in accord with the proposal; The only ques- £ tion was, Would it create any overlap-

ping with the Palmerston institution? The Chairman: I don’t think so, even though they canvass our district so strongly' for pupilg. Both here and at I’ackakfiriki there are possibly many pupils who would take this course if it A-as available to them, but they' are not able to go away and board, and the distance to travel to Palmerston is too great. If the course is established in Levin, it will be made available for he whole district from Palmerston to Wellington. My own situation is the . urthest from that class of school, and the facilities will be made available to us in that district.

• MUST BE ON RIGHT LINES. Cr. Ryder said that the sum of £ls vas not a matter of very great concern, but it was a little beyond the Council’s sphere. The Councillors were present on behalf of the ratepayers; but the question arose whether the education that was being given to the youth of both sexes was the right educatioir. He was only too agreeable t.o„ helping the committee with £ls if the Council thought, it. desirable. Cr. McLeavey said he thought that the Council was quite within its sphere. Only a little while ago it made a grant to the W.E.A. He thought it better ter make a grant for the present purpose. He had always opposed the W.E.A. grant, and would still oppose it. The chairman moved and Cr. Whyte seconded, that £ls be granted to the School Committee for the purpose .indicated. s A CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION. The motion was declared carried, and when Cr. Catley called for a division his own vote and that of Cr. Jensen were recorded against it. Cr. Catley said he asked for . his vote to be recorded because his first business was to provide access to ratepayers’ properties so that they could get tlielr produce to market, and he was constantly being asked about it. Very reluctantly he voted against the motion.