HIGH PRAISE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 322, 5 April 1928, Page 18

HIGH PRAISE

MT. ROSKILL CHILDREN NEW CLASS-ROOMS OPENED GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S GREETINGS So impressed was the GovernorGeneral, Sir Charles Fergusson, with the boys and girls of the Mount Roskill School that he recently asked Mr. W. J. Jordan, M.P., member for the district, to convey his greetings to the children at the first available opportunity. This Mr. Jordan did when officially opening two large modern schoolrooms part of a scheme of nine rooms, at the school yesterday afternoon. The district’s Parliamentary representative was welcomed by Mr. H. S. Anderson, chairman of the school committee, Mr. Kelsey, secretary, and Mr. A. Garry, the headmaster.

When conveying greetings from the Governor-General, Mr. Jordan declared that his Excellency had intimated that he had not seen “finer boys and girls at any school in the Dominion.” Jack Garrett, on behalf of the pupils, asked Mr. Jordan to convey their thanks to the Governor-General for his kindly remembrance of the school. Though £3,000,000 was spent last year on education in New Zealand, said Mr. Jordan, he considered the money was well spent. “It is impossible to estimate the value of education in pounds, shilling and pence,” he added. If the Government had provided the new rooms, Mr. Jordan reminded Mount Roskill householders, they were certainly entitled to them. The school, which possesses a fine site of seven acres, now has an average daily attendance of 484 pupils. The two new rooms will take the place of a tin shed which formerly housed a number of the scholars. The shed is now destined to serve at some other over-crowded Auckland school. Before the ceremony the children gave an exhibition of drill and games.