Crowded Schools

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 364, 26 May 1928, Page 8

Crowded Schools

WORKS OF FIRST URGENCY Department’s Architect Investigates PROTESTS against overcrowding of schools in Auckland city and district show promise of bearing fruit. On the heels of a request that the Auckland Education Board select from its urgent list the 25 worst eases, the Government has sent to Auckland a departmental architect, who has been conducting an investigation in the past few days.

Concern about overcrowding of schools has been apparent for some time, and the Auckland Education Board has a formidable list of urgent works. Overcrowding of schools concerned some 70 establishments. Protests have been sustained and strenuous, and result came when, at the last meeting of the board, the department requested that the 25 works of the first urgency be selected. The Education Board agreed to make this selection, and the department then sent its architect, Mr. Savage, who arrived last Monday and has been busy all the week. Board members and officials dare not, in the light of past experience, hope for too much;

but there appears, nevertheless, to be warrant for some degree of optimism, and for the hope that improvement •will be effected in the case of -20 or 30 schools. In all, there are 105 works or purchases that the Education Board desires to be effected. These are set out in a list prepared by the officers. Such is the magnitude of the schedule that the total cost involved cannot be assessed accurately without fuller information, but it is certain that something like £300,000 would have to be spent if all the Education Board’s requirements were to be filled. STANDARD AND FLOOR-SPACE A study of the Education Board’s list makes interesting reading. One point is that overcrowding in a school does not necessarily imply the school to be inadequate as a whole, to accommodate the total number of those attending it. In many schools set down as overcrowded the actual floor-space,

in total area is adequate to meet the 12 square feet standard set for each : child.

But since this standard was laid down there has been a deviation from former principles. More teachers are now at work, and the size of classes is gradually being reduced, so that it is only remodelling, not enlarging, that is demanded in many instances: such as those where two teachers and two classes are at work in one crowded room, while next door the adjoining room may have space to spare. , Numerous new schools are wanted throughout the district, and there are shoals of applications for additions. In the city a major undertaking is the replacement of the Richmond Road School, and improvement of the grounds. The erection of a new school at Parnell, where a large sum has to he spent on the improvements to the site, is another work m the same category, while a third costlj work will be the provision of an infant department at the Normal School. _ Among the works to be executes m the suburbs are additions at Avondale South, Grey Lynn. Milford E lerslie, Royal Oak and Mount Roskil.. remodelling at Mount Albert and Mount Eden; and the erection o. a new school at New Lynn. , Some of these works are included among those of second urgency, but the great majority of all the lmprovements wanted are considered to be of first urgency. There are, for instance, at least 50 undertakings vhu . in the board’s opinion, should be begun without delay. B difficult to differentiate To secure as much information as possible about the improvements sought on behalf of the diffei ent schools, the Education Board recentl} submitted all applications to a committee consisting of the senior inspectoi, the advisory inspector, and the secretary. The committee’s response was to group under one heading 34 works, including the Richmond Road replacement, Avondale and Royai Oak additions, and Parnell site improvements, which were considered to he all of such urgency that it could not differentiate between them. Sixteen other works were classified as works of the first urgency, Eli of the greatest importance. The hoard suggested that all the works in Group A should be authorised at once, and that those in Groups B, C and D should be started this year. Fifty schools were concerned in this wide recommendation. In addition to actual enlargement, replacement or remodelling of schools, the board advises immediate execution of a number of minor works, and the provision of a number of teachers’ residences. As the school population in the Auckland Education district has more than kept pace with building programmes, the board has not at any time been in the happy position when accommodation met the needs. As a result of recent agitation, however, there is definite hope for improvement of the unsatisfactory situation.