OVERCROWDED SCHOOL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 927, 21 March 1930, Page 6

OVERCROWDED SCHOOL

TECHNICAL COLLEGE HAS NO ROOM EVENING CLASSES CRAMPED The Seddon Memorial Technical College will not be able to handle the increase of pupils next year with the existing accommodation. This was stated by Mr. 11. S. W. King, chairman of the Board of Managers of the college, yesterday, when a report on accommodation was received by the board from the principal, Mr. G. J. Park. The restricted space available for the evening classes was specially stressed by Mr. Park in the report. On some evenings the number of students in attendance was 900. The number on the rolls of the 138 classes was 3,478. In several classes two teachers had been engaged with the one class, as rooms were not available to permit classes to be divided. If a further increase of pupils took place in 1931, stated the principal, it would be necessary either to refuse students or to overcrowd the present rooms and reduce the efficiency of the college. Though the Education Department had stated that steps would I be taken to relieve the pressure both with day and evening classes, no indication had been given as to the nature of the steps to be taken. Though the proposed new school at Otahuliu would relieve the pressure on the day classes to some extent, the evening classes would be little affected by a school outside the City. The principal stated that the board should be told definitely what steps the Government intended to take for 1931 and should have the opportunity of discussing whether the proposed steps were likely to satisfy the needs of the City. “We are unfortunate in that there has been so much procrastination by the Minister of Education in deciding the course which post-primary education will take in the future,” said Mr. King. “There is no doubt about the serious nature of the position, but the whole question is now wrapped up in the report, -which will be furnished by the Education Committee of Inquiry.” It was decided to forward the principal’s report to the Minister, directing his attention to the restricted accommodation available for evening classes and asking what steps for relief it was proposed to take.