WANT SCHOOL CLOSED

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1001, 18 June 1930, Page 12

WANT SCHOOL CLOSED

EDUCATION RETARDED BY MAORIS Asking that the Woodhill school be closed and the children conveyed by the department to Helensville every day, a deputation from the Woodhill School committee waited on the Auckland Education Board this morning. The chairman of the committee, Mr. J. King-, stated that nearly all’ the parents of white children attending the school agreed that this would be the best step, but said that two white families joined with the Maoris of the district in asking that the school be retained. He considered that children would receive a much better education at Helensville, where the school building was quite big enough to accommodate the 27 children from Woodhill. It was not fair that the Maoris should be allowed to hold hack the progress of the whites.

The Board will recommend the suggested change to the Education Department.

The assistant director of Eiducation will be in Auckland shortly, when ho will discuss with the Board a suggestion regarding playing areas and additions to the Seddon Memorial Technical College in Wellesley Street which will involve the closing of the j Wellesley Street primary school. The! Board has stated previously that it is not in favour of this step, and the Department is now asking whether it will agree to reducing the school to an infant department only, transferring the senior classes to the neighbouring Napier Street, Beresford Street and! Grafton schools. If this course could i be adopted, several rooms in the build-1 Ing could be used by Technical School j classes, thus avoiding the use of the old Grammar School. The Board this morning decided to reply that, as there are now 308 children on the roll of the Wellesley Stre-.t primary school, it is thought the pro-' posai would not be advisable. Owing to unsound bridges, 27 children are unable to attend the Takahue school near Mangonui during wet weather. The Board was asked to urge the Public Works Department and the County Council to erect new bridges. Part of the money required for this work has already been voted. Members of the Board will attend the exhibition of handwork by classes of retardate children in the Dominion which is to be held in the Myer’s Park j building tomorrow and on Friday from j 2 to 5.30 p.m. | The Education Department has | asked for information in connection I with married women teachers in the j province. This will include information as to those whose husbands are employed as primary, secondary or technical school teachers, or are in private employment either as owners or assistants in any business.

"I don’t quite know how we are to do as the Department wishes, said Mr. A. Burns, chairman. “This is not a nice question to ask any of our teachers.”

Answers to the questions will not be compulsory.