FRANKLEY ROAD SCHOOL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 190, 23 September 1909, Page 4

FRANKLEY ROAD SCHOOL

| " IvEEPIXG THE CRADLES l-ULL." The rapid growth of population in the district served by the Frank icy school was before the Education Board yesterday, when the Erankley committee forwarded an application for a new school. 1 The letter stated that the school was extremely overcrowded. The roll num- . bur was now 100, and both teachers and pupils were greatly handicapped in their work. Messrs. A. C. Downes (chairman of the committee), J. Hooker and E. X. L. Okey "waited on the in support of the request . Mr. Downes road a report from the headmaster, Mr. T. B. Wintield, stating | » that there was a steady increase in the attendance at the school. The roll number was 00' on Monday. The -present accommodation was wholly inadequate, the junior divisions being especially crowded. He had taken over Standard Ji to relieve the pressure, so that he now taught from Standard II to Standard VI, a total of 41 j while Mis's Bollinger and Miss 'McDcrmid had charge of Standard It and the Primers, total 58. At present there was seating accommodation for only 80. The porches were quite unsuitable for class! lessons. Mr. Downes added that the junior classes were badly overcrowded, the building was old and iu a state of disrepair, and the ventilation not good. Three teachers were wording in one small room, and good results under such conditions were almost impossible. He <pointed' out that the committee was now holding concerts with tho object of levelling and improving the school grounds. Concluding, he pointed out that the major portion of the attendance .was" in the junior classes. Mr. Hooker said he had taken a census of the young children m the district up to six years of age, not at ; present attending school. In Wcstown ' therp were 38 children, and of these 12 would be attending school now if the roads were good. On the Franklcy ' Road there were 41, and of these they could depend upon at least eleven after the holidays'. The loss at the end oi 1 the year would probably he about nine 1 or ten. There were not sufficient desks 1 in tho school to accommodate the pupils,' 1 and there was no room to put more. Mr. Okey also emphasised the neces- v sity for increased accommodation, point- 1 ing out that the (people of the district, following the advice of the late Premier, were " keeping the cradles full."

Discussion -was' brief. The chairman, Messrs. Adlam, Morison, and Morton all spoke of the irnsuitability of the scuool buildings, and it was unanimously resolved, upon the motion of Messrs. Morison and Morton, that the architect of the. School be asked to report on the state of the building, and the inspector on the attendance; and in the event of it being found necessary to apply for a new building, the chairman he empowered to do so.