HIGH SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 205, 27 February 1914, Page 6

HIGH SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS.

DEPUTATION" TO .MINISTER. The Minister for Education, (lie Hon. Jas. Allen, yesterday conferred with a deputation from the New Plymouth High School Board, consisting' of Messrs E. Dockrill (chairman), 11. liyre Kenny, W. X. I'Aving, M. Eraser, and Dr. I'ookcs, The deputation was introduced by Mr. 11. Okey, M.P. After the 'Minister had been shown the (.'iris' High School with the temporary boarding- establishment, and the site for the proposed new (iirls' High School, he was taken to the Hoys' School, where he was received hv the Principal (Mr. W. 11. Moves) and'after inspecting the. school aiid the alterations to the old gymnasium, the conference took place in the Principal's residence.

GIRLS' SCHOOL. j Mr. Dockrill first brought forward the requirements of the. girls' school. The Minister had, he said, seen and admitted the difficulticS*of administering the school under the present conditions.' Tins year there hr.d been a slight decrease in the. jiumlvr of pupils, but last year there was an increase of ten, and a further increase waft anticipated next term. I Mr. Ewing said the decrease tliis year j was due to the objections by parents j to the condition of the school, j -Mr. Dockrill said the Board wanted | a grant of C 4900 for class-rooms and teachers' rooms. It was prepared to build a boarding establishment and teachers' residence by raising a loan. Mr. Ewing pointed out that this did not include any outlay on recreation grounds, with which the Hoard trusted the Department would assist. The matter was vitally important to the town and district, and the Board had been widely accused of neglecting the girls' school, which in reality it had strained its- finances to assist.

I.he Minister said that he hail seen the school accommodation, which was not satisfactory and would have lo be improved. It was, however, not at all insanitary, and this lie.thought tlie public should know. The boarding establishment was quite satisfactory. Dr. Fookes agreed, saying tliat many people were confusing hygiene with sanitation. « Mr. Allen continued that the site for the new school was most suitable, and he would be pleased to assist the Bo- 'd in having the work done. He could make no definite promise as lie must consult Mr. lloghen, the Inspector-Gen-eral. BOYS' SCHOOL.

Mr. Dockrill then referred lo the needs of the boys' school, stressing the rapid progress which the institution was making. The old gymnasium was being turned into class-rooms. A new one must be be built, at a cost of about £IOOO, and the Board would immediately be faced with further expenditure for additional new class-rooms, as the roll number was rapidly increasing. Altogether about C2.-i.lO would be needed immediately. He asked that the Department should assist in this. He also mentioned that the Hoard had been nilable to raise a loan for new school buildings.

Mr. Allen asked for a written statement of the Board's financial needs, which Mr. Dockrill handed to him. lie then promised to go fully into the matter, as lie was anxious to see the school go ahead. Ile asked the Board to carefully consider the question of building the new gymnasium across the gully, instead of alongside the old one, as he thought the consideration of light and air space would enter into the question in the future when the school had grown still more. Mr. Moycs explained that the new gymnasium had to be built close to the school as it was to be used as an assembly room, and in wet weather the boys could not lie taken across the gully for morning assembly or evening lectures on gymnastics. At the same time, the Board promised to consider the. Minister's suggestions.