SCHOOL PLANNING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 9, 29 May 1914, Page 6

SCHOOL PLANNING.

THE NEED KOIS IMPROVEMENT. Some interesting remarks <oneeriiing the need for improvement in the construction of school buildings were contained in a special report "on the subject made by Mr. C H. Moore (Works Overseer) to the Taranaki Education Board on Wednesday. In this report Mr. Moore stated that after considerable observation he had come to the conclusion that great improvements could be made in the existing type of schools, principally in respect of sanitation, lighting, ventilation, and fittings. In building the new school ut Vogcltown, he proposed to introduce some improvements, but he felt Unit iiis complete idea of a model school was rather too advanced to be carried into immediate effect. In pointing out some of the faults in present schools (including some of the latest large schools in other luuts of the Dominion), he stated that windows with sashes that were hung with weights had to be closed during wet and wi«dv weather, thus causing bad ventilation. In at least eighty per cent of the schools the fireplace was so situated that the warmth was felt only by the children m the front rows of desks, and. the teacher's table was generally in front of the fire-place. Class-rooms which hail only one outside wall (and there were many such in the. large flc-hooJs) were very bad for ventilation. .Windows were too often put in merely to balance the appearance of the exterior, so that a small classroom had often more windows than h larger one. This caused cross-lights and a glare on the blackboards. t OO , mil .j, ro ij alK , e w . ls p]_ lMM i on ceiling ventilators. It was far better to -have a current of air fchroiu,-.;h the class-rooms. Most of the infants' rooms' Were too dull. They should be bright and e-.p-eially well lighted. He hoped to rectify some of these defects in schools in the district.