TATARAIMAKA SCHOOL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 181, 9 January 1915, Page 7

TATARAIMAKA SCHOOL.

To the Editor, ; Sir,-The crowded state of the Tuta'raimaka School is a ghastly difjjr&ce ,to the Taranaki Education Board. Just i imagine over 50 children crowded into 'a room 34 feet by 14 feet! There are i 55 children on the roll, and last quar- • tor the average attendance was 50. What eau the aforesaid Board sAy in defence of the conditions of tilings? Can it say anything? It evidently presumes upon tlie fact that the parents of tin-, : Tataraimaka school district are (juiut, ' long-sull'ering folk. If a school situated in one oi' the large centres under ; the Hoard's control were crowded in ' this scandalous fashion, the parents of i tlie compressed children, plus the tcachj ers and scliool committee, would scream l like a lot of dervishes until the Board provided proper accommodation, 'But, ,it was ever thus. Members of the .Hoard j kow-tow to the larger centres, and children fomnate enough to he living there ,'iin: fed on milk and honey, so to speak, I while the country children must bo eon- | tent with bread and dripping. What : is tho member of the Board ri-pre- ; seating this district doing, anyhow? | ; Why ha she allowed such a wretched ; condition of tiling's to pile up? The i swelter during the summer months is I a constant and serious menace to the | health of both children and teachers, j If the Board recognised its plaint duty, it would forthwith provide additional space by adding a class room to the I present building. The cost would be a | bagatelle, and the expenditure more { than justified. Anyhow, the Government Health Officer, if lie is not too bn-y spending his holidays, should give t!s» matter his attention. The cruelty 1 ii::; •> ed upon the children, attending this school should he terminated forthwith. Then, sir, the teacher's residence connected with the scliool is also a disgrace to the same Board's administration. small rooms for a family of Think of it! Each room a -tthrrV'e larger than an ordinary packing ea'-e. How long, think you, would a city teacher live in a rabbit hutch I'kc t!i:< without clutching for somebody's hair? But it is a country district. Anything is good enough for the country. I understand the Board meets next v ;V. If so, let the members see to it '.la', a fair measure of justice is meted out to the Tataraimaka children and teachers. The present conditions cannot, he justified, and ought not to be tolerated any longer. Justice only is expected. 'The square deal is long overdue,—l am. etc., W. 11. TfAWKIXS". Tataraimaka, .Tan. S, 11)15.