GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 July 1915, Page 4

GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL.

I'AUKXTS' INDIGNATION MEETING. Yesterday afternoon, at the Girls' High School, a meeting of the' girts' mothew took plaec. Tbtir object wa« to protest against the unsuitable condition 'of the school and surroundings. The Lady Principal (Miss Hodges}, on being asked to speak, vointed oat in a few comprehensive words the pressing need, tof.jk chanke?. She. eajd, |Hat the -teachers girls to cowe to the achoisi that affernoor, so that 'they might tee for thimselvea the conditions under which their .daughters were 'being taught, and tfMf ,hoped tfiat .af:j[ result theparcnts woiiM be stirredi'to take action, in, the diiee* tiun of obtaining a girts', school l|M of the senior girls came to the HgU School with free place certificate* These were granted by the Government, which, therefore, was bound to provide a suitable building for the holders of such free places toyVork in. tbi present, building that purpose. -The rooms were lowceilinged, dismal, and uavcntilated, esccpt by windows, which could not be kept open in bad weather. There wu no place for the girls to drill or play, .games in during wet weather. Hie aani.' tary arrangements of the building were unsatisfactory. The other members of the staff, who had longer experience of the building, could bear witness to, {the fact -that girls who two years ago were bright, keen, and alert in mind and body were now jaded and, in some cases, even dull. Wan the health, then, of their; _ girls to stand the chance of being seri.oiisly undermined before they could finish their school course? A girl was | a much more delicately poised organism than a boy and needed more careful treatment. Her environment* k 'wig of special importance. It must be bright, hapjiv, clean and talcing. These girls mint be the mothers of the next generation, the ijueens of the home, the gracious influence which was to throw its beams round liu.-baml and children, cheer them when weary, uplift them when cast down. To play their pari well in the future, then, they must be storing up supplies of brightness and energy from which to draw copiously later on. VV ere their present surroundings likely to impart suclrstrength'and 'sunshine of spirit? An education" thai did mil primarily fit a girl for motherhood and home-making waft a dismal failure. Another aspect of the question that called for attention was "the effect of environment ou the tone of a girl's mind. .Societ,- looked to woman to uphold iiiul ideals and pure ambitions. To ask girls to be satisfied with conditions so far below the ibest was to' lowet their naturally high standard of excellence mid coarsen their conception of what was right and fitting. ; Tlie parents and staff sltowcd their appreciation, and after animated discussion of the position of affairs, elected .Mrs. ,1. K Wilson (mayoress) to the chiiir.

A committee was then formed, cottsistin" of Mrs. J. R. Wilson (thairj, Mrs. D. llutchen, Mrs. F.tS, Johns, Mrs. A. R. l.ennon and Mrs. .White, and was authorised to draft a resolution to fow wnrtl to the High School Board of Govern iiors and .to the Minister for Education. It was decided to request the Mayo® to read the resolution to the parents and those interested in the school at tlia sills' concert on Thursday, and to go# those supporters to sign 'their nanifp to; it that night . »