The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1916. THE HIGH SCHOOL RE-BUILDING.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1916. THE HIGH SCHOOL RE-BUILDING.

The statement made by the chairman of the Board of Governors of the New Plymouth High School, at the recent prizegiving ceremony, relative to the unfortunate position that has arisen over the re-building of the school, owing to the (ire, cannot fail to cause considerable regret. The school (and we refer particularly to the boys' department) has not only proved its ability to carry out the highly important work of providing secondary education, but it lias earned a reputation of which any similar institution might well be proud, both for sound scholarship and in the arena of those physical exploits that have rightly come to be the backbone of every successful school devoted to higher education. The sound mind in the sound body, the fostering of public spirit and virility, together with the inculcation of the true principles of useful citizenship, enter very largelj into the system of our" High School. It has been the lot of the Board of Governors to have to battle strenuously and persistently in order to obtain suitable buildings in which to carry 011 the work entrusted to their administration. The progress and prosperity of Taranaki has caused a growing disposition on the part of parents to give their boys and girls the benefit of a secondary course, so as to more adequately fit them for the battle of life. Taranaki, it must be remembered, lias restricted means of rapid transit, rendering it impossible for residents in many districts to make use of a secondary school for their children unless boarding accommodation is available in connection with.the school. The High School Board solved this problem as well as it was abb with the limited funds at its command, and with an even still more limited assistance from the Government. Had it not been for the destruction of the boys-' school by fire the Board would, in time, have overcome its financial pressure and developed the schools lis occasion required. 111 New Zealand, education is State eontrolled. . If the control is wisely exercised and all actual requirements provided, it may be claimed that the system answers, but if schools are starved and there is a constant struggle for ways and means, then the system is a failure. Having charged itself with the duty of cairying out primary and secondary education, the obligation must be fully carried out. This applies to all schools, and particularly to the New Plymouth High School, which is the only purely secondary school in Taranaki. No doubt the Department has been pressed considerably of late to provide funds for this school, but this was inevitable owing to rapid expansion, and the very necessary separation of the boys' and girls' departments. It is bad enough when •■rimary schools are handicapped for want of (necessary equipments, but in the case of secondary schools the evil is intensified many fold. To replace the destroyed building with one of only equal capacity would be. the height of folly, for the institution has exhibited such rapid progress that it would be nothing less than unpardonable shortsightedness not to provide for at least a moderate increase in the number of scholars. The Board's architect lias pi spared plans for a school of 250 to 300—a by 110 means unjustified provision; but the Department apparently considers that a building to hold 200 will suffice. If the Department's contention means 1 anything it must be taken as a deliberate indication

that Hit school has reached its zenith, and by some unknown means must, have its growth stopped. The Board of Governors is therefore faced with the task of making the Depart ment see the po-.i-tion from iheir point of view, and it is not impossible to accomplish this feat if taci and diplomacy are exercised, coupled with convincing l facts and statistics. The school must he rebuilt, and it should not be difficult, to convince the Minister of the wisdom and sound policy of providing for the continuance of iucroasru numbers. The extra money involved can be obtained without seriously a fleeting the 'treasury. The Board luive a difficult tn.sk in getting money just now, hut tin need is imperative, and the duty of the Minister is clear.