WEST END SCHOOL.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 March 1917, Page 6

WEST END SCHOOL.

ADDITIONS TO GROUND. DEPARTMENTAL ACTION URGED. A meeting of residents of West End was held in the gymnasium of the West End School on Thursday evening to urge upon the Government the necessity of acquiring an extension to the West End school grounds. ' Mr. A. K. Smart presided, and associated with him on the platform were Messrs IT. .1. 0-key, Mil'., X. 0. Smith (member of the Education Board), C. A. Edwards, J. Hawker and K. Bullot (members of the West End School Committee), ,T. B. Roy, J. E. Wilson and T). J. Hughes. There was a large attendance.

In explaining the object of the meeting, tlie chairman said the West Knd school was overcrowded, and the area of playing ground was absolutely too small for the children attending , the school. So limited was the space in the school that the gymnasium had been turned into an infants' department, and there was no shelter shed for the children in wet weather. AVhen the Department was approached for a grant with which to purchase an acre of land adjoining the school ground, it offered to pay £SOO, provided the Education Board found £SOO. The price asked for the area was £I2OO, and this was considered to be very reasonable. Mr. Smith pointed out that the Education Board had no money with which to purchase sites for schools. It had been felt that if the representations made by the Board to the Department had the backing of a large and influential meeting the Department might be persuaded to do something. The Education Board realised the necessity for additional ground, and knew that West End was entitled to consideration. Mr. Wilson proposed, "That this meeting of citizens of Jfcw 'Plymouth desires to urge upon the Education Department the instant necessity of acquiring further ground for the'enlargement of the West End school playground, believing that unless the extension is immediate' ly obtained the health of the children attending the school will be seriously endangered.'' Mr. Wilson considered the school was' infinitely worse off than country schools, for with its restricted playing' area the work could not be carried on in hygienic surroundings. There was no question that the present space was utterly inadequate. There was no recreation building, and in wet weather tlie children were unable to play. Mi, Wilson pointed out the dangers' likely' to arise from tlie Mangaotuku stream,"which ran past the back of the schoolground. Mr. Hughes seconded, and said the health of tlie children was of the utmost importance. A member of'the audience suggested that the present schoolgrounds be° sold, and another site, within easy distance, he acquired. Mr. Okey said he had brought the matter of acquiring further ground for West End before three Ministers for Education and the Director of Education, and all had referred to the regulation which required that in the case of extension of schoolgrounds the Department should pay only half the cost of acquiring the land. Mr. Okey had pointed out that that was all rufht for the country, where land could be'acquired for £2oj but in the town it was a different matter. Dr Anderson ,had admitted that the position was difficult. The. Ministers agreed that West End needed the additional ground, but the regulation stood in the way. Mr. Okey said the terms offered by Mrs. Taylor, the owner of the adjoining land, were exceptionally easy. The motion was carried.

_ Mr. J. B. Roy moved, and Mr. A. E Viatkins seconded, "That a deputation wait upon the Department urging upon it the necessity of giving practical effect to the meeting's resolution."—Carried. The matter of appointing the. members of the deputation was left to the School Committee.