BETTER SCHOOLS.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 March 1920, Page 5

BETTER SCHOOLS.

OVERCROWDING TO BE REMEDIED. NEW MINISTER'S FIRST TASK. By Telegraph.—Press Association. * Wellington, Lffst Night.' The new Minister of Education (the Hon. C. J. Parr) said to-day that he intends to take up as his first task the overcrowding problem in schools. He has already had something to say about the conditions in his own city of Auckland and he has spent some time in acquiring a personal knowledge of the conditions in Wellington, where the state of things is considered to be al--1 most as bad as in Auckland- Fortunately tin very worst overcrowding is confined to these two cities. In Christchurch the evil is not very serious, and in Dunedin it exists hardly at all. Mr. Parr feels his first important duty is to see overcrowding is checked by the erection as speedily as possible of suitable school buildings. After Easter, hy which time Mr. Parr should have Been sworn in as Minister, he intends to visit Chriatchureh and Dunedin to sec what are the conditions of the schools in those cities. "I want to see that the conditions In every school are made healthful." said Mr. Parr- "It is no use to provide the best system of education for children if at the same time we house _ them in schools under crowded conditions, and so undo all the good work of the physical training we are at pains to provide for them."