NEW SCHOOLS.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 August 1920, Page 5

NEW SCHOOLS.

A DIFFICULT PROCLEM. THE POSITION IN TARANAKI. ! NO NEGLECT BY THE BOARD. Following on tlie complaint made hy the Minister of Education (the Hon. C. J. Parr) that Education Boards had failed to supply the department with a three years' scheme of work, as requested, a Daily. News representative yesterday got in touch with a New Plymouth member of the Board (Mr. P. J. White) with a view of ascertaining the position as far as the Taranaki Bcjird was concerned.

In the absence of the chairman (Mr. R. Masters, M.P.), however, Mr. White did not feel disposed to make a definite statement, but the reporter gathered that the matter under review had been attended to by the Board some time ago, and the Minister was fully cognisant of the intentions as far as Taranaki was concerned. The next meeting of the Board takes place on Monday, when it is expected more may be heard of the matter.

Some big expenditures are involved in the Taranaki Board's undertakings, notably at Stratford and Hawera, and it is probable that something will be done at Courtenay Street and West End in the near future.

MINISTER'S STATEMENT.

DIFFICULTIES OF ( FINANCE. HIGH COST OF BUILDING. By Telejraph.—Press Association., Wellington, Last Night. When alluding to the difficulty of meeting all the demands for education improvements, the Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister of Education, told a deputation today that he had been informed by the Minister of Finance that there might be a difficulty in future in raising money even for education. There Were many claims on the Exchequer, but he (Mr. Parr) hoped that it would not be necessary to curtail the amount already allocated. A sum of £750,000 was at present provided for •buildings in each year, but this had to meet all demands for primary, secondary technical, and university needs. It must be remembered that owing to the increased cost of building, £750,000 was worth only as much as £400,000 in 1914.

REPLACING OLD SCHOOLS. CANNOT BE DONE FIRST. LARGE AMOUNT INVOLVED. Wellington, Last Night. The Minister of Education was urged by a deputation from Longburn to-day to rebuild the local school, which, it was claimed, was in such a Btate that it could not be satisfactorily repaired. The old portion of the building was erected fifty years ago, and it was so rotten that the people of Longburn threatened *"they would not send their children to school for another winter. Mr. Parr said that these old schools, of which there were hundreds, were a most difficult problem to handle. Obviously, new districts where there were no schools must be attended to first, and old schools must receive attention in order of urgency. The Department's programme was to remove and modern* ise them wherever they were sound enough. Mr. Parr said that ,'£2,000,000 would be required if all were to be rebuilt. Each Education Board had been asked to supply the Department with its Bcbemo of work for three years, and the Wanganui Board was the only one which had complied with the request. He was afraid he would have to refuse to lot Boards have more money if they did not give the required information. .The Wanganui Board placed the Longburn school second on its list for 1922. He would be largely guided by the recommendations of the Boards, but he reserved to himself the right to overhaul the plan of work drawn up. The architect to be appointed by the Department would visit old schools and. report on their condition.