SCHOOL BUILDINGS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 March 1921, Page 12

SCHOOL BUILDINGS.

A MATTER OF FINANCE. URGENT WORKS ONLY. The Minister of Education, who has just returned from an official tour of the .South Island, told a Dominion reporter that he had found in every district a large demand for school buildings, additional sites, and teachers. The conditions in this respect were much the same all over the Dominion. He was hopeful about being able to supply the required number of teachers without very much delay. The improved paj and conditions aranged a few months ago had drawn a large number of recruits to the teaching profession. The training colleges would all be full this year, and he had found it necessary to sanction a grant for increased accommodation at each of these colleges. A favorable feature was the increase in the number of young men of a good stamp applying for employment. The increase in the output of the training colleges would ease the shortage of competent teachers, and would make possible the reduction of the size of the larg classes.

The provision of increased school accommodation, added the Minister, was a matter of finance. The reduction of the size of classes would accentuate the demand for morb class rooms. ‘!I had hoped to have done a good deal this year to overtake the shortage of accommodation, and repair the neglect of past years,” said Mr. Parr. “But it Looks otherwise; I have had to tell people in the South Island that except where there is grave overcrowding, with serious prejudice to the health of the children, new buildings are not likely to be erected at present. In some cases we may have to make shift with temporary and rented buildings. A certain amount of building must proceed even in bad times. The ordinary growth of the school population requires this. But in view of the financial position I suppose that even education will have to go very carefully this yehr. I. hope that Cabinet and Parliament will agree that a certain amount of building must pro. ceed. Ono consoling feature of the delay is that in six months or twelve months’ time building will be cheaper than it is now, and so the Education Department and the boards will get better value for the money spent.”