BACK BLOCKS SCHOOLS.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 May 1921, Page 5

BACK BLOCKS SCHOOLS.

SOME CASES OF HARDSHIP. TASKS IN TARANAKI. The hardships under which teachers, children and settlers in the back-blocks are laboring were brought pointedly before the Taranaki Education Board at yesterday’s meeting. An application was received from Astwood household for additional accommodation. This led Messrs. S. G. Smith, M.P., R. Masters, M.P., and the chairman to point out the circumstances of the case. Mrs. Stockwell conducted the school at her own house. Twenty years ago she and her family had gone into the back-blocks of the Whangamomona district, and as there was no school she had educated her six children herself and has also performed the same duties for other children in the district. She also had three more children approaching school age. Now she found that her residence was too small for the purpose and the application was for additional accommodation. In undertaking her task, the speakers considered that Mrs. Stockwell had done a great national work and was deserving of much praise. It was pointed out that the Stockwells were the only original settlers in the district. Many stouthearted men had gone into the district, but had come out again, broken in heart and in pocket. It was felt that, in view of the exceptional circumstances, the department should stretch the regulations in this case.

Further revelations concerning educational facilities in the back-blocks were afforded by the reading of a letter from Mr. Tnsell, organising teacher in the Matiere district. The conditions were described in some cases to be absolutely deplorable. The senior inspector said he was staggered on reading the letter, and board members generally expressed their sympathy with the settlers and teachers who had to live under such conditions. It was decided to forward extracts of Mr. Insell’s letter direct to the Minister of Education for his perusal. It was then moved that a committee, consisting of the chairman and Messrs. Smith and Masters, be appointed to confer with the senior inspector, and to inquire into the living conditions of teachers and facilities for education in the back-blocks and prepare a report, with a view to making 'representations in the wav of suggestions for the improvement of conditions in the district generally.