STRONG PROTEST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 March 1942, Page 2

STRONG PROTEST

MADE BY LANSDOWNE PARENTS AGAINST SCHOOL. BEING TAKEN OVER. EXCEPT IN EXTREME EMERGENCY An emphatic protest against the taking over of Lansdowne School for hospital purposes, except in the case of an extreme emergency, was made by a large-ly-attended meeting of residents held in the school last night. There was an attendance of over fifty. Mr J. G. McFarlane, chairman of the Lansdowne School Committee, presided. Many of those present strongly supported the protest and the resolutions submitted were carried unanimously. After slating that the large attendance was a sure indication that the people of Lansdowne were not prepared to accept the position of losing their school without some voice in the matter, Mr McFarlane said ho was pleased to see the two Masterton members of the Wellington Education Board present, Messrs W. R. Nicol and J. D. O’Connor. The 'committee took full responsibility for calling the meeting of protest. “As a committee,” said Mr McFarlane, “we forwarded a protest to the hospital authorities in which we asked for an assurance that the school would not be occupied except in the event of a major emergency brought about through enemy action. That assurance has not been forthcoming and we felt that our only alternative was to place the position before the parents. I want to be fair to the Hospital Board —their responsibility was to find extra accommodation for some 350 beds in this district. They rightly or wrongly selected this school as suitable to provide 60 beds. The Health Department advised the board to communicate with the Education Department which in turn placed the responsibility on the Education Board as the controlling authority for school buildings, so that the Hospital Board followed the proper procedure so far as they were concerned, but the committee members who are responsible to the parents were not taken in the confidence of any of these authorities.

“The position today,” said Mr McFarlane, “is that the builders are at work on an annexe to provide a sanitary block for the building and I think the Education Board must accept full responsibility for that position and we are entitled tonight to ask our board representatives to definitely explain the negotiations that lead up to Lansdowne School being taken for such a purpose. At an earlier stage in emergency proposals there seemed little prospect of the loss of the school, but we are all aware of sudden changes in the war situation today and while we must admit that adequate preparations must be available for any emergency we think that other arrangements could possibly have been made for an epidemic without encroaching on the teaching of the children. However, these are matters for discussion by the meeting. Before I call for any expression of opinion, I would like you to clearly understand that any protest voiced should be confined to the. question of the occupation of the school buildings, unless through a major emergency brought about by enemy action in this country, and if the school must be occupied, what alternative accommodation would be acceptable to the parents.” EDUCATION BOARD MEMBERS. Mr Nicol said the Hospital Board was in touch with the Education Depart-I ment and not the Education Board regarding the proposals for taking over the school. As soon as he had heard of the Lansdowne School and other schools being earmarked for emergency purposes he had stated that it was wrong. He agreed with the chairman in making a protest to the authorities. He did not think any school building should be taken over for; military purposes except in an extreme emergency. He could not see why the military and hospital authorities could not make their own arrangements. Referring to a proposal to erect an ad-j diticnal ward at the Masterton Hospital, he had been informed that the plans were still in the hands of the Public Works Department. He had asked why the annexe was being added to the Lansdowne School when an additional ward was in view and had been told that the proposal for erecting an annexe had been put forward some weeks before the other proposal was submitted. He agreed that a strong protest should be made from the meeting against the taking over of the school, except in the case of an extreme emergency. ’When the matter came before the Education Board at its last meeting he and Mr O'Connor had entered a protest. He had been kept in the dark as much as had the Lansdowne School Committee.

In reply to a question, Mr Nicol said that when a proposal was made to take the Wairarapa College Hostel building he had entered a strong protest, as he did not consider any school buildings should be taken. The hospital authorities', he assorted, took the lino of least resistance. The Lansdowne School was very handy to tho hospital and well suited for the purpose in view. Other buildings had been suggested, said Mr Nicol in reply to Mr J. McGregor, but the opinion was expressed that they were not suitable. Mr O’Conner assured tho meeting that the board members were in ignorance of the proposal to take over the school and had no official notification of the matter. There was no doubt the authorities had the power to take any building and they were using that power. He did not want to see Lansdowne School taken over unless there was no alternative. He had no doubt the matter of taking over the schools would receive the attention of the Education Board’s executive before the board’s next meeting. College House had been offered in preference to Lansdowne School, said Mr Nicol, but had been turned down in favour of the school. There were 33 boarders there at present. RESOLUTIONS CARRIED. Tho following resolutions wore passed unanimously; “This meeting of Lansdowne parents and residents takes tho strongest exception to the Education Board agreeing to the Wairarapa Hospital Board erecting an annexe at the Lansdowne 1

School in case the premises are required for use as a temporary hospital and in also granting permission for the school to be used as such. It is resolved to point out to the Education Department and to tho Education Board that it is the opinion of the meeting that other and equally suitable buildings could be utilised in the case of an epidemic, either among the troops or the civilian population without disturbing the education facilities primarily provided for the children of the district. That the meeting in no way offers any objection to whatever action maybe necessary on account of a major emergency brought about through direct enemy action, but insists that the school is not to be occupied under any ether circumstances unless every other available bed under the Hospital Board’s control has been occupied. That the resolutions of the meeting be conveyed to the Ministers of Education and of Health to the Director of Education and to the chairman of the Education Board. “That it be a recommendation from this meeting to the Minister of Education that in the event of the pupils of Lansdowne School having tp be found other accommodation, that the following be given careful consideration:— (1) Standards 4. 5 and 6 at Wairarapa College; (2) Standards 1,2 and 3 at Park Pavilion; (3) Infant classes in Lansdowne Sunday School; (4) That on no account should any classes be transferred to the church building and that this meeting definitely will not allow their children to be so accommodated.”