Request for School at Wainono.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 145, 15 May 1900, Page 3

Request for School at Wainono.

The following is the report jof the commissioners appointed to into the question of erecting a school at Wainono /Norton): — We beg to state that, on the 27th ult, we held, in the Waituna School, a meeting of the people' in and around Wainono in connection with a petition for a" Bchool in the latter place. The following three points weve enquired into :—: — yi, s — the number of children to be accommodated. — On the lists forwarded to the Board, M ■svere represented as at present of school age. Of these, some half dozan are on the roll of the Waituna school, while the balance (with the exception of the very younger children) attend some ,of the schools at Waimate. The opinion was freely expressed that about half of the whole, being Boman Catholics, could not be relied on as regular and permanent constituents of the school. Secondly — the distances. — It was discovered that none of the U, with the exception, perhaps, of a few of the very smaller children, were precluded by distance from attending either Waituna or Waimate. Both of .these schools are for 'the gre;.t .majority within n radius of tnree 1 miles. It v/as pointed >out that ttie opening of a certain road for ;a distance of a few chains, would greatly facilitate the attendance J .at Waituna, of a considerable 1 portion of the childreu at Waiuoao. I The third pomt — the possibility i -of economising distances aud « expenses by one central school in ; a more advantageous site. — This! point being raised, the following i dacts were elicited : The shifting -,of the Waituna school eastward .about a mile or so, would involve; the following :—: — (a) It would take it further :?-way from some 20 chilur.ni toxav&s the westward, but from noi< j beyond three miles ; the u ajori y would be within two miles and under. (b) It would shorten the disi tance for some 50 or 60, including .the Wainono petitioners. From •■a mile to a mile and a half would .be the maximum radius. j (o) It would leave the distance ! -,pretty much the same .as at' present for some 6 or 7, living in another direction. (d) And ajtogether, -a circle of'i :some four or "five miles diameter j '■would, with some few exceptions,'! include all the children of both ' • districts, i.e. Waituna and Wainono. i To any such plan as the latter, j however, both parties objected, j 'The Waituna people did nor seem ; 'disposed, for the sake of their neighbours, to forego any of the •advantages of the present school's proximity to them, and the Wainono people said flatly they mast have a school for themselves or none. Had either side shown a little more magnanimity and reasonableness — that is, a disposition that would lead to a • better adjustment of distances, to .-adesirable concentration in respect -of staff and building, and to -greater economy as to organisation, .and cost — the Board, we venture •to submit, would have a more. pleasant task in dealing with the .petitioners. Geo. Barclay, ' Jas. Gibson Gow, Commissioners. May 9th, 1900.