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PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE, 1
PROPOSED NEW HIGH SCHOOL OF HOBART.
'
DIRECTOR EMPHASISES THE NEED. The
Parliamentary Public Works Committee,
sitting at Parliament House yesterday,
commenced investigation of the
proposal to erect a. new State. High
School in Hobart at an estimated cost of
£11,500 to £12,000. There were present.
-Mr. G. F. Martin, M.H.A. (chairman),
Hon. E. Mulcahy, M.H.A.. Hon C. H. ,
Hall,- 'M.L.C.. Hon. J. Murdoch.
MLC.. and Mr. W. Sheridan, MA..
with Mr. G. K. Reid (clerk).
Wm. Taylor McCoy. Director of East- J
cation, said he had seen and approved
the plans of the proposed school. In
January, 1913, the Department of Education
embarked on a policy of secondary
education, and high schools were opened
in Hobart and Launceston. In Hobart
the school was temporarily conducted in
the old Trinity Hill School, and later the
Baptist Tabernacle was rented to accommodate,
the overflow. High schools provided
a course of four years' instruction, and
it was estimated that by Jiuinars, >
1917, the enrolment would be between
400 to 500 children at each school. The
present enrolment at Hobart was 219.
The present accommodation in the aid '
Trinity Hill school comprised five class-rooms
one science room, one teacher's'
room, two cloak rooms, and a woodwork
room, all used as classrooms, although ; some
were not fitted to be so used. The present
number of clothes was 20. There
was no assembly-hall, no hat and cloak-
rooms, because they were used for teach-
ing, no accommodation for the. teachers,
and not sufficient for the business elliss.
Although the school had been used during
the past few years work had been
subjected to many difficulties, and rb>
advantages because of the limited and
unsuitable accommodation. The Trinity
Hill school was also required as an overflow
school for the Practising School over the
road. Quite 100 of the scholars of
the latter school were being taught in
rooM at the Baptist Tabernacle, and it
was estimated that 200 to 300 children
between the ages of 5 and 7 had been
refused admission to the Elizabeth-street
school during the present year. As soon
as the Trinity Hill school was available
it was the intention of the Minister to
remove there the infant school of the A
Elizabeth-street school. The Trinity Hill ;
school was admirably suited for an in
farm. school. The rooms vacated in the (
Elizabeth-street school would be required i
to accommodate a huge number of club- "
dren in addition to those mentioned who had
been refused admission. Admission to
the school was confined to children ;
within a prescribed area. Many parents
outside this area were desirous of send- <
ing their children to the Elizabeth-street .
school, but permission had to be refused. ;
Every school in the city, with the exception
of Macquarie-street, was overcrowd- I
eat. Even Albuera-street school, only opened
last year, was now overcrowded.
The Chairman : If Parliament should ,
decline to vote this money you will have
an ever-increasing number of children
who will be refused admission to the
I
primary schools-'
Witness, A. es He went on to say that
during the last four or five j cars, school a
attendance in Hobart had increased ram
40 per cent. The chief reason for this
was that child co WHO being sent to
school teacher and stopping later there
would be 16 classrooms at the proposed ?
school If the High School was not built
so as to release limits Hill school team
main education it would be seen
but j to spend 5000 in the provision of
additional accommodation Christie! in
connection with the XJiz.aJietn-strwt
school. The High School plan licence for
li extension of four rooms His opera
tion of the new Hur tines Vcl send in
each e the- men only for the school The
site of (the I hood was between Part
letter and I were btr ets and the North
Hobart in allow (round and Ino It- :
main i cold proud ample accommod a
line to go cause surprise.
to Ali Alureloeh He anticipated Bay
The new school wool 1 provide for the
needs of Bob ii I foe For 20 years
Mr Hall said he had noticed a large
number of elnleliPii between the ages of
and in the bar K of the city during
school hours and witness said this
might be a film accounted for by the
fact that thy li el had to refuse any
such eh ladies admission to Elizabeth
street school , .
Percival Hains Mitchell principal of"
the present High School but the plan
of the now sy bool -. proposed want
meet requires in for some years a
crime and would allow for extensions
When the new pupils came to the present
school ii He new year the' accom
modeller wonder b insufficient In addi-
tion it was unsuitable as for instance
ill He teaching of science and art wlnCl)
required spoil it rooms- These would M
prov deep in the new school ifi.w<T1
also rooms for commercial work and
rooms for the teachers There was, no
accommodations for games at Primly nia
school H was quite satisfied that the
results so far achieved at the HIS
School instance, the creation of a new
school' , _
To Ali Sheridan JJ" thought the P»
bable attendance at the new school wama
luxury the expenditure of 212 000
Tin eommittryy afterwards visited the
Trinity Hill and LliÄibota-i street schools
$