NRS-3829-2-[5-17765]-5-17765.2 Tamworth Public - Flipbook - Page 24
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Public School.
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has requested us to dra
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attention to the condition of the children who
rattend the Public School, Tamworth. The
little ones have no water to drink, from the time
they arrive at the school-house till they leave it.
Some two or three years ago, owing to the tank
at the school-house being defective, it cracked, •
and the water leaked out, consequently the
supply ran short. The matter was reported to
the Council of Education, by Mr. Rushbrook,
who, in turn,'"was called before the Inspector, •
•
to substantiate his report. In due cou'rse, 'Acme
•
thing was done to the school-house tank, and*
after the succeeding rain, the children were pro•
perly supplied with drinking water. Now,
again, the tank has gone dry ; we know not
from what cause, but have little doubt, it 11
because there has not been sufficient rain to
keep the supply equal to the consumption.
When we recollect that no rain has fallen in
Tamworth since the 29th of March, and that
only three inches has fallen since early in February, it is not difficult to suppose that the
water which found its way into the tank has
been consumed. It is now six weeks since
there was any water in the tank provided for the
use of scholars ; when the supply there ran
short, Mr. Cornish (the master) very kindly
allowed his pupils to quench there thirst from
his well. But for the past three weeks, Mr.
Cornish has been obliged to buy water for his
own use. It is scarcey reasonable to suppose
that he should purchase water for the daily use
of some hundreds of children—such a demand
on his purse would pretty soon leave him penniless. Now what is to be done ? Here, we have
one of the finest school-houses in the country,
which certainly ought to take a higher position
amongst schools than it does ; but which bids
fair to go down rather than up, because the
children attending are being starved for want of
water. Many of Mr. Cornish's pupils come
from a long distance off (even two miles, to our
knowledge), and from the time they leave home
till they return they must depend upon the
charity of strangers for a drink of water. This
is not as it should be. if the Minister of Education will spare a few moments, to look back to
his young days, and recollect what it was to be
in the bush without water, and then think of
these children, he will surely make an order
that water for the scholars be at once purchased
at the cost of his department. Meanwhile, steps
should be taken to secure a permanent water
supply for such an important institution as is our
public school. We trust this matter will not
have to be referred to again in these columns,
and would suggest that fathers of children,
having read this 'Observer,' will mark this paragraph, and forward the paper directed " To the,
Hon. J. Robertson, Minister for Education,
Sydney." If posted within seven days of date
it will go free.
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