Woodanilling School Fire. Woodanilling School Fire. Woodanilling School Fire. Woodanilling School Fire.
Woodanilling school razed
P. & C. MEET TO DISCUSS FUTURE
CONSOLIDATION ON KATANNING NOT FAVOURED
Great Southern Herald
8 July 1949 – P3
On Friday night last, the Woodanilling State School was completely destroyed by fire and all the contents, including textbooks, school library and wireless, as well as pupils’ books, were lost. The only things salvaged from the blaze were two cupboards, a table and a very few books.
The Woodanilling School remains.
The alarm was raised by Mrs B. L. Brackie, who was sleeping on the verandah of her home about 200 yards from the school and was wakened by the barking of a dog at 3 a.m. Local residents turned out in force but despite their efforts the weatherboard building, which has only recently been repainted inside and out, could not be saved. To-date, there has been no official statement as to the cause of the fire.
The school building, which is claimed to be nearly 50 years old, provided accommodation for 64 pupils, The teaching staff at present consists of Mr F. F. Anderson, head teacher, Miss Furness and a monitor.
TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION ARRANGED
With the co-operation of the Woodanilling Road Board, temporary accommodation has been arranged at the Road Board Hall, and this week classes have been conducted in three rooms. These arrangements will continue until a decision regarding the future has been reached by the Education Department.
SPECIAL MEETING
On Tuesday evening, a special meeting of the Woodanilling Parents and Citizens Association was called, and some 100 local residents were present at the Road Board Hall. The meeting was attended by the District Inspector, Mr C. N. Cook, who was introduced by P. & C. chairman, Mr W. Whyatt.
Mr Cook stated that parents would have to consider two matters; firstly, what arrangements should be made to cater for the immediate educational requirements of the Woodanilling school children, and, secondly, what action they favoured for the future. He advised the meeting that it would be possible, purely as a temporary measure, to take all students from 4th standard up, about 30 children, into Katanning, leaving the junior children at Woodanilling.
Bus arrangements would be made to ensure that those pupils who did travel on to Katanning would arrive and depart to a timetable which would not alter their normal arrival and departure time at Woodanilling. If this were done, a teacher and a monitor would be retained at Woodanilling.
Several speakers against the suggestion considered that once the children started going into Katanning, they would never stop. Some considered it was unnecessary for the seniors to go to Katanning and requested an assurance that another school would be built at Woodanilling.
After quite an amount of discussion as to with whom the right of voting would rest, it was decided that the parents of children in the 4th standard, or higher, were those concerned and should vote on the matter. This point decided, a vote was taken and resulted in the decision being reached that the children should remain at Woodanilling. The District Inspector said he would inform the Department that parents favoured temporary accommodation for all pupils at Woodanilling.
CONSOLIDATION NOT FAVOURED
When the discussion centred on the future of educational facilities at Woodanilling, Mr Cook presented some information in connection with the Departmental policy of consolidation. Woodanilling, he said, could ill afford the loss of its school building at the present time when conditions made it so difficult to obtain contractors and materials for building. Parents would have to consider the future and if their children went to the school at Katanning, they would be given educational facilities to the Junior certificate standard as good as could be obtained anywhere in W.A. The Department was making Katanning a big school and next year science, languages, metalwork and domestic science tuition would be available.
As far as bus transport was concerned, the present circular route entailed a trip of 32 miles, whereas if pupils were concentrated on Katanning, two terminous routes of about 30 miles would be introduced. Of the 250 odd bus routes in the State, said Mr Cook, the two suggested routes would he amongst the best as 10 miles of them lay over bitumen roads. Another point to be considered was that at present there were only 30 children on the bus route which would mean the 34 children from Woodanilling would only have a trip of 16 miles, and over a good road. He emphasised that the educational facilities which would be available at Katanning, could not be provided at all small schools.
Considerable discussion ensued and a number of questions were put and answered by the Inspector. The general consensus of opinion was that whereas the senior pupils would undoubtedly benefit by the additional facilities available at Katanning, the travelling would entail too great a hardship on the smaller children.
The chairman then put the matter to the vote, asking residents present to indicate whether or not they favoured
consolidation on Katanning. By an overwhelming majority, the meeting decided that a school should be rebuilt at Woodanilling. The meeting also requested an early answer to be given. Mr Cook said he would inform the
Department of their wishes in the matter.
Mr A. Ahern moved a vote of thanks to Mr Cook for attending the meeting, expressing the opinion that the Inspector was doing the best he could for the children. He thought the time would come, however, when parents would want to send their children into Katanning in order they could obtain the advantages of the better educational facilities.
Mr Cook made suitable response, and the meeting closed with the Road Board assuring the inspector he could count on all possible assistance and co-operation from that body. The fact that Woodanilling residents have reached the decision they favour the rebuilding of their own school rather than consolidation on Katanning, does not necessarily mean the Department will concur. At the moment there are unaccepted tenders out for 30 schools and although it has been stated the Department is not in favour of closing type 5 schools similar to Woodanilling, its hand may be forced by this fact and a programme of consolidation proceeded with.
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