OPENING OF THE ABERDARE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL.
The opening of the Aberdare Intermediate School took
place on Monday last. The building, which is situate on a plot of ground
near the lower entrance to the Public Park, has accommodation for 100
boys and 80 girls. The school is an exceedingly neat stone building, with
a central hall and a number of classrooms, the central hall being large
enough to hold the whole number of the children. There is also a cooking
classroom provided, while a workshop and a laboratory are erected detached
from the main building, and a space provided for a gymnasium. The building,
which cost some £5,000, was built by Mr David Jenkins, of Swansea,
the architect being Mr John H. Phillips, M.S.A., St. John’s Chambers,
Swansea1, whose plans were selected in open competition by the assessor,
Mr Evan Christian, F.R.I.B.A., surveyor to the Charity Commissioners,
London. A master’s house is now in course of erection upon the site, the
contractor being Mr John Morgan, Aberdare, and the architect Mr J.H. Phillips.
Some £1,800 was collected locally, and the whole of the work has
been carried out under the superintendence of a strong local committee
of which Mr D.P. Davies, J.P., Ynyslwyd, is the chairman, and the Rev.
B. Evans, Gadlys the secretary, and both these gentlemen now occupy similar
positions on the governing body of the school.
At 12 o’clock there was a large number collected to see the formal ceremony
of opening the school, and Mr. D.P. Davies, JP, (the chairman of the
governors) handed Mrs D.A. Thomas a silver key, bearing a suitable inscription,
wherewith to open the girls’ department, a similar key being handed Mr D.A. Thomas, M.P., to perform the same ceremony for the boys.
Both having briefly spoken, those present inspected the school building,
and at 12.30 the company present sat down to a luncheon, which had been
laid out at the Central Hall. Mr F.W. Caunt catering. Mr D.P. Davies,
JP, presided. The chairman was supported on the cross-tables by Mr. D.A. Thomas, M.P., and Mrs Thomas, Mr. W. Jenkin Thomas, M.A. (the headmaster
of the school, late classical lecturer at the University College of North
Wales, Bangor), Mr J. Dixon (barrister-at-law Inner Temple) and Miss Dixon,
Mr. L. Acomb (Lloyds Bank) and Mrs. Acomb, Mrs. (Rev.) R.J. Jones (Bron
Iestyn), Mr. G. George, JP, and Rev. W. James. The other governors of
the school present were Alderman D. Morgan, Rev. W. James, Rev. B. Lloyd
(rural dean Mountain Ash), Mr. M. Morgan, JP, and Rev. Thomas Jones (Carmel).
Among other representative men present we noticed Rev. H.R. Johnson,
M.A. warden of St. Michael’s College, Aberdare; Revs. R.J. Jones, M.A.,
T.C. Evans, J.D. Rees, J. Sulgwn Davies, J. Griffiths, Aberdare; W.S. Davies, Llwydcoed; Dr. Evan Jones, JP, Councillor J. Roberts, JP, Pontypridd,
C.C. John Howell, Aberaman; Mr. Charles Owen, headmaster of Merthyr Intermediate
School; District Councillors T. Rees, Owen Harris, Rees Llywelyn, Lewis
N. Williams; Messers W.J. Heppell, T. Railton, W. Charles, and Thomas
Walters, member of the Aberdare School Board; Mr. W. Edwards, H.M. Inspector
of Schools, Merthyr; Mr. Gomer Jones, B.A., assistant inspector; Mr. J.W. Morris, clerk of Aberdare School Board; Mrs. D.M. Richards, members
of the Merthyr Board of Guardians; together with the staff of the schools,
a number of the headmasters of the various elementary schools, and a large
number of ladies and gentlemen from Aberdare and neighbourhood. Letters
of apology and regret at their inability to be present were received from
the Dowager Lady Aberdare, the Right Hon. Lady Aberdare, Principal and
Mrs J. Viriamu Jones; Messrs T. Ellis, M.P., R.H. Rhys, JP, E.M. Hann,
High Constable of Aberdare; C. Kenshole, R. Bedington, Thomas Williams,
JP, Merthyr; Dr. Turpin, headmaster of the Swansea Intermediate School;
H.C. Lewis, The Mardy; Thomas Davies, C.C., Abercwmboy; Rev. Aaron Davies,
Pontlottyn, D. Jenkins, builder, Swansea.
The loyal and patriotic toasts having been duly honoured, Mr D.A. Thomas,
M.P., in proposing "Success to the School," said that was a proud day for
Aberdare - a day that had been looked forward to with great anxiety. It
was twenty years since the claims of intermediate education in Wales was
advocated, and sixteen years since Lord Aberdare’s Committee sat. It was
seven years since the Intermediate Education Act was passed, and that building,
which was an architectural feature in the valley, had been now ready for
over two years, and they had much reason to repeat that delay. However,
at last2 the school was open, and they had as teachers men of very high standing.
(Hear, hear.) Their headmaster (Mr W. Jenkin Thomas) was like himself, a
Cambridge man, and not only a degree man, but had taken his M.A. degree
with honours, and was beside a classical scholar of Trinity. Speaking as
an old Cambridge scholar, and one who was not a Trinity scholar, he could
assure them that was a very high distinction. They had now in Wales a better
system of education from the bottom to the top than in any other civilised
country. (Loud applause.) They were now in a position to give every child
equal opportunities, from the elementary school to the university. (Hear,
hear.) Of course they could not give them equal character, strength, power,
or will; but equal opportunities were now supplied, and if they had any
Miltons among them they need no longer be mute and inglorious ones. (Hear,
hear.)
Alderman D.P. Davies, JP, and Rev. W. James briefly responded; after which
Mr G. George, JP, proposed "The, Staff," to which Florence White, B.A,
(headmistress), and Mr W. Jenkin Thomas, M.A. (headmaster), responded.
Mr Gomer Jones, B.A., then read the list of those who had gained free scholarships
at the school, it being announced that the governors had arranged to give
24 scholarships for boys and 12 for girls. Mr Herbert C. Lewis, The Mardy,
had also given four scholarships, and there were another two given by a
gentleman whose name did not transpire. The following are the successful
candidates for scholarships and the marks obtained:- Norman Picton, Higher
Grade3, 254; W.J. Harries, Higher Grade, 252; Samuel Shipton, Penrhiwceibr
Board, 241; Alfred Morgan, Higher Grade, 212; Sidney Reed, Town Board, 210;
Thomas Williams, Blaengwawr, 210; Gow Morgan, Higher Grade, 209; D.J. Rowlands,
Llwydcoed, 206; D.T. Roberts, Higher Grade, 206; D. Davies, Blaengwawr,
205; W. Mason, Higher Grade, 205; W. Rees Davies, Higher Grade, 194; W.
Crowley, Higher Grade, 194; W. Rees Thomas, Duffryn Board, 190; Levi Jones,
Higher Grade, 189; C. Brain, Town, 188; Robert Williams, Higher Grade, 186
; Morgan I. Jones, Higher Grade, 183; Willie Thomas, Town Board, 181; Rubert
Hughes, Hirwaun, 179; Willie Jones, Higher Grade, 178; Daniel Griffiths,
Blaengwawr, 174. Girls -May Daniel, Higher Grade, 234; Margaret Perkins,
Town, 214; Edith Evans, Higher Grade, 212; Elizabeth J. Emanuel, Miskin
Board, 210; Edith M. Evans, Higher Grade 209; Catherine Jenkins, Park, 201,
Mary G. Davies, Higher Grade, 201; Gwen Morgan, Town Board, 200; Emily Griffiths,
Park, 200 ; Elizabeth Evans, Park:, 195; Blodwen Jones, Park, 195 , Eliza
Shaw, Park, 194 ; Mary Richards, Town Board, 193; Mary Davies, National,
195; Sarah Kate Evans, Park, 189; and Mary B. Griffiths, Park, 184.
Mr James Roberts, JP, Pontypridd, then in a highly interesting speech,
full of reminiscences of Aberdare, proposed "The Governors," to which
Mrs, H.J. Jones responded in a speech full of pathos, in which she dealt
with the hopes and aspirations of Wales in the past and its responsibilities
in the present; Rev. B. Lloyd, Mountain Ash, also responded.-"H.M. Inspectors"
was proposed by Mr L. Acomb (Lloyds Bank), the treasurer of the governors,
and responded to by Mr. W. Edwards, M.A., and Mr. Gomer Jones, B.A. Votes
of thanks to Mr and Mrs D.A. Thomas and to the chairman brought a most
interesting function to a close.
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