The Derbyshire Times, Saturday, January 20th, 1923

“Was It Bluff?” Asks Eckington Councillor?

The advisability of erecting a secondary school at Halfway was discussed at a meeting of the Parish Councils of Eckington Killamarsh and Beighton at Halfway Council Schools on Wednesday. Mr. T. Lee, chairman of Eckington Council, was appointed to the chair. At a meeting for a similar purpose two years ago the question was postponed on the grounds that the time was not opportune.

About three years ago Sheffield, in their attempt to bring the three parishes into the city boundaries, promised to erect a secondary school at Halfway. Derbyshire County Council in their efforts to retain the parishes, also promised a secondary school.

Mr W. Sewell, Eckington Parish Council: Do we need a secondary school here or are we prepared to keep on trying to let other places have well equipped schools? Are we content to let out children plod away to Staveley and Chesterfield? If Derbyshire County Council were only bluffing when they promised a school, he went on, it was time the parishioners said so. He was convinced that a secondary school for the district was an absolute necessity.

Mr. G. H. Glover said Beighton Parish Council were in favour of a school, but owing to the present high rates and cost of upkeep, etc, they thought the time was not opportune.

Mr. G. Ward, Killamarsh, said his Council agreed that a school was a necessity but they thought that the question of whether it would not be better to wait awhile should be very seriously considered.

The Chairman read a letter from Mr. P. G. Feak, Director of Education to the Derbyshire County Council, which stated that an estimate put in by the County Council for a site for the school in question had been disallowed by the Board of Education. The Council had, however, put in another similar estimate for the current year. The school, if built, would provide accommodation for 225 scholars, and would cost £25,000 to build with an additional £2,000 for equipment. The annual repayment would be £1,720, one-half half of which would be paid by the Board of Education providing they consented to the scheme.

THROWING DOUBT ON SCHEME.

Mr. T. Butler wondered whether the Councils could guarantee to find fifty pupils to attend the school if it was erected. He did not say they could, and he did not say they could not. He pointed out that at Halfway and Renishaw they had been unable to sustain a night school, at Spinkhill and Camms School they had been abandoned, at Mosbro' and Ridgeway they were having all they could do to continue, and at Eckington Council Schools the class was maintaining itself in a domestic course of practical millinery. Most of those who attended the latter were married women and not young girls. He also pointed out that only eighteen children attended a grammar school from Eckington, where there was a population of 13,000. He fully believed in providing the best possible education for children, but they had a perfect right to consider the cost. “We cannot make out a case that we can guarantee 25 per cent of the number of pupils the proposed school will accommodate”, he said, “and until we can we have no right to ask them to spend this money. We can ask them to give more minor scholarships at Staveley, but we cannot ask them to go into this expenditure until there is a demand for the school”. (Applause.)

The Chairman mentioned that from Mosbro' alone only three children attended a secondary school. “If we had a meeting of rate-payers and asked whether they would have a secondary school or some houses I know which way the vote would go”, he added.

Following some further discussion it was decided on the motion of Mr. W. Glover, Beighton, and seconded by Mr. T. Butler, Eckington, that the matter should be brought up at the annual parish meetings in all the three parishes, and that all the three Council meet in four months' time.

Information compiled by Rosemary Lockie from various sources, 2000-2008.