Difficulties in meeting these requirements were aggravated by arrears of deferred work during the war and the shortage of teacher-training facilities. In the 10 years 1946-56 the number of primary pupils in the town had increased by more than 36 per cent. This was a major factor in the establishment of Taranaki's first intermediate school, which had been mooted during the depression. On February 1, 1955, Highlands Intermediate School was opened with a roll of 473 pupils contributed from most of the primary schools in the town. The principal was T. B. Jackson. Three years later the Devon Intermediate School was built on a swampy area near the Mangaotuku Stream, which was transformed into magnificent park-like playing grounds. The first principal was A. L. Herdman, and the roll numbered 405 pupils from eight schools in the western part of the town. Both these schools were erected by the Taranaki Education Board's own large building staffwhich was virtually disbanded after Devon was built. Primary education is a big business for Taranaki. The total capital value of board premises in the city in 1979 was almost $4 million. The board employed 2048 people, including teachers, in Taranaki during that year and its wage bill was more than $10 million. It has occupied several premises during the century of its existence. It held its first meetings between 1868 and 1894 in the Taranaki Institute buildings in King Street: its affairs between 1894 and 1899 were conducted in three rooms in the Lands and Survey Department section of the old Post Office in Powderham Street and then for nine years offices were occupied in George's buildings in Devon Street. In 1908 the board built its own offices in Lemon Street to which additions were made at various times. In 1957 a new detached building was erected to provide for offices for store men and for specialist teachers in physical education, arts and crafts and nature study. Additional specialists appointed since then have been accom- modated in the old infant department of the Central School in Court- enay Street. The many specialist services to education in New Plymouth provided by the Education Department are wide in scope. Prior to 1914 the board bore responsibility for the inspection of primary schools. The first permanent appointment was that of William Crompton in 1876. With the passage of the 1914 Education Act the inspectorate became the responsibility of the Education Department. Over the years the role of inspector has changed to that of professional adviser to teachers, the keyperson in the encouragement of teaching methods and in-service training.
A special class for slow-learners was established at the West End School in 1927. This was the first class of its kind in Taranaki. The first teacher was an American, Miss Hansen, and until 1931 the class was held in the school gymnasium, when a special classroom was added to the school. By 1978 there were 10 such special classes throughout Taranaki, catering for backward children in primary, intermediate and secondary schools. Miss H. Horrax, attached to West End, became the first teacher of special classes at New Plymouth Hospital. The value of this move was appreciated when it was revealed that in one day in 1960 she taught 25 pupils. Since then two full-time teachers have been employed at Taranaki Base Hospital. As a direct result of an epidemic of maternal rubella (german measles) during 1964 and 1965, several children were born with severe hearing defects. To cater for these a deaf unit was established at West End School on February 1, 1971, when six pupils were instructed by A. Mackie. The unit was disbanded when the children were old enough for intermediate and secondary schooling and their needs were met by itinerant teachers. For some years the only districts with an established museum teaching service were those in which teachers' colleges were located. New Plymouth has for many years possessed a nationally-renowned museum, and fine work was done in making its facilities available for schools. In April, 1966, the value of this work was confirmed when the Director-General of Education approved the appointment of Mrs D. Wharehoka as the first part-time museum education officer, and in 1971 Mrs J. Hoyle became full-time officer. Duties include the organisation and instruction of school parties visiting the museum, preparation of reference mate-rial for school projects and close liaison with schools. In 1979 more than 17,000 pupils visited the museum in organised classes. Other specialised services to New Plymouth schools include speech therapy, dental nursing, occupational help for handicapped, remedial reading, and a wide variety of special visitors. Gifted children also had their special class for a time. Selected pupils of higher intelligence from New Plymouth schools met on two after- noons a week at the Central School under the general oversight of a local headmaster. Projects included extension work, reading and study skills, social studies, language, creative writing, mathematics, individual projects and arts and crafts. Begun in 1963, these classes were discontinued four years later as it was felt such extension work could be better carried out in individual schools. In 1980 there were 13 primary schools in New Plymouth. Most of them were long-established and their histories have been recorded in booklets celebrating their centennial, 75th and 50th jubilees. They have been served by hundreds of dedicated and gifted teachers and administrators.
One of the earliest New Plymouth teachers was Miss Lydia Shaw, who 'graduated' from her own private school, which she and her niece, Miss M. A. Shaw, conducted in the 1840s, to a 'government' school. When Lydia Shaw retired in 1900 she had served education in the town for nearly half a century. The two girls had arrived in the settlement in 1841 and while still in their teens opened a private school in the meeting house of Kawau Pa. This was evacuated during the 1860 hostilities, but when peace came it was reopened as West Infant School, subsidised by the Provincial Council, with Lydia Shaw as head mistress. When this was demolished in 1884 she became head of the new West End Infant School on South Road, which was built on two sections bought from R. H. Richmond for $350. It was planned to accommodate 100 pupils, but when Lydia retired the roll had grown to nearly 240. Miss Mary Dowling became mistress in 1900 and under her guidance the school became, in addition to an educational institution, the chief social centre of the west side of the town. In 1902, following a deputation from parents, the education board agreed the school's status could be raised to include up to Standard Four children, and the West End School District came into being. Building and rebuilding continued to accommodate the growth of the area, but the main criticism for many years was the lack of space for outdoor activities. In 1918 Miss Dowling told the annual meeting of householders: 'The present school has not more than a quarter of an acre of playground and there have been two broken arms and one fractured jaw since the holidays on account of congestion.' But it was seven years before progress was made. About 2 ha of land was bought from the Bonithon Estate across the Mangaotuku Stream, and in 1926 the school was removed to its present site. More extensions have taken place over the years, culminating in the building of a new hall in 1980. A feature of the area are the school grounds, laid out and cared for by Fred Parker, a renowned horticultural expert, who was grounds supervisor for many years. The earliest record of attempts to bring education to adults and children of the Fitzroy area was made in 1844 when the Rev. Robert Ward of the Primitive Methodist Church established the first chapel in New Plymouth at Fitzroy. His Sunday school gave many people of all ages their first chance to learn to read or write. By 1882 the education board's inspector, William Crompton, found the need for an 'official' school, which was established in 'Mr Barriball' s vacant farmhouse, after repairs had been made.' 18 This proved unsatisfactory, and although eventually a new school 'one of the finest in Taranaki with accommodation for 100 pupils' 19 was built in 1885, by the turn of the century the population of Fitzroy had outgrown the school. Parents became more and more dissatisfied with the lack of interest shown by the education board and the department,
and in 1905 the school committee had decided not to open the school after the Christmas holidays. This, with an appeal by Prime Minister Richard John Seddon during a visit to the town, resulted in an immediate response. With a grant of $400 from the Government and a similar amount from the board, improvements were made while pupils were taught in the Fitzroy and Church of England halls. From then on there were few complaints and the roll way synonymous with Fitzroy's growth. The peak figure was 648 in 1952. 'A school has been established in connection with the chapel recently erected at the corner of Mr Elliot's land. '20 This was the start of schooling in the Frankley Road- Hurdon area. Peter Elliot, a farmer, had settled in Upper Westown in the 1850s and in 1853 he donated a small piece of his land to the Primitive Methodist Church, on which the chapel was built. That part of Tukapa Street from Hurdon to its junction with Frankley Road was named Elliot Road. There is no indication as to who the teacher was, or the number of pupils, but between 1858 and 1860, when hostilities forced the evacuation of the area, 'Miss Harris was the girl's teacher at Frankley Road School. She was the daughter of Mrs Harris, the first teacher in New Plymouth. Mr Harris was the boys' teacher. '21 The Frankley Road School administered by the Taranaki Education Board was opened on July 1, 1878, with a roll of four which increased to 11 by the end of the first week. Land for this school, near the corner of Frankley Road and Tukapa Street, was donated by W. B. Davies, a farmer. The first pupil to register was Arthur Hempton, whose father, Captain Thomas Hempton, built a home in Parr's Road, which was bought in the 1970s and restored to its former graciousness by Jeremy Thomson. A new school was required by 1910 which, with additions and alterations, served the area until the present building was erected in 1959. This is surrounded by native bush and has been described as one of the most beautiful schools in Taranaki. Principal since its opening has been W. J. Guild. Town schools which came under the administration of the newly formed Taranaki Education Board in 1874 were the East School, at the corner of Cameron and Pendarves Streets; West School, in Powderham Street near Mt Edgcumbe Street (both boys' schools); Kawau Pa (mixed) and Gill Street Girls' School. These were closed in the early 1880 when two new schools were built; a girls' school in the Courtenay Street (later the Central Infant School) and Central School. The site of the infant school is closely linked with the earliest days of settlement. It was set aside by Frederic Carrington as a residence for the land purchasing officer of the New Zealand company. In the event J. T. Wicksteed, the company's agent, lived in it, and later it was used as an office for the Survey Department. The first surveyor to occupy it was Octavius Carrington; he was followed by Percy Smith and Thomas Humphries both of whom became Surveyors-General. The lawn in front of the house was the scene of many notable meetings with Maori chiefs on it Governor Fitzroy discussed land problems; Commissioner Spain arranged details of purchases, and later Sir George Grey with his Protector of Aborigines,