UNIVERSITY COUNCIL

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27750, 30 August 1955, Page 6

UNIVERSITY COUNCIL

WIDER MEMBERSHIP SOUGHT

SECONDARY SCHOOLS’ REQUEST

Representation of secondary schools on the Canterbury University College Council is being sought by headmasters of secondary schools, and at a meeting of the council yesterday it was decided to set up a committee to examine the question.

H. A. Hornsby, headmaster of Christ’s College, said in a letter to the Registrar of Canterbury University College (Mr J. Logie) that the headmasters of secondary schools had, at a recent meeting, appointed him to ask rormally that the whole question of representation of secondary schools on the council be discussed. “It seems curious to us that none of the headmasters or headmistresses of secondary schools in Christchurch is represented on the college council,” said Mr Hornsby. Mr Leggat, of Boys’ High School, is the representative of the students and not in any way of the teaching profession as such. I believe that there are many representatives of the primary schools and of the education boards on the council, but we feel that the time is ripe for the question of representation on the council to be reopened, and we do feel that there should be some representation of scondary schools. “I will not present our case in this letter, though we consider we have a strong one, but we are encouraged by the fact that we understand Auckland University has changed its constitution to admit the representation of secondary schools, and I believe that the same is true of Otago,” he said. The primary schools and the Canterbury Education Board were not represented on the council as such, said the chairman (Mr D. W. Bain). “This.is a matter we should look into. We would like to hear more from the masters of secondary schools on ttfis question. I suggest that this letter from Mr Hornsby be referred to a committee of the council to examine it, and then communicate with Mr Hornsby and ask for a further statement of his case.”

The committee set up comprised Mr W. J. Cartwright, Sir Joseph Ward, the Dean of Christchurch (the Very Rev. Martin Sullivan), Professor E. Percival, and the chairman ex officio. “Council too Large” The council was too large, and a review of all representation should be made at this stage, said Mr E. B. E. Taylor. “I know there will be many arguments if representation does come up for discussion, and direct representation from the secondary schools would probably be more in keeping than some other representations we have,” he said. “I think we should review the whole question of representation and get the total number of the council down to something well below the 20 or so that now exists.” Mr D. McKay suggested that principals of all post-primary schools, both private and public, should be included in any representation.