HIGH SCHOOL IN EAST Site Still Open Question

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28541, 21 March 1958, Page 12

HIGH SCHOOL IN EAST Site Still Open Question

The Minister of Education (Mr Skoglund) will inspect today the

and New Brighton sites which have been suggested for a new high school for the eastern suburbs of Christchurch. Mr Skoglund will be accompanied on the inspection by representatives of the Christchurch Post-primary Schools’ Council and the Christchurch City Council. Although no immediate decision is expected. Mr Skoglund said last evening that after the inspection he should be able to give a better idea of the actual position. Mr Skoglund said that the question was still open. “I believe in seeing the problems for myself and as this is the first opportunity I have had I can give no opinion at all," he said. The Post-primary Schools’Council appeared to favour the Aranui site and there was also the question of whether the City Council would be prepared to

allow a school to be built on the Rawhiti Domain. Mr Skoglund said that he did not know what the council’s opinion was on the matter.

Completion Date Asked whether, if the decision on its site was made fairly soon, the school would be ready for opening at the beginning of next year, the time when the Postprimary Schools’ Council believed that it would be urgently required, Mr Skoglund said it would take more than nine months to complete the building. It would probably not be ready /for occuoation until the beginning of 1960. he said.

In July last year the Postprimary Schools’ Council issued a statement indicating that the cost of developing the New Brighton site (even if the City Council was willing to release 20 acres of the reserve) would be prohibitive and it would not therefore recommend the then Minister of Education (Mr Algie) to give this scheme favourable consideration. In all previous investigations the council has unanimously preferred the Aranui site.

New Brighton interests have twice met the council and presented their case in favour of the New Brighton site and have also approached the former Minister (Mr Algie) on the question.