WEST HIGH SCHOOL

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29068, 3 December 1959, Page 12

WEST HIGH SCHOOL

Minister’s Visit

It was 12 years since the school had been visited by a Minister of Education, said Mr H. R. Peers, chairman of the Christchurch West High School Board of Governors, when he welcomed Mr Skoglund to the school -yesterday. The school had the second oldest brick building in New Zealand and there had been thoughts of handing it over to the museum, but it was realised that this could not be done until they got a new building.

The school had hoped to have a visit from Mr Skoglund on two previous occasions, when the new assembly hall was opened and at the centennial celebrations, but he had been unable to attend, said Mr Peers.

They were proud of the assembly hall and grateful to the Government for providing it. All the furnishings and equipment had been provided by former pupils, parents, pupils and friends of the school, said Mr Peers. The response to the appeal for a swimming bath had been quite good but they needed a warmhearted benefactor to give them the rest of the money. The pupils then sang two carols. Mr Skoglund, who had been met on his arrival by a guard of school cadets under Captain J. T. Dykes, said they had performed excellently and he had not seen any better turned out.

It had been a personal disappointment for him not to visit the school on the earlier occasions for its first assistant, Mr Espiner, and he had taught together for some years. Referring to the acquisition of more land for the school, Mr Skoglund said he understood the department might be able to find an additional area and he would see what could be done about it. The Government would provide a subsidy of £l5OO for the swimming pool and £5OO for the plant, so that would be £2OOO towards the money they already had, he said. Mr Skoglund then told the assembled pupils about his recent visit to Australia. Thanking Mr Skoglund for his visit, the headmaster, Mr C. A. Noble, said that as he could see, the seating accommodation could not be used for a full school assembly in the hall. The pupils had to sit on the floor. Mr Skoglund was entertained to morning tea and then inspected the buildings.