CLOSING OF ROLL

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29238, 23 June 1960, Page 17

CLOSING OF ROLL

School Parents

Protest

The Canterbury Education Board’s limitation of the roll of the Mairehau School to 600, with the consequent refusal of admission of children living in the school district, will be the subject of an urgent protest by parents to the Minister of Education.

More than 60 parents who packed a room at the school for a protest meeting called by the school committee last evening decided to ask the Minister to receive a deputation as soon as possible. The meeting also decided to make written representations to the Education Board.

Most parents attending the meeting indicated they would in the meantime refuse to send their children due for enrolment to the nearby Glenmoor School in northern Philpotts road, as the Education Board desires. Several speakers said that the question of the Mairehau School roll was an urgent one, as there were children in the district waiting to start school, and suggested the board should allow some “tolerance” in admissions until the matter is resolved. A motion to this effect was passed.

The meeting was told by Mr J. A. Wright, the secretary of the school committee, that Education Board representatives had been invited to attend the protestmeeting,. but had declined, claiming that there would be a freer discussion without them—“a particularly poor attitude,” said Mr Wright Criticism Voiced

Criticism was voiced at the meeting that the Mairehau School was not really big enough for the district it was supposed to cater for, and that the school roll had been closed four times in seven years. The Education Board was accused of “passing the buck” over the question of the school roll and accommodation.

Several parents claimed that it was “ridiculous” to expect five-year-olds living near the school “to go past it all the way to Glenmoor.” especially during the winter, and with roads in tne district under sewerage works. "Kellys road is up, Philpotts road is up, and the children would have to go an extra distance by Winters road—and there was some incident concerning a boy on the way to school there the other day.” Mr Wright said. One parent suggested the board should be asked to provide a bus for the children to negotiate the filth and slush of the roads to Glenmoor School—“and to make it more difficult, a pick-up bus,” he said. (Laughter).

There was also criticism that closing the Mairehau roll would mean splitting of families with smaller brothers and sisters of present pupils having to go to Glenmoor.

The history of the present dispute was outlined by Mrs D. M. Weir, chairman of the school committee before Mr Wright read correspondence passing between the Education Board and the school committee.

Later, Mr Wright said that with a present roll of 598, accommodation at Mairehau School at the moment was full—“according to the board,” Mr Wright said. There was one prefabricated room, condemned at one time, but now made usable, but there was no teacher for it. A teacher had taught in the room for the first term, but he had left at the end of the term, and the board had not replaced him. “Can we force the board’s hand by providing another teacher?” asked a parent. “We are entitled to another teacher at the moment,” said Mr Wright “We have to have 601 and maintain that roll for over a month, but we had 621 last September and on that roll we are entitled to an extra teacher.’’

"That's why the board wants to limit the roll to 600,” said Mrs Weir. It was obvious the board wanted to avoid the cost of erecting more prefabricated rooms at Mairehau, said a parent The meeting should strongly disapprove of the action taken by the board, suggested Mr V. Mason, and should be asked to reconsider its attitude in the interests of the local children — “that’s more important than the board not wanting prefabs, and extra teachers at Mairehau,” he said.

After further discussion and an approach to the Minister of Education decided on, a subcommittee of parents was formed to arrange a deputation, and to draw up written representations covering points discussed at the meeting. The sub-committee met immediately after the meeting to frame an urgent telegram to the Minister. w