New Type Of High School Suggested For Geraldine

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29339, 19 October 1960, Page 10

New Type Of High School Suggested For Geraldine

Plans to establish a new type of high school at Geraldine providing education from Form I to Form VI were being investigated by the Education Department, the Minister of Education (Mr Skoglund) told the Geraldine District High School Committee recently. Whether a strong high school was established would depend on the possibility of incorporating the lower forms of several country schools. The Minister said the grading of those schools would be protected. It was proposed to establish three such schools of the new type—one in Hawke’s . Bay, another in the Nelson province,, and possibly a third at Geraldine. The real success of the scheme, Mr Skoglund said; would depend upon bringing in Older children from the country schools so that they could share specialised courses and teachers.

Replying to concern about the effect on country schools expressed by the Education -Board representative (Mr G. Edgar), the Minister said he could probably apply the provisional new grading scale. He doubted whether any country school would lose grading under the scheme. In sole-charge schools, the teacher would be able to concentrate on fewer children and give instruction to the advantage of younger pupils. The older children would have a definite advantage through being taught by specialist teachers in a bigger school. The scheme would make possible a worthwhile high school with an adequate staff of specialist teachers. New Grading Scheme Replying to the headmaster of the district high school (Mr W. A. Pierre), the Minister said he could apply the new grading scheme where it did not involve the erection of new classrooms on the appointment of additional teachers.

Both the Post-Primary Teachers’ Association and the New Zealand Educational Institute had approved the pilot scheme for the creation of the new type of high school to serve rural areas, said Mr Skoglund. “We want this new type of school to be a success,” he said, “and if such a school is established at Geraldine you can rest assured that you will get the type of teacher who will make it a success.”

The chairman (Mr M. H. Askin) said the Geraldine committee had power to ask for only their own forms to be attached to a high school, but the matter of the country schools’ top forms could be investigated. The committee would not like the Geraldine forms returned to the primary school, and he hoped that the Minister would consent to their remaining with a separate secondary school. “If the department can give us a report on the over-all scheme

and its effects on the individual country schools,” said Mr D. C. McKechnie, “the committee can discuss the matter of Forms I and II with the respective committees.” He said the Geraldine committee would not like to harm any of the country schools, but if it could be shown that there were big advantages, and few disadvantages, the parents of children in country areas might agree to the scheme, particularly as it appeared to offer better education for all country children. The Geraldine parents would not like Forms I and II returned to the primary school, Mr McKechnie said.

The Mayor of Geraldine (Mr C. S. Davies): If that were done the protest meeting would exceed the one some years ago when about 500 people attended. Later, the Minister said: “The people of the Geraldine district must decide. We can create a new type of high school here with a large roll from Forms I to VI. If Geraldine does not want it. then the department can put it somewhere else.”