Mr Tennent Opens High School At Mairehau

Press, Volume C, Issue 29674, 18 November 1961, Page 2

Mr Tennent Opens High School At Mairehau

Schools should be closer to the community, the Minister of Education (Mr Tennent) said when he opened the Mairehau High School yesterday afternoon. It was quite wrong for a primary school to have a block of 20 acres when, just a few hundred yards away, there was a local body reserve. which could be used for the school sports, said the Minister. Because land was used in this way a local body might lose £l2OO to £l5OO a year in rates, he said. ‘‘We have a population which is spreading very rapidly over the best land in the country and using it for housing,” said Mr Tennant. “We can have much greater co-operation between the local bodies and ourselves in the use of grounds,” he said.

The Minister commended the school’s plan to allow residents to use the school baths after school hours and the way in which school grounds have been made available to an athletic club. Pupils Inspected Children from the school lined the drive when the Minister and Mrs Tennent arrived. The school band played while Mr Tennent inspected the pupils. A Maori song of welcome was sung by a girls’ third form. The chairman of the Christchurch Post-Primary Schools’ Council (Mr W. J. Cartwright). Mrs Cartwright, and the head master (Mr A. B. Ryan) and Mrs Ryan met Mr and Mrs Tennent. From the quadrangle Mr Tennent went to the door of the school hall where he was presented with the key by the district architect of the Ministry of Works (Mr P. C. Cornish). A hymn was sung and Mr Cartwright welcomed about 300 guests and visitors. They included the Mayor and Mayoress (Mr and Mrs G.

Manning); the member of Parliament for St. Albans (Mr H. J. Walker) and Mrs Walker; representatives of the Waimairi County Council, the Town Clerk (Mr C. S. Bowie) and Mrs Bowie, and Mrs H L. Pickering, wife of the member of Parliament for Hurunui. After Mr Tennent declared the school open, the Dean of Christchurch (the Very Rev. Martin Sullivan) pronounced the dedication and benediction. Later the Minister unveiled a plaque in the foyer and planted a lemonwood tree near the school hall.