Education Board Rebuilding Schools Before 1970’s Boom

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30405, 2 April 1964, Page 11

Education Board Rebuilding Schools Before 1970’s Boom

The Canterbury Education Board is already preparing for another deluge of pupils in the 19705, which is expected to swamp all previous records in rolls and building demands. In nine years from 1945 the rolls of primary, intermediate, and district high schools doubled and this will happen again. In the present comparative lull, the board is doing considerable rebuilding and remodelling in addition to its steady programme of new schools.

The total number of pupils enrolled at the end of 1939 was 34.095. This number decreased over the war years and by December, 1945, had dropped to 32,852. Numbers rose steadily from this point by about 1000 a year until 1950 when the total had reached 39,100.

The next few years saw rapid increases in roll numbers. The post-war boom in marriages and births was fully reflected in the increasing numbers of five-year-olds commencing school. From 1951 to 1954 total rolls increased by more than 9000 to 48,284—giving an over-all increase of 50 per cent in the nine years since 1945.

By 1960 the total roll was 56,813 an average annual increase of 1300 a year since 1954. The next three years showed only a small increase to 57,980 at the end of 1963. Complications Added In the last few years the trend of a shifting school population from inner to outer areas of Christchurch brought added complications to the problems of providing adequate classroom accommodation.

Present indications are that larger increases, in the vicinity of 1000 a year, can be expected over the next few years and that the 1970’s could bring a boom comparable with the early 1950’s with another generation entering the schools.

The story of roll increases since the war has largely set the pattern for building programmes. Pressure of increasing rolls has entailed an emphasis on new schools and additional classrooms with the result that only limited finance has been available for the rebuilding of old schools and for the remodelling and modernising of others.

Generally speaking it is only in the last decade that the original school buildings in Canterbury have deteriorated to the point where rebuilding was justified.

Buildings in some areas have succumbed to the ravages of time and weather more quickly than others and some were originally built to higher standards. Replacement Policy Over the last few years, the board has placed an increasing emphasis on rebuilding work and is planning a steady replacement policy to the limit of available finance. Finance for this purpose is strictly limited by the Goverenment although the Commission on Education in New Zealand has recently recommended a doubling of the allocation.

Schools rebuilt recently and their foundation dates include Templeton (1864), Woolston (1865), Governors Bay (1868), Loburn (1869), Broadfield (1871), West Mel-

ton (1871), and Waimataitai (Timaru, 1883). Similarly the remodelling and modernisation of substandard buildings has been restricted because of the need to accommodate increasing rolls. However, a few schools have been remodelled each year and it is anticipated that this essential work will be continued until all schools reach the accepted higher standards required for modern teaching. Remodelling Example An outstanding example is at the Papanui School where a classroom block built in 1926 has recently been remodelled to the standard of the newer schools. Cloak and corridor space has been taken into the classrooms, giving much-needed additional floor area, new toilets and cloakrooms have been attached and a new heating system installed. The old detached toilets have been demolished.

Other schools where similar work has been carried out recently include Dobson, Pareora East, Winchester, Woodend, Dunsandel, Prebbleton, Pleasant Point, Shirley Intermediate, Sumner, Bromley and Hampstead. It is hoped that the board will be able to give more attention in the future to remodelling or replacing many of the old and antiquated heating systems still in operation, and to increasing the size of smaller classrooms.