Bumham School Had Low Roll In Early Years

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30454, 30 May 1964, Page 19

Bumham School Had Low Roll In Early Years

The eightieth annlversay of the Burnham School will he celebrated on June 20 and 21. On June 20, there will also be the official opening of the new classroom and aministration block at the school. Although the school now has 280 pupils, it has been a sole-charge school for most of its history, and only got its second teacher after World War IL Thirty years ago, it had only a tenth of its present roll. Eighty years ago, on its opening day (June 9), it had 34 pupils; but at one time the roll. Eighty years ago, on its had to find part of the teacher’s salary to keep the school open. In the same period, pupils of the old Industrial School (a Borstal-type institution) were boarded in the district to increase the roll. (In the school’s first years, some pupils apparently attended while living at the Industrial School.) The site of the original school was on the Springston

f road, half a mile from Main : South road. In 1949, however, . one class began fo meet in a : building in the military camp, i and the school was not reuni- ■ ted until 1953, when the first three-classroom block was r built on the present site at t the camp. The old school was ■. moved to Courtenay, and it . still serves that district. AddiJ tional classrooms were added . to the new block at Burnham : in 1956, and prefabricated j classrooms followed; these i “prefabs” have now disap- , peared, however, in favour of : the new three-classroom and ’ administration block. I The celebrations on June > 20 will take the form .of an _ official roll call and photo- . graphs. The official opening i of the new block will then j be held, followed by a social [ hour and reunion dinner. Next day there will be an interL denominational church seri vice.