Two High Schools In City To Merge

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30529, 26 August 1964, Page 1

Two High Schools In City To Merge

The technical high school of the Christchurch Technical College and the Christchurch West High School will be merged in 1966 to become the co*educational Hagley High School, the biggest in Christchurch, with a roll of at least 1200. The proposal to move technical pupils to a new Opawa high school has been dropped.

Unanimous agreement on this plan has been reached by the two school boards and the Christchurch Post-Primary Schools’ Council, and the Education Department has unofficially approved. This well-kept secret, arising from six meetings since July 28, was announced by the council last evening.

The merger, planned because an additional school at Opawa was not justified as some school rolls were dropping, resulted from remarkable co-operation in a situation requiring realistic but imaginative thinking, said the Regional Superintendent of Education (Mr S. S. P. Hamilton), who acted as independent chairman for all meetings and presented an

agreed statement to the council last evening. The matter was "settled in 30 minutes last evening without dissent and little discussion. Messrs R. Jones (Technical) and H. R. Peers (West), as chairmen of their boards, expressed appreciation of “this-vast co-operative effort by all” and promised the joint help of their boards in settling details.

The chairman of the council (Mr W. J. Cartwright) said that, excluding the Technical College, it seemed there would be 200 surplus places in Christchurch high schools in the next few years. It was plain that the Opawa scheme would not get past the Cabinet.

The agreed statement said: “During the last few weeks the Post-primary Schools’ Council, officers of the Department of Education, and representatives of the Christchurch Technical High School and Christchurch West High School boards have been studying a situation which seemed to call for review of plans to establish a new high school in the Opawa area. Fall In Rolls “In the last four years rolls of primary schools in the older part of the city have fallen, and present indications are that they will still further decline. Two postorimary schools in particular have shown a corresponding fall in roll numbers. The roll of the Christchurch Technical High School was 925 In 1962; in 1965 the school Is expected to have nearer 600 than 700 pupils. Over the same period roll numbers at the Christchurch West High School have fallen from 939 to an expected roll of little more than 800 In 1965. “Total roll numbers In State post-primary schools in Christchurch are not likely to increase by more than 400 by 1968, though a sudden increase is expected in 1969. With the changing residential patterns of the city, however, any increases are likely to occur in the more recently developed areas of the city. “When these circumstances were discussed informally with representatives of the two boards they each agreed to examine the problem and to consider possible solutions. Their convergent thinking encouraged the suggestion that there should be a joint meeting of the two boards, and representatives of the Postprimary Schools’ Council and the Department of Education to examine the possibility of a merger between the two schools.

Resolutions “This meeting, held on August 24, unanimously adopted the following resolutions:— “1. That, subject to agreement on details, this meeting favours the amalgamation of the . Christchurch Technical High School and Christchurch West High School in 1966. “2. That a joint committee be set up to consider • details connected with • the proposed merger; the committee to consist of the chairmen and . principals of the Christchurch Technical High School and Christchurch West High School, the chairman

and secretary of the Christchurch Postprimary Schools' Council, and a senior officer of the department; the committee to have power to co-opt. “3. On the recommendation of the two high school boards the name of the new high school be Hagley High School. (It is of interest to note that the name Hagley is connected closely with the Cobham family, and the suggestion has been made that Lord Cobham might consent to being associated with the school.) “It is important to interpret aright the intention of these motions. By amalgamation is meant the merging of the long traditions of these two fine schools into one school in such way as to bring to the new school the strengths of each and to preserve their continuity. The two boards feel that they can count on the support of thousands of old pupils and parents and the present pupils in founding a strong, comprehensive high school on the Christchurch West site. Details Involved “It is recognised that a great deal of detailed work lies ahead, and the meeting proposed that the joint committee should now proceed to examine such matters as a new board of governors, courses at the new school, staffing, accommodation and equipment. At every stage there would be regular consultation with the Post-prim-ary Schools’ Council and the Department of Education to resolve problems as they occur and to ensure a smooth transition to the new school in February, 1966. "During 1965 pupils enrolled at both the Technical High School and Christchurch West would remain in their present premises. In February, 1966, the pupils of both schools would become the foundation pupils of the Hagley High School. “For its part the Department of Education will push forward vigorously with bringing accommodation at the new school fully up to standard. Although the Technical High School playing fields are some distance from the Christchurch West High School, the department agrees to the vesting of these grounds in the new school if that is desired. The interests of both the Technical High School and the Christchurch West staffs will be fully safeguarded in the transition. This problem will be minimised by the translation of many of the staff of the Christchurch Technical College to the new Technical Institute in 1965.

“Although, during the whole of these negotiataions, educational principles have been preferred to financial considerations, the proposal will be welcomed as a prudent conservation of existing resources. At the same time it will enable the Post-primary Schools’ Council and the department to consider longterm plans for future developments in Christchurch as a whole.

“This is the sixth meeting we have held since July 28 to resolve this problem. During the whole of these negotiations all parties concerned have shown outstanding cooperation, good will, and concern for the interests of children. We are confident that the Hagley High School can be founded with the equal good will of the other high schools and of the people of Christchurch. We now ask the Postprimary Schools’ Council to support these proposals.”