Forums On Education

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30783, 22 June 1965, Page 14

Forums On Education

Since the establishment of independent board control of secondary schools in Christchurch and the channelling of their co-operative efforts through the Christchurch Secondary Schools’ Council, most members have been preoccupied with planning accommodation for the growing school population by founding new schools and extending the old. The period of urgency has now passed. Few major expansion programmes are in progress: no new schools have been built recently and none are planned for some years. Board and council meetings tend now to be concerned mainly with routine. The Secondary Schools’ Council has recently given a useful reminder that boards have responsibilities far beyond the provision of buildings and other amenities. It has prompted discussion on the introduction of instructional television in schools, the teaching of more foreign languages, and the importance of English grammar. Some boards invite teachers to speak on new work.

The council and boards may not be ideally qualified to decide what is best in all such matters; but they do give a useful expression of informed opinion. All boards have representatives of the University of Canterbury, the Canterbury Education Board, parents, old pupils, and others; and the school principals attend their meetings as professional advisers. The council has members from all schools. In bodies so constituted it is fair to assume that at least useful questions will be asked and, if necessary, the subjects pursued with the national education authorities. These are accepted—and acceptable —channels through which the university, primary schools, parents, old pupils, and teachers may raise issues of importance. Before the predicted future increase in enrolments raises new administrative problems, the council and the boards should lose no opportunity to discuss broader issues. They have been successful already in arousing public interest; and forums for the review of education at all levels are a valuable community asset.