Limited Roman Catholic School Enrolments

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30818, 2 August 1965, Page 14

Limited Roman Catholic School Enrolments

No new enrolments of first-year primer children would be made after the present term in Roman Catholic schools where the roll exceeded 150, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Christchurch (the Most Rev. B. P. Ashby) said in a pastoral letter read in all parish churches yesterday.

Bishop Ashby also said no new schools would be built nor would existing schools V, A—s —— J» -3 De himkcq.

In eases where parents were obliged tn send their children to State schools, parishes would provide facilities for the religious instruction of children.

The present cost of Roman Catholic education in the Christchurch dioeese would result in a deficit this year of £15,000 and even with retrenchments the deficit would still be between £3OOO and £4OOO.

Because of the deficit, parishes in the diocese of Christchurch would be called on to pay even more towards education. The retrenchments, whieh were a necessity, were

temporary. They had been brought about because of the increased east of education in Roman Catholic schools, the rapid growth of school rolls in newly-developed areas, a desire to comply with the wishes of the Education Department in respect of pupil-teacher ratios and a need to maintain a high standard of education. In 1986, primers could be enrolled provided that by 1967 there were only standards

classes in all schools where the roll at present exceeded 150. Primers could be enrolled in schools where the roll was now less than 150, provided that those enrolments did not involve capital expenditure or an increase of staff. The exclusion of five-year-odds, and in two eases all the primers, had existed in 10 city schools for the last few years. Enrolments accepted before July 26 for the third term of the 1965 school year would be honoured where pupilteacher ratios permitted. Schools with a roll of less than 150, whieh were mainly in the country areas, could retain their primer classes but the roll was not allowed to rise above 150. Bishop Ashby said existing primer classes would not be affected

In 1961, the salaries of secular teachers in Roman Catholic schools had cost a total of £13,000. This year there had been a 50 per cent increase in secular teachers. The cost for the year was an estimated £33,500. The director of Roman Catholic education in the Christchurch Diocese (Father

T. Power) said last evening the retrenchment would affect about 500 children in February, 1966. The new scheme introduced a uniform policy for the whole diocese, which would resolve several anomalies, he said.