Hagley H.S. Will Have 1200 Pupils

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30823, 7 August 1965, Page 16

Hagley H.S. Will Have 1200 Pupils

The estimated roll of the new Hagley High School next year was between 1200 and 1250 pupils, Mr T. R. Richards, headmaster of Christchurch West High School told the board of governors yesterday. Conservative estimates were that 350 pupils would return from the Christchurch Technical College and 500 from West. In addition, 193 boys and 161 girls from 47 primary and intermediate schools had enrolled for next year. The effect of the merger with Technical had been 142 more enrolments than taken at West last year, Mr Richards said. A rise in the general course would appear to indicate that many pupils went to Technical because they wished to go to Technical and they filled the courses that were available. There were 103 pupils enrolled for the technical course and the number of commercial pupils had doubled compared with the number taken at West last year. Enrolments had also doubled in the home life course. Lack of Progress Mr Richards said he was concerned at the lack of progress on the gymnasium, particularly when plans for other school gymnasiums were going ahead. The plans were ready, and finance was available but there was no site. There were two possible sites, one at the side of the hall where there were now two residences and the other near the site of the boys’ toilets. Mr Richards said he considered the latter a more suitable one, but the secretary. Mr P. J. Halligan, said careful consideration should be given to the demolition of a building for the erection of another when the original

I buildings would have to be replaced. Mr Richards produced a newly painted desk for the board’s inspection which appeared to have been painted with black speckled paint. He said there were three processes involved sanding, painting and varnishing. The cost was a shilling a desk and all the school desk-tops were to be treated in this way. In previous years Technical College had taken Sacred Heart and Xavier College pupils for woodwork, cooking and metalwork classes. So far, neither school had approached him, said Mr Richards, but the facilities were still available for cooking, classes, though there would be no facilities for the boys' classes. It was agreed that the arrangements for the girls’ classes should be allowed to continue. The Joint Inspectorate which investigated the incidental grant would like to visit schools such as Christchurch West which claimed to have reduced administration costs, said Mr Halligan. Mr Halligan asked Mr Richards to prepare a list of all the desirable items that would have been possible under a more lenient grant. Mr Richards said that in an old school, replacements were necessary and there had been deprivations. The school had no grounds and the rents for the grounds that must be hired had been increasing. There was difficulty in meeting both these items from the existing grant. The chairman. Mr R. S. Peers, was nominated as the board’s representative at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Boards’ Association conference.