BARRY’S BAY SCHOOL

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30965, 22 January 1966, Page 16

BARRY’S BAY SCHOOL

Consolidation Vote Planned Representatives of the Barry’s Bay, Wainui and Pigeon Bay Schools, who met at Barry’s Bay on Wednesday evening to discuss consolidation, agreed to call householders’ meetings to put the issue to the vote. Present were the chairman (Mr A. S. Murray) and district member (Mr W. C. Miller) of the Canterbury Education Board, its secretarymanager (Mr W. P. Spencer) and transport officer (Mr G. S. Telfer), and the district senior inspector of schools (Mr H. W. Finlay). The chairman of the Barry’s Bay School committee (Mr H. O. Haylock) said after the meeting that the consolidation idea had arisen from the board's proposal to build a new school to replace the 90-year-old one at Barry’s Bay. It was though better to consolidate with Duvaucheile School. Rolls at both Duvauchelle and Barry’s Bay were falling, with few “replacement” children. Duvaucheile was in danger of losing its second teacher, and Barry’s Bay, because of uncertainty about its future, would have to have a temporary solecharge teacher until the issue was settled. The position was the opposite at Pigeon Bay, said Mr Haylock. There were more pre-school children than there were children at school.

“We had a good, fact-find-ing meeting, and now we have to make a final decision,” he said. Mr Spencer said that as transport arrangements were vital, much of the discussion had turned on what could be done in that respect. It had been suggested that the schools concerned should set out conditions under which they might consolidate, and submit them to the board so that the board, in turn, could make a survey and arrive at recommendations.