Rolls Of 1200 Discussed By Schools’ Council

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31226, 25 November 1966, Page 21

Rolls Of 1200 Discussed By Schools’ Council

Although most members seemed ready to approve some Christchurch coeducational schools going up to a roll of 1200—if required to relieve local pressure and to remove an immediate need for the building of another high school—the Christchurch Secl ondary School's Council agreed to ask a special ■subcommittee to recommend

■ advice for the Education ‘ Department. This special committee last March saw no need for a new school before 1971, no need to discourage natural growth of existing schools, and asked the Burnside High School whether it would be prepared to expand to meet local pressure there. School Agreeable

Burnside replied that it would be prepared to increase its roll to 1200, provided the staffing formula was revised, administration reorganised, and the ground area increased. Growth to 1600 might be possible, but the Burnside board had not considered this. Summarising previous information and the council’s discussions, the secretary (Mr P. J. Halligan) said there would be sufficient pupils all over Christchurch for another school but the sub-committee believed these could best be absorbed by enabling Burnside, and others under pressure, to grow. The chairman (Mr W. J. Cartwright) said the council had often tried to define an optimum roll but reached the conclusion that the figure depended on the nature of each school. Issue Referred The council was about to report to the Education Department the Burnside offer to go up to 1200, when Professor T E. Carter and Professor G. Jobberns moved an amendment (subsequently carried) that the whole issue be referred to the sub-commit-tee.

They said the council might want more information before supporting rolls of 1200 and the sub-committee might want to reconsider its findings in the light of the Burnside offer. Mr E. R. Hounsell said that as the possibility of an eventual roll of 1600 at Burnside had been mentioned, the Education Department should be asked to indicate its reaction to such a long-term plan. Mr A. F. Foley (Burnside) said Canterbury Education Board forecasts showed that Burnside might have an intake of 500 pupils in 1972 if present patterns continued. That would give a total roll of more than 1500.