Burnside H.S. Land

Press, Issue 32345, 10 July 1970, Page 14

Burnside H.S. Land

Burnside High School was getting enough land for a roll of more than 2000, Mr E, D. Robinson told the school’s board of governors last evening.

Dr J. M. Austin had suggested that there had not been adequate consideration given to the physical needs of the projected size of the school.

Dr Austin said that the board should set up a special committee to examine the special needs facing the school in a period of rapid growth; but it was pointed out by several other board mem-

bers that the Department of Education had planned care- i fully, and that the 35 acres allotted for future growth i were well above that re- 1 quired for any other high 1 school and should be ade- ' quate. Agitation to retain part of ' the Memorial Avenue frontage was another issue alto- i gether, Mr Robinson said, i This matter was at present i being examined by the Mini- 1 ster of Education (Mr Tai- 1 boys) and other officials. All the board required in ‘ this matter, he said, was the ■ redistribution of extra land I so that the Memorial Avenue > sections were retained. The chairman of the board 1 (Mr B. Zeff) emphasised that 1 it was “altogether too late” to hope to extend the area of 1 35 acres already allotted for ‘ school development. Staff Rooms , If guidance counsellors, tutors, and caretakers were ! recognised as an integral part ; of a large developing second- I ary school, then the Govern- t ment should take "urgent” i steps to see that they were given adequate accommoda- 1 tion, the board decided. I This decision was reached 1 after a long discussion on the 1

shortage of rooms for certain staff members. At the time when a guidance counsellor was appointed to the staff, there was no office accommodation for her. Space previously set aside for the caretaker’s use was converted to a counselling room. The caretaker now has to make do with facilities spread through five different areas of the school, including two rooms designated as staff toilets. As long as the board “casually” accepted makeshift arrangements in its bid for greater space for the school, it invalidated claims made to the Government for special consideration, Mr C. G. Shamey said. “We are just cutting the ground from under our feet. All that happens is that the responsibility of the authorities is hidden. It is a dangerous situation,” he said. No other organisation, Mr Shamey said, would allow the accelerated growth being felt by the high school to move ahead without the adequate provision of extra facilities. The board decided to apply to the Department of Education for the erection of two further offices, to alleviate future shortages.