ENROLMENT AT SHIRLEY

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32351, 17 July 1970, Page 14

ENROLMENT AT SHIRLEY

Debate In Private

The Shirley Boys’ High School board of governors followed a well-established patt» n set by most other secondary school boards in Christchurch when it went into committee yesterday to discuss its enrolment policy. Since the issue began a controversy almost two months ago, most boards have nipped in the bud any open discussion on the subject and waited until closed meeting was declared before opening debate.

Yesterday, the Shirley board briefly considered raising the issue in open meeting, but was unanimous in its decision to go into committee.

However, at its last meeting the board reaffirmed its policy of enrolment and went to considerable trouble to ensure that the wording of the reaffirmation could not give rise to dissent School’s Policy

Briefly, the policy of the school is to draw its roll from pupils living in the city east of Colombo Street Papanui Road, and Victoria Street. Other factors taken into consideration are the closeness of the prospective pupil to the school, the family’s association with the school, and the likelihood of the pupil to benefit from the courses available.

Before going into committee. the board received a gift of $75 from the Christchurch Competitions Society, which used the school assembly hall during the May vaca tion.

It also agreed to forward an estimate of the cost of building a new staff common room to the Education Department, which wanted the estimate before approving the board’s request for the calling of tenders for the work.