Student hostels may be losing popularity

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32779, 2 December 1971, Page 1

Student hostels may be losing popularity

There was every possibility that some of the 348 rooms in the proposed halls of residence for the Christchurch Teachers’ College at Ham would not be occupied, the College Council was told last evening.

The comment was made by Mr A. S. Murray, the chairman of the student accommodation committee.

Mr Murray said he made this assumption on the basis of cost. Many students would probably not be prepared to pay $l6 for this type of accommodation. The principal of the Secondary Division of the college (Mr E. R. Blampied) said the trend among secondary student teachers in Auckland was away from hostels. Savings on food To economise, many students preferred to reduce their food rations. They were able to do this in flats, but not in hostels.

Any decision in this matter should be made by the Department of Education and not left to the council. He was in favour of the council proceeding with its plans to erect the first stage of the hostel, Mr Blampied added. The Acting Principal of the Primary Division (Miss J. M. Herbison) said there hadn’t been an assessment of the type of accommodation wanted by students at the college since 1964.

Common-room space She said the plans of the hostel must be flexible enough to allow the design to be changed according to the changing needs of the students. The lack of commonroom space at the hostel might cause a problem, but this would probably be balanced by a large area for common-room facilities at the new college itself.

A variation in the kind of building provided was also very important. Perhaps flattype accommodation might be considered for senior students, she said. Mr R. K. Milne said the hostel would still prove

popular with first-year students, whose parents would like them to have a certain amount of supervision.

He said many taxpayers in the Ham area had been concerned about certain residential halls being empty throughout the long summer vacation, and because it appeared to be poor economy had wondered if something might be done about it. Professor N. C. Phillips said the university had always endeavoured to make the halls of residence available to groups attending conferences at the university during the holidays. This

helped to reduce the cost per student during the term. He said the move away from hostels to flats did not appear to be anything but a fashion, and one could not be sure whether the fashion would continue.

Between 420 and 430 hostel beds would be available at the university for next year and there was every prospect of all of these being filled. Indeed some applicants may have to be turned away, said Professor Phillips.

He said it should be remembered that only about half of the university population was yet at Ham.