What is the S68?

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32848, 23 February 1972, Page 12

What is the S68?

The first $1 million stage of the new Kaiapoi High School is more than a group of concrete block buildings for it represents a brand new concept in secondary school design, given, unfortunately, the rather uninteresting title of “S6B”.

But what is the S 68? It is probably the first real attempt by the New Zealand Government to plan a secondary school to meet the needs of its pupils — changing needs that could never be met by the old “hit and miss” planning that shows up on some of the older secondary schools that have had to cope with bulging rolls. No matter how large the S 68 may have to grow it will still fit in with the tra-

ditional New Zealand concept of “blending.” It will never look as though it was just a planner’s afterthought.

Some of the older members of the teaching profession might bemoan the loss of the huge classroom blocks designed as they were for regimentation and autocratic school rule. Some of the: newer teachers will also, look at the S 68 and wonder why there is no assembly hall as they remember in the days of their youth. But change has been envisaged in the design of the S6B and this change is for educational intimacy which precludes the old and pushes in the new—even perhaps if it has not yet been tested.

The design which is being introduced in Kaiapoi, in Invercargill, Auckland, Hamilton, Ashburton and eventually Dunedin will provide a series of single-storey buildings inter-connected by covered walkways which carry all the heating ducts, electrical cables and communications overhead. The spaces between the buildings will be carefully landscaped. The design is so arranged that the third, fourth, and fifth form pupils are taught their general subjects in house-

blocks, while the sixth and seventh form pupils share a Senior Studies Block. The Senior Studies block gives full recognition to the trend today to provide more specialist accommodation and at the same time it encourages a more liberal approach to the education of senior pupils by providing spaces for ■quiet study, for group tutorials and for team teaching.

The teachers are not forgotten either and they too will have special study areas in which to carry out lesson preparation.

Blocks serving the whole school comprise a free standing library with study booths, and an art and crafts centre.

1 The design makes provision i for the future addition of gymnasiums and a block con- . taining a tiered theatre type ; of auditorium seating 400-500 ' pupils. The auditorium has j music and drama rooms asso- . ciated with it.