‘Close all, not some’

Press, 13 July 1976, Page 13

‘Close all, not some’

A correspondent to “The Press” has asked why all schools, not just some, were not closed in recent extreme weather. Mr T. N. D. Anderson says some school authorities failed to appreciate the consequences of their decisions to keep schools open in the recent snow storm: traffic was forced on to roads that motorists had been warned to stay off, and teachers used heating unnecessarily while they taught much depleted classes. Many pupils had to travel long distances, Mr Anderson said. “When school grounds were awash with slush, the decision to keep some schools open was inconsiderate. “A clear decision to close, at an early stage, all schools in all categories, must be made in respect of a carefully defined area.” he said. “The criteria for closing schools should be radically revised in view of our experiences during floods, wind and snow of the last few years. We pay the Ministry of Transport and the Meteorological Service, to name just two. for their advice. We should listen to it and act on it.” Some Christchurch principals agree that the present system needs looking at. but say that alterations would be difficult. At present the Canterbury Education Board has power to advise primary' and intermediate schools in the district to close, but only after consultation with the Ministry of Transport and educational heads. No comparable body is able to advise secondary schools to close. Powers to open and close secondary schools belong to individual boards of

igovernors. Any organisation . which took upon itself the powers to instruct boards would be acting in contravention of the Education Act. The act would have to be amended if a uniform policy were to be arranged, and noone seems to think the effort is worth it, because storms of such magnitude are rare. If all boards of the 15 State secondary schools in metropolitan Christchurch agreed to delegate authority to a committee whose advice would be unanimously accepted, Christchurch would be as close to an answer as it might get. But if it were to be effective private schools would have to be included, and there are about 15 of these. One headmaster suggested that decisions affecting all metropolitan schools might be made in the same wav as school sports cancellations. Spokesmen for four or five schools around Christchurch could confer in plenty of time to make one radio announcement for all schools. Mr Anderson referred to a statutory requirement that days lost by schools be made up. He suggested a lengthening of the school year by two days, so that schools would not be so reluctant -to close during bad weather. The Regional Sunerintendent of Education (Mr R. U. Roy) said that schools already worked to this system. Schedules showing the organisation of the school year submitted to the Department of Education invariably exceeded, by at least two days, the legal minimum. Often, with the approval of the department, days off because of storms were classified as school days, so that the two-day allowance remainpri Mr Rov said.