Blair block for future school

Press, 17 July 1979, Page 14

Blair block for future school

Wellington reporter The Canterbury Education Board has asked the Department of Education to define and designate a new intermediate school site within the Blair block at Withells Road as a safeguard against future needs in the Avonhead area. The Minister of Education (Mr Wellington) has written to the member Of Parliament for Yaldhurst (Mr M. A. Connelly) saying that he, knew of the board’s proposal for pupils from the Avonhead area to contribute to. the Cobham and Kirkwood intermediate schools.

However, as a result of public meetings held in the affected school districts, and of a postal survey, the board had told the department that it would take no further action with this proposal. Designation of the 10-acrr site was approved by the Government several year:

ago, but final action to place the designation could not be taken until the Housing Corporation decided On the roading pattern for Blair block and the site was defined.

Mr Wellington said he could not give any indica-

tion when the new intermediate school was likely to be provided — a statement that is the culmination of several months of activity over the proposed intermediate school. The Waimairi County Clerk (Mr J. Ried) wrote to Mr Connelly confirming previously suspected details that building activity in Avonhead was higher than anywhere else in the county.

According to the 1976 census, in the area bounded by Russley, Avonhead, and Yaldhurst roads there were '6B children aged up to four, 43 children aged between ive and nine, and 796 children aged 10 to 13.