Butchers’ school ‘temporary’

Press, 16 April 1980, Page 7

Butchers’ school ‘temporary’

Conditions at a‘ training school for butchers in Belfast were hardly fit for animals, a meeting of the Christchurch Polytechnic Council was' told. Mr M. Graham said that the buildings did not comply with any modern building standards. The 'Education Department was not acting .responsibly in letting the conditions continue.

. After the meeting, Mr I. W. .Hall, the associate director of the Poly■technic. said the butchers’ training school had moved to premises at the C.F.M. works at Belfast about 12 years ago as a temporary measure.

About 20 students went through the school for each training course, he said. Attempts were made all the time to try to improve the facilities, but it was hoped a retail meat school could be built on the Polytechnic’s city site. The chairman of the council said that the coun-‘ cil was' grateful to C.F.M. for allowing its buildings to be used.

The Minister of Education (Mr Wellington) will make a second visit to the Polytechnic this year, on April 29. Members of the council expressed disappointment that the Minister’s visit had been reduced to two hours. The annual budgeted income for the Polytechnic for 1980 to 1981 will be $405,000. The Education Department’s grant will be $390,000, and the fee for

class materials collected from students will be $60,000. The library grant for the year was" $36,000, and the Health Centre received $3500 in grants.

Mr A. T. F. Beere said that the council had control over only, a very small part of its expenditure.

The main cost of the Polytechnic would be in wages, which would cost up to $6 million he said.