Long wait for two Chch intermediate schools

Press, 17 April 1982, Page 6

Long wait for two Chch intermediate schools

Two Christchurch intermediate schools had been waiting almost 10 years to have administrative facilities remodelled, a Canterbury Education Board member, Mr R. F. Armstrong, complained at a board meeting yesterday.

The ■ board was told that the work at Casebrook Intermediate School and Manning Intermediate School was not included in the 1981-82 building programme because the board had exceeded its programme ceiling limit. Mr Armstrong said that about eight years ago the schools had been told that the work would be done. To make things easier the work had been divided into stages,

and Casebrook was still at stage one. “We are nearly up to the 10-year mark. We have been waiting for these two schools to be brought up to the 1970 code,” said Mr Armstrong. Another member. Mr I. K. Dunbar, said that progress had been made only in the last two years. The board could at least be grateful that building programmes at most other intermediate schools had been implemented. The board’s general manager, Mr D. Wilson, said the building programme allocation of $2.6 million had been dropped suddenly to $2.2 million, and work planned had to be reorganised. With rapid increases in building costs, the board could not get all the jobs committed into the $2.2 million. Support services Rumours that the Minister of Education (Mr Wellington) could reduce school support services, which included visiting teachers and advisory facilities, were of concern, said Mrs N. J. Johnson. Social conditions were not

improving, pressures on teachers. were increasing, and if there was no reduction in teachenpupil ratios, then .support services were paramount, she said. Members agreed to write to Mr Wellington, who will visit the board on May 12. asking, him to retain and continue to improve support services. Board tour Members will tour the board’s South Canterbury wards from June 21 to 25. About 45 schools will be visited, with an average stop at each of 30 minutes. Truancy • The Children and Young Persons Act, 1974, should be amended so education boards had more power to deal with offending parents where children were playing truant, agreed. Teachers should take prompt action in cases of suspected truancy, they said. The comments will go to the Education Boards’ Association, which has had informal discussions with the Education Department on the problem.