Four Avenues idea part of Hagley High?

Press, 5 August 1983, Page 5

Four Avenues idea part of Hagley High?

The alternative secondary school concept of Four Avenues may be adopted as part of Hagley High School. The Hagley board, which has administrative responsibility for Four Avenues, has told the school’s council that it is prepared to “maintain the body and spirit” of the school within Hagley High. The Four Avenues school, in Gloucester Street, will close at the end of this year. The matter had been referred to the parents and pupils, where it belonged, said the board’s acting chairman, Mr Gerald Thomson.

The board passed four recommendations at a meeting to discuss the closing of the alternative

secondary school. The board supported protest action by the school, a request to the Education Department for the release of the report on which the Minister’s decision was based, and the sending of a letter to Mr Wellington protesting about the way in which the announcement was made. The Hagley board has still not received official notification of the school’s closing. Board members were angry that the Minister had told the news media before the school itself, Mr Thomson said. The Education Department in Christchurch had also yet to be officially told, said its regional superin-

tendent, Mr Brian Gainsford. He had asked the department’s head office to investigate what adjustments would be made to Hagley High School’s intake next year to accommodate Four Avenues pupils. “I think the classroom situation at Hagley will be more than sufficient to cope with the extra pupils. “I am not sure yet what will happen with teachers. The fulltime staff automatically go to Hagley and should compensate for the extra pupils transferring.” Mr Gainsford emphasised that the pupils were not forced to transfer to Hagley, and it was a matter for individual decision.