Hagley High makes 125 at least

Press, 5 August 1983, Page 12

Hagley High makes 125 at least

Hagley High School, the inner-city secondary school threatened with closing during the last two years, has its 125th anniversary this month.

Celebrations proper start for 1800 pupils and former pupils on August 12, with an open day at the school and a staff reunion in the evening.

A conversazione will be held in the evening, featuring a photographic and historical display of the school’s 125 years. An anniversary assembly will be held in the Christchurch Town Hall on August 13, with decade and group photographs, and an old pupils’ reunion is set for the evening at the University of

Canterbury Students’ Union. On August 14 a commemoration service will be held, followed by a luncheon and variety entertainment provided by pupils and past pupils at the school. An anniversary booklet has been prepared to chronicle the school from its beginnings in 1858 as Christchurch High School. Originally established by St Andrew’s Church —

hence the St Andrew’s cross in the emblem — the school was moved from its Hospital Corner site to Hagley Avenue in 1863.

Ten years later it was transferred by sale to the newly-established provincial school system as the main

unit of five former church schools serving western Christchurch.

The secondary part of the school was discontinued when Christchurch Girls’ and Boys’ High Schools were established. The secondary department was re-established in 1904 as the West Christchurch District High School, the only district high in the city. The school continued as a district high until primary classes ceased in 1932 and , the intermediate department was relocated in 1939 as Christchurch South Intermediate. In 1936 the school became Christchurch West High School, managed by its own board of governors and under the control of the Canterbury University College. Renamed Hagley when Christchurch West and Christchurch Technical High School merged in 1966, the school has developed a reputation for adult learning classes. Its community learning centre caters for 3500 adult students in evening classes, about 200 taking full or part-time day study. About 600 pupils and in Forms 3 to 7, the principal, Miss Ros Heinz, emphasises that the adolescent students are every bit as important to the school as the adults. She sees four main areas of change since she became principal of Hagley seven years ago. The first is the

development of courses such as the computer awareness course taken by all pupils. Coupled with that is the development of transition-to-work programmes and skills or vocational courses such as catering.

The third was the introduction of the home-room concept that led to third formers staying in the same basic group for the first part of their time at the school.

Open enrolment and the loss of the original innercity zone of the school was the fourth. Hagley, because of its siting, was a victim of falling rolls long before other schools. This year it was granted the right to draw from a city-wide zone for its third form intake. The required 150 third formers have enrolled for next year.

For the first time those pupils will join the rest of the school in not wearing uniforms.

An education symposium on the place of the high school today will be held at the school this week-end. Speakers will include trade union officials and educationists.

The school has also planned its annual production to coincide with the anniversary. “O Temperance” by Mervyn Thompson will be staged next Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings by pupils and staff at the school.