Cath. Grammar for boys only

Press, 22 September 1983, Page 1

Cath. Grammar for boys only

The Cathedral Grammar School will retain its cen-tury-old tradition of accepting only boys to its classes. In a letter to parents of pupils, the chairman of the board, Mr J. W. Wheelans, said the board had decided not to make the school coeducational.

. The board’s proposal, late last month, that the school accept girls in its junior classes brought a swift reaction from parents and old boys, most of whom were against the idea. Mr Wheelans also confirmed that the school’s headmaster, Mr N. F. Daniels, would leave at the end of the school year. The board had been discussing Mr Daniels’ resignation with him for about 15 months, said Mr Wheelans. “While appreciating that parents regret the departure of Mr Daniels, we must accept that it is normal for schools to have changes of headmaster,” he said. The board had not asked Mr Daniels to resign. However, in a letter to parents,

the headmaster said that the board felt the time had come for a change in the school’s leadership, and he agreed with them.

“Being headmaster ot tms school carries with it many pleasures and some problems, not the least being the financial burden of the school. Another is having to live in a central-city school which is not conducive to fully enjoying family life,” said Mr Daniels.

“That reason alone is a strong reason for us, as parents of teen-age children, to wish to be in our own home for the coming years.”

Mr Daniels has been headmaster of the Cathedral Grammar School for 11 years.

Before his appointment in 1972, he was a lecturer in education in the Christchurch Teachers’ College post-primary division, and before that was head of the music department at Hillmorton High School.

He is a member of the Government committee for

the review of the curriculum.

Mr Wheelans said that, after a meeting with parents and the board, parents were asked to fill out a questionnaire giving their views on the co-education proposal. “While the majority preferred to see the school develop in the future as a preparatory school for boys, 47 per cent would not have objected to the admission of girls to the school up to Standard 4,” he said. One hundred parents did not fill out the questionnaire. The board unanimously decided against going ahead with the proposal. In the light of comments made by parents and old boys, and the information the board had gathered itself, “it seems that ideas concerning co-education should not be pursued in the immediate future,” said the letter.

The underlying reason why the board originally

considered co-education was because of its falling rolls. The school did not want to cut staffing or sell buildings to keep it financially stable, and so an increase in the rolls was necessary to maintain the status quo. A recent assessment by Mr Daniels showed that there may be 197 pupils on the school roll in February next year, but that was still 13 boys fewer than the number needed, said Mr Wheelans. The board had decided to expand the pre-school to

two classes, which would provide extra pupils for the future, but a promotion campaign was needed to boost next year’s intake. Old boys of the school were doing market research to assist in the school’s promotion, and Mr wheelans appealed to parents to make suggestions on ways to improve the roll. The chairman of the Friends of Cathedral Grammar Association, Mr G. Glausiuss, said yesterday that he had been asked not to comment. “However, I can say that most of the parents are satisfied with the decision,” he said.