Shirley Boys’ High applauds local support

Press, 16 November 1987, Page 7

Shirley Boys’ High applauds local support

The Shirley community has been outstandingly supportive and loyal towards Shirley Boys’ High School, says the school principal, Mr Denis Cocks. Speaking at the school’s prize-giving, Mr Cocks said that Shirley Boys’ High School was “first and foremost” a community school.

It had served the Shirley community for more than 30 years, growing in size, strength and mana, he said.

Sadly, not all parents who wanted to send their son to Shirley could be accommodated, partly because of the restriction of the school’s physical size,

and partly because of zoning restrictions, imposed from outside, said Mr Cocks. Mr Cocks said later that Shirley believed in a certain degree of “free market” policy. “Zoning couldn’t be abolished altogether, but as a parent, I will be sending my child to the school of my choice.” Nationally, education had a funding problem, said Mr Cocks.

“I fervently hope that the State will look after its (education) resource more caringly next year.”

Schools should be allowed to make more of their own decisions re-

garding funding priorities, he said.

Educationally, 1987 had been something of a “chutney” composed of reviews and reports on zoning, accountability, teacher shortages in some areas, administration, the role of the principal and the funding of State schools, said Mr Cocks.

“The Prime Minister has decreed the importance of the debate by taking charge of it; himself.”

Whatever the results of the debate, Shirley Boys’ High School would continue to carve its own distinctive education path, said Mr Cocks.