ST MICHAEL'S SCHOOL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10684, 3 February 1913, Page 3

ST MICHAEL'S SCHOOL.

THE NEW BUILDING. . CEREMONY TO-MORROW AFTERNOON. Many residents of Christchureh will be interested in the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the new building for St Michael's Primary Church Day School, which will be conducted by Bishop Julius at 3.15 o'clock to-morrow afternoon.. The school ha 3 had a fairly long career for' a colonial institution: . It ■was established in 1850, the year in which the first four ships arrived, and it was tho first primary school in the Canterbury settlement. When the Education Act, which laid the foundations for the present public school system, came into force,. St Michael's School ceased to exist for a short time, but it was resuscitated by Dean Harper, when he was vicar at St Michael's, and sinco then it has gone forward on an uninterrupted course of useful educational work. In the early days, it had a large share of the education of the young people, and there are large numbers of residents in Christchureh and Canterbury who were taught within it? walls.

At present, it'is attended by about 800 pupils. As th© old wooden building has been,found to be too small for the requirements, it will be superseded by a larger one m stone, The old building, however, will not he destroyed. It has been moved from the site it. has occupied for more than half a century, and will be used as a parish tall. The new echool will occupy the old site, facing Durham Street. In view of the historical interests'associated with the institution, it is expected that there will he a large attendance »t the ceremony to-morrow.