Separate High School Mooted

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 60, 25 June 1948, Page 5

Separate High School Mooted

PRESENT SPACE IS BADLY OVERTAXED The Whakatane District High School committee decided at its monthly meeting on Wednesday night to ask the Education Department for the institution of a combined Intermediate High School at Whakatane as soon as possible. This decision was made in view of the fact that the population of the present school is increasing so rapidly that even now the accommodation problem is acute. The figure for the senior department of the school in 1945 was 213 pupils and today, without including the forms one and two, stands at 271, and with the other two forms 455. The committee also decided to ask the Board to make provision in the plan for a Home Science unit and Engineering and Wood-working departments. This provision was thought advisable owing to the number of pupils at the school who leave when they have entered the fifth form or even before and 4 take up some form of employment about the town, instead of continuing their education at the University. By training in some form of technical work they would be better suited to accept jobs about the town. It was pointed out also that the school would provide for the education of the few who continued on to the University. The proposed new High School would have a separate board and a separate headmaster. The primary school will be, the committee , hopes, a new building in McGarvey Road. Education Board surveyors Messrs Henderson and Chambers, were in Whakatane recently - surveying that site.