Aranui H.S. Board On Public Use Of Grounds

Press, Volume C, Issue 29515, 17 May 1961, Page 17

Aranui H.S. Board On Public Use Of Grounds

The proposal by the Minister of Education (Mr Tennent) that school grounds should be thrown open for more “common usage” was received with reservations by the Aranui High School Board yesterday. The school already offers mapy facilities to people of its district but it would be unwilling to give the public unlicensed access to its grounds. The board’s abjections stem mainly from pride in the prospective condition of its grounds and fears that special surfaces and equipment would be damaged. The headmaster (Mr W. J. A. Brittenden) said that at present three-quarters of the grounds were unusable because of top-dressing and sowing of large areas recently developed. Because of the sandy soil Aranui had more difficulties than other schools in establishing the grounds but, with irrigation arranged, there was now promise of a good sward. However, said Mr Brittenden, the school had offered the use of football and hockey field and basketball courts to the Aranui Primary School, tennis courts to the Aranui Tennis Club, allowed young children in for play after schdbl hours provided they did not interfere with fittings, and allowed approved persons to take “short cuts” through the property. The assembly hall and meetings rooms had been used by outside organisations. "Should the Minister’s suggestions (with which, in principle, it is hard to disagree) become Government regulation and outsiders have the right to use our facilities <not all of which are provided by the State), sev. eral questions arise,” said Mr Brittenden. “Who would be responsible for supervision’ (Surely not the school staff, who have already supervised their pupils’ extra-curricula activities and have class work to prepare and to mark.)

“Who would be responsible for maintenance and replacement of equipment and the upkeep of grounds? (I have in mind the cost of cricket pitches and the maintenance of turf at the goal mouths of hockey and soccer fields.) “What steps would be taken to ensure that visitors do not interfere with school buildings and do not cycle about the grounds? “I cannot see many high schools being happy about the scheme; but, provided the operative word is ‘privilege’ and not ‘right’ and provided satisfactory answers can be found to my three questions, I consider the school should co-operate in any scheme brought down,” said Mr Brittenden. “But the board should insist on the right to withdraw these privileges. At the back of my mind, however, is the question: Is the need for this scheme really desperate in Christchurch, a city of parks?” “The head has hit it on the head,” said Mr E. F. Wilde. “Surely there is no need in Christchurch to give public access to sthool grounds when there are so many parks and surely they would not want to cut up school grounds with organised adult sports.” The chairman (Mr D. H. Hemsley) said he would be very hesitant about letting in “all and sundry.” The Minister, apparently, had some idea that school grounds should be used in substitution for parks and thus save more land for housing, he said. But a country such as New Zealand should be jealous of its green spaces and try to keep all of them. “I doubt whether the Minister was thinking of Christchurch when he made these remarks,” said Mr F. J Gracie. “Some northern high schools have only five acres. Ours nearly all have 20 acres or more. We have an even larger area in parks and they are not all fully used.”