HIGH SCHOOL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20107, 29 November 1939, Page 8

HIGH SCHOOL

RECENT DEVELOPMENT

MORE THAN 600 PUPILS

ALL TYPES OF TRAINING

GISBORNE FACILITIES Extensions to the Gisborne High School of recent years and the widening of the; basis of instruction make it a composite educational centre providing for all forms of post-prim-ary activity. The school now plays a very important part in the educational progress of the Gisborne and East Coast districts. Established in 1908. the buildings were first erected in the following year, and the subsequent additions give 17 classrooms, two laboratories equipped for the teaching of chemistry, physics and home science, a reading room, a reference library and the school assembly hall.

In 1935'there was added the workshop block with a machine shop, smith’s shop, a trades drawing room and a woodwork room, and that year also saw the construction of the domestic block, including an arts am' crafts room, a dressing room and cookery room. This Year’s Additions

This year further additions were made in the nature of a new chemical laboratory, an agricultural laboratory and a typing room, while additional class rooms provided for equipment of an up-to-date character to meet the growing demands of the school. Following further increases in the roll number, it is hoped to enlarge the school assembly hall and cloak rooms and to extend the workshop block to provide for motor work and for mechanics and physics in the additional quarters. Many advantages are claimed for a composite school such as the Gisborne High School now is. The staff represents almost every type of experience and qualification, and pupils are enabled in the one institution to receive training of varied types, at the same time gaining the benefit of secondary school life in common, being able to transfer to another type of work if found unsuited for the one he has commenced. Also, the mingling of pupils doing different types of work frequently clarifies the ideas of boys and girls who are uncertain about the type of employment they intend taking up.

Increase In Roll A steady increase in the roll number has been maintained during the last few years. At the beginning of this year the roll stood at (132 day pupils, as compared with 402 in 1935. The teaching staff includes 22 full time and four part-time assistants.

Evening technical classes are controlled by the school, and instruction in a wide range of subjects under qualified teachers is provided for.