Page 24 - The Gonzaga Record 1986
P. 24
building the new wing in cut granite, however desirable that would have
been to tone in with what was already there. But what was achieved
showed great imagination. The main walls were of a composition which
in colour, and even to some extent in texture, resembled cut granite. And
the half of the roof which faced towards the front was in copper. The
final result was most successful, and as one looks at the new wing one
does not have any sense of harsh contrast with the granite porch and
boys' chapel.
The eight classrooms were large, something that could be said of few
of the old classrooms in St Joseph's. It didn't matter greatly when the
boys were small and in the Preparatory school. But when it was also a
Senior school things were a bit tight.
Now, of course, that we have the new classrooms one wonders how did
we ever get on without them! Gradually the pre-fabs began to disappear
down the avenue. One other change should be mentioned that has made
a great difference to the interior of the school. Tar-macadam was laid
down on the area where the pre-fabs had been and where the small boys
play at the break and lunch time. Another larger area was tar-maca-
damed at the back of the new wing for the Senior school. It is almost
unbelievable the difference this has made to the amount of mud that used
be brought into the school on wet days, as any of the cleaning staff will
testify.
ABANDONMENT OF THE SIXTH YEAR EXPERIMENT
A brief account has already been given of the thinking and ideals that
lay behind the sixth year experiment. It was something special to
Gonzaga and much was hoped from it. It was to be a sort of transitional
year between school and university. But there were certain presuppos-
itions behind the experiment. It presumed a world where there was no
scramble for 'points' in order to get into third level education. It pre-
sumed the boys had got their matriculation at the end of the fifth year
in Secondary school so that university entrance was already assured. The
ideal situation would be that all exams were out of the way, and one
could concentrate on a truly liberal education.
Leaving aside altogether the changes forced on the school by the
coming of the 'points' system, I think that in a history of Gonzaga some
account should be given of what was a brave educational experiment.
The experiment lasted for over twenty years. That is an important point
to keep in mind. We are not dealing with a short-lived, fly-by-night,
educational whim. 1\venty years is long enough to give a fair evaluation
of an experiment.
An attempt at evaluation
One should begin by saying that the conditions that theoretically should
have been present were never quite so. For instance, in theory all pressure
22
been to tone in with what was already there. But what was achieved
showed great imagination. The main walls were of a composition which
in colour, and even to some extent in texture, resembled cut granite. And
the half of the roof which faced towards the front was in copper. The
final result was most successful, and as one looks at the new wing one
does not have any sense of harsh contrast with the granite porch and
boys' chapel.
The eight classrooms were large, something that could be said of few
of the old classrooms in St Joseph's. It didn't matter greatly when the
boys were small and in the Preparatory school. But when it was also a
Senior school things were a bit tight.
Now, of course, that we have the new classrooms one wonders how did
we ever get on without them! Gradually the pre-fabs began to disappear
down the avenue. One other change should be mentioned that has made
a great difference to the interior of the school. Tar-macadam was laid
down on the area where the pre-fabs had been and where the small boys
play at the break and lunch time. Another larger area was tar-maca-
damed at the back of the new wing for the Senior school. It is almost
unbelievable the difference this has made to the amount of mud that used
be brought into the school on wet days, as any of the cleaning staff will
testify.
ABANDONMENT OF THE SIXTH YEAR EXPERIMENT
A brief account has already been given of the thinking and ideals that
lay behind the sixth year experiment. It was something special to
Gonzaga and much was hoped from it. It was to be a sort of transitional
year between school and university. But there were certain presuppos-
itions behind the experiment. It presumed a world where there was no
scramble for 'points' in order to get into third level education. It pre-
sumed the boys had got their matriculation at the end of the fifth year
in Secondary school so that university entrance was already assured. The
ideal situation would be that all exams were out of the way, and one
could concentrate on a truly liberal education.
Leaving aside altogether the changes forced on the school by the
coming of the 'points' system, I think that in a history of Gonzaga some
account should be given of what was a brave educational experiment.
The experiment lasted for over twenty years. That is an important point
to keep in mind. We are not dealing with a short-lived, fly-by-night,
educational whim. 1\venty years is long enough to give a fair evaluation
of an experiment.
An attempt at evaluation
One should begin by saying that the conditions that theoretically should
have been present were never quite so. For instance, in theory all pressure
22
