School’s out for nightclasses - the end of an era 

Term 4, 2009 saw the last adult and community education (ACE) classes which will be held at Mairehau High School for the foreseeable future.  In the budget earlier in May 2009 the government announced that they are ceasing funding for ACE through schools.  That funding has allowed the school to employ staff to organise and administer the programme and has subsidised the cost of paying the tutors.  This has meant the fees, which have covered part of the tutor wages, advertising and the costs of providing the venues, could be kept affordable, making the courses accessible to the whole community. 

In 2009, at Mairehau, we ran over 100 different courses and had well over 1000 enrolments.  Students were able to upskill in computing and first aid, learn sign language and sewing, find out how to design a website and how to make the most of their digital cameras.  Our mosaic art classes and patchwork classes were popular and our well equipped woodwork room was put to good use on Monday evenings.  The acrylic painting class was well subscribed and several class members contributed to an exhibition of work in the library for our school Open Evening.  Our yoga classes provided an opportunity to relax and we also ran Qi Gong and hypnosis courses.  Other subjects have included cooking, guitar, gardening and sustainable living.  Our most popular course was undoubtedly the cheesemaking course we offered in Term 2, which resulted in a waiting list of over 180 people!  We have continued to run (but not advertise) the cheesemaking and have had fantastic feedback from all who have attended.

Several of our courses will be continuing next year with other providers.  Both Papanui and Shirley Boys High Schools are offering a ‘user pays’ programme which will mean that they can continue to offer a wide range of courses, but with higher fees.  Two Christchurch schools, Hagley Community College and Riccarton High Schools, were successful in their application to the small pool of schools’ ACE funding that the government created for 2010, but can only use that funding to subsidise literacy and numeracy courses.   

Another aspect of our ACE programme that will disappear is our support for groups running ACE courses in the community.  In 2009 that support extended to 12 different organisations and included courses such as parenting, budget advice and refugee resettlement courses.

Hopefully the government will realise what has been lost to the community and will consider reinstating ACE funding in the future.  When that happens, Mairehau High School will be ready to take up the challenge and will once more open up the school to foster lifelong learning and build relationships in our community. 

Thank you to all who have supported our programme over the years. 

Adrienne Lomax

ACE Co-ordinator (1999 - 2009)