CHRISTCHURCH EAST.

A public meeting of householders of the Educational district of Christchurch east was held, pursuant to the 31st clause of the Ordinance, last evening, afc the Canterbury Music Hall, to receive the report of the outgoing committee and to elect a new committee for the ensuing year.

Tho Chairman of the outgoing committee, Mr Wynn Williams, read the report. "In accordance with the provisions of I section 31 of the • Education Acfc, 1873/ the committee of the East Christchurch school district beg to present a report of the transactions of the committee during the short period tbo members have been in office. On tho 13th day of August last, the following gentlemen were elected as the committee, viz. : — Messrs J. Anderson, W. Pratt, C. Cuff, R. D. Thomas, W. Dymock, Rev H. C. M. Watson, Rev W. J. Habens, Messrs Wynn Williams, J. D. Macpherson. The committee held their first meeting on the 14fch day of August, when Mr H. Wynn Williams was elected chairman, and the Rev W. J. Habens kindly undertook to discharge the onerous duties of secretary for a time. Twelve meetings of the committee have been held. The committee, at the earliest opportunity, proceeded to take the preliminary step of ascertaining the number of children in the district. Mr Geo. Buck was employed to carry cut the work, and the following is an abstract of the return sent in by him, which the committee consider can be relied on as being accurate : —

The first efforts of the committee to obtain the use of the rooms formerly used as denominational schools were, the committee regret; to say, only partially successful, and for some time there was apparently no probability of obtaining accommodation sufficient to justify the committee in opening any school for the present. After some delay, however, the following rooms were obtained, viz. : — The Music Hall, Cathedral square, at a rent of £5 per week ; S. John's schoolroom, Latimer square, at £60 per annum ; and the Avonside schoolroom afc £70 for any period up to 12 months. Schools wore opened at each of the above-mentioned places, wifch a staff of teachers and pupil teachers on Monday, the 22nd day of September. The committeo is of opinion thafc so far the prospects of the new schools aro encouraging, considering the many difficulties which have to be contended with, principally from want of proper school-room accommodation. The number of boys aud girls attending the schools up to the present is as follows : — Music Hall— Boys 190 S. John's— Girls 185 Avonside —Boys and Girls . . . 198 Total 573 Ifc will thus be seen that additional accommodation is urgently required at Avonside, and afc present thero is no prospect of obtaining it. It will bo necessary, therefore, to send several of the older boys and girls to the Music Hall and St. John's, until tho new schoolrooms are built. Under these circumi stances, the committee trust that the parents will endeavour to assist the committee by putting up with a few little inconveniences during the timo the rooms are being built, as without such assistance and co-operation fche difficulties will be considerably increased. Whilo adequately supplying tho various schools with a teaching staff, tho committee have endeavoured to leave themselves free to employ teachers for the higher branches of education, ao soon as provision can be made for this purpose. It is the desire of the committee that the national schools of this distric shall bo able to offer a sound English education to all who attend them, and to assist those who havo timo and ability to extend their studios ; to obtain tho advan- ■ tages of a higher class of education. The committee have taken steps to obtain land for school buildings as follows : — Ono site in Gloucester street; ono site, Avonside; one site, South town belt, opposite tho Railway station. Theso sites aro intended to bo occupied as follows : — The site in Gloucester street by a large central school, for which plans have already beou called for, to contain from 800 to 1000 children ; the two other Bites are to be occupied by smaller buildings, in order to provide Bchoolroom accommodation for children under eight years of age. The committeo passed tho following resolution in answer to the letter from the Bishop of Christchurch, as chairman of tho meeting of ministers to confer on the besfc method of carrying out clause 62 as to religious instruction — ' That agreeably to the proposal made by the clergy, the committeo is willing to release from attendance at the schools on Wednesday mornings those children whose parents declare in writing that thoy wish them to attend at places appointed by their ministers fcr religious instruction, but that the committee will requiro to be assured that such children are actually receiving such instruction, and further that the committee would recommend as a method to be preferred a system of co-operation on fche part of the clergy in visiting the schools on two mornings in the week for an hour each 1 morning to give unsectarian religious instruc-

tion.' The receipts were £50, expenditure £71 13s 9d, leaving a debit balance of £21 13s 9d. In conclusion, fche committee trust that their exertions have so far resulted in good, ( as to be satisfactory to tho parents jmd other ratepayers." On the motion of Mr Exall, seconded by Mr Dobbs — Mr H. W. Packer was voted to the chair. The Chairman said ifc appeared to him, from the paucity of attendance that evening, tbat the householders were well satisfied with fche action of tho committee. He then read ! the 31st clause of the Ordinance, and called for the nomination of candidates. Mr Dobbs said that he would move thafc the old committee be re-elected. Ifc would be folly to appoint a freak committee to succeed gentlemen who had only been in office two months, and who had discharged their duty so well. He begged to move — That the following gentlemen be elected as the School Committee, viz : — Messrs J. Anderson, C. Cuff, W. Dymock, Rev. W. J. Habens, 8.A., ! Messrs W. Pratt, Ifc. D. Thomas, Rev. H. C. M. Watson, Messrs Wynn Williams, aud j J. D. Macpherson. j Mr Walter Snedden seconded the motion, | wliich was agreed to unanimously. The Chairman thereupon declared the gentlemen named to be duly elected. Messrs H. E. Alport and T. B. Craig were elected as auditors. A vote of fchauks was passed to fche outgoing committee. A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings.

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