BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 4080, 10 August 1883, Page 3

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

The weekly meeting of the above body was

held thia afternoon, there being present.—

Messrs is, Laishley (chairman), W, F, Buckland, D. Goldie, S. Luke, J. M. Clark (mayor).

I he Chairman's ±<eport.—The report of the Chairman stated that the following temporary arrangementg had been made ! - Mr Crowe to take temporary Charge of Hamilton West School during absence of head-teacher j Mr F. P. Burton to Pokeno Hill Scheol, pending appointment of new teacher; Mr A. Mabbet, licensed teacher, sent on probation to Newton Kasi school. Leave of absence had been granted to J. M 4 Murray (Hamilton West}, Miss Alice Hobba (Beresford-street). Cheques had been signed for £3*666 17s Bd, teachers' Eii'aries and students' salaries £77 18s id.

Girls' High school,—A telegram was received statins,' that £1,000 had been placed on the supplementary estimates for the Girlrtj High School being the Usual grant in aid.

Leave of ABSEkoe was granted to Messrs Hoblis and Moss,

KKPORT ON VICTORIAN StiHOOLS.—Mr McArthur (PriDcipal of tho Training College) having returned from Victoria, forwarded a general report of the public schools of that colony. He said that he had not been favourably impressed by what he saw there, considering that, so far ag discipline was concerned, tho best Of them could not compare with the Auckland schools, whilo their syllabus was also far inferior Very little or no provision, for instance, being mode for teaching composition. Beside* this, tbe spirit arid energy of the teachers teemed to be brushed by a very ill-advised and objectionable toim of patronage. There wa*, too, a lack of physical culture. —The communication was refer* ed to the Inspector to report upon. the Question Of Holidays.—ln announcing that the next business was Mr Buckland's motion, " That the resolution in respect ot holidays passed on the 3rd 4 ngust be reconsidered on the arrival of Messrs Hobbs and Moss from Wellington," the chairman asked leave to make a few remarks. He said that it seemed to him Mr Buokland'a motionwaspremature, inasmuch as no detailed scheme of rearrangement had bee» proposed. But, ia order to place a definite proposal on the subject before the Board, he himself would gire notice of a motion which would not only serve the purposes of submitting a detailed proposition ou the subject, but also, he thought, meet Mr Buckland's desire to postpone definite action until they iad a fall Board. Members would notice >y referring to tbe resolution of last week, that it was than contemplated that the matter should subsequently come up for definite re-adjustment and he saw no objection to euch.definite re-adjustment being postponed till they had a full Board because the proposed alteration would not take effect till Christmas. He therefore gave notice that he would move at the first meeting of tbe Board held after the return of the members of this Boatd now absent at Parliament t—"Tbat t m pursuance of the resolution of this Board passed on 3rd August, 1883, relative to holidays, the re-arrangement, subject to the time of teachers' examination being altered by Government, and exclusive of single holidays, and, excepting in respect of the Girls' High School, be as follows i—" Three weeks at Christmas in lieu of 5, 1 week at Eoater as at present, 1 week at Midwinter instead ot 3 days as at present, 1 wick at Michaelmas as at present, making an aegrrsate of 6 weeks instead of 7 weeks and 3 day?, providad that committees' of country schools may alter the Fame in accordance with tho regulations." When it did come np for consideration it should be borne in mind that tbe duty of the Boaid was not necessarily to follow the wishes of parents on tbe one hand for curtailment or thote of teachers on the other hand in a contrary direction, but marely to do what seemed best jn the interest of the scholars.—Mr Buckland said that he was quite prepared to withdraw his resolution, on the understanding that tbe consideration of the subject would bo resumed on the return of the members from Wellington. lie was opposed to any curtailment of the holidays.-— Mr McKenzie objected to the observance of Saints' days as holidays ia any chape or form.—Mr Luke expressed himself as adverse to any lessening of tbe holidays,—After some further remarks Mr Buckland withdrew his motion.

Charge of '• Gross Impertinence."— The Chairman said th»t tbore were two other matters that he desired to mention. The first was with regard to a resolution pas Bed by the Teachers' Association, viz., a resolution of spptOTal of the conduct of one of the members which was virtually a ensure on other members of the Board. This seemed to him a gross Impertinence oa the part of employ da towards employer*, and a most pernicious principle to allow. Ihe next ntep, and one qnito in sequence, would be for the clerks in the office t» resolvs that they disapproved of the conduct of the Board, and that a copy of such disapproval should be forwarded to it, Mr Lake remarked that the resolution rr> ferred to was not passed at a meeting of teachers, but at a meeting of the New Zealand Educational Institute to which several members of the Board as well as teachers belonged.— The Chairman rejoined that that was exactly the other matter of which he bad intended to speak. The body in question, whatever its name, was mereiy a teachers' association, and, as such, any members of the Board who joined it were placing themsehes in a f »lse position, and they ahould withdraw from it. A* for the teachers' action, it would be borne in mind when the holidays came to be re-arranged.— Mr Goldie coincided with the Chairman's remarks about members placing themselves in a false position. He had been asked to join the Institute, but had respectfully declined. The Major and Mr Buckland also expressed concurrence. Singing Mastkb.—Mr iranwell was temporarily relieved from attendance at the public schools, as hia wife was ill from typhoid feviKi ■

Kefout on Singing.—A memo from the Inspector stated that Berr Scbmitt had asked him to suggest that a competent person should be appointed to examine the schools in sinking, —It was btntcd that the Secretary wan preparing a report on the subject. Tenders —Tenders were received as fol. lows: .Erection of a school building at Uun.ua : Wilson and Mclntyre, £295 10s (accepted) j W. A. White, £297; Wm. Kusser, £339; Leigh Bros., £448 10s. Re. pairs and improvements to teachers' house Waipu Upper: John McLeod, £97 3s 6d (accepted); Wm. Kosser, £173.

(Left Sitting.)