BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 246, 17 October 1893, Page 5

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

A meeting of. the Executive Committee of the Board of Education was held this imorning. Present: Mr R. Ddy (Chairman) j and Messrs Luke, Muir, Lnrnbe. Head Teachers' Reports.— The usual head teachers' quarterly confidential reports, dealing with the ability of the teaching: stall, etc., were read and dealh with. Seventh Standard Pupils.—Mr Benjamin Bailey, headmaster of the Ponsonby school, in his report wrote in referonce to provision being made for instruction of childron who had passed standard six. Ha said that he had about 40 pupils in the school who had passed the sixth standard, and who would willingly take up somo secondary subjects. He would like to know the wishes of the Board regarding the teaching of these extra subjects, and if favourable, whether the Board would increase the staff sufficiently to allow of an extra class being formed. The present Ponsonby school stall' were unable to pay proper attention to seventh Btandard pupils, who merely go over again last year's course with the 6th class.—Mr Lnko said he thought that the proper place for those seventh standard pupila was the Grammar School. The majority of the parents could afford to pay for the education of their children.—A resolution waa ' passed on the motion of Mr Luke, that the Chairman confer with head teachers and Chairmen of School Committees in order to formulate a scheme for the instruction of pupils who have passed standard six. Newmarket,—Mr VV. K. C. Walker was appointed assistant) teacher in the Newmarket School. Standard Reports. — Correspondence from teachers relative to standard examination reports was road. In reference, to the Napier-street School, Mr Charles M. Carter, headmaster, wrote a long explanation. He pointed out that coming as he did a stranger to the qualifications of tha various members of his staff, he had to feel his way gradually. In Standard V. girls the class suffered very severely through the measles epidomic. The letter also made reference to the qualifications of tho different teachers and concluded by stating that the school should to Borne extent ba affected by the change of headmaster and Ist and 2nd assistant masters, by the prolonged absence of various teachers on the sick list, by tho withdrawal of one teacher, and lastly by the vory eevero character of the epidemic in tho school. Mr Carter also pointed out to tho Board the satisfactory character of the report as to the school in general.—Mr Carter's letter was referred to the City Schools Committee. Berksjorivstreet School.— In reference to failures in certain standards at the recent examination of Bereßford ■ street school, Mr Edwin T. Hart, the headmaster, wrote that the main cause was the unfitness of many of the children for the standards in which they were placed at the time of his taking charge of the school. The disaster in Standard IV. was intensified by the collapse of a teacher from overwork aba mosb critical time, and the inability of the Board of Education to supply an efficient substitute at this particular period.—The explanation was received.