CITY SCHOOLS COMMITTEE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 146, 20 June 1894, Page 2

CITY SCHOOLS COMMITTEE.

The ordinary meeting of the City School 8 Committee was held last night. Present* Mr J. Blades (Chairman) and Messrs Farrell, Fairs, Tndehope, Crowe, Squirrel 1 aad Dr. McArthur. Board of Education.—The Secretary of the Board of Education wrote tbab plans for drainage of schools would be forwarded. Colonel Goring bad arranged for sending instructors to the schools from tbo Permanent Force. The Board asked bhe use of the Wellesley-street school on the 26th and bwo following days for tbe examination of pupil teachers, of whom there were 265 candidates. Ib was agreed to grant their request. Chapel-street School.—MessrsSquirrell and Tudehope, who were appointed a Bubcommittee to bring np a reporb on the accommodation in the Chapel-street School, stated that they visited the school and found the statements regarding lack of room to be well-founded, and a condition of things existed with regard to the accommodation for pupils in attendance that required immediate alteration. The building, erected for 150 children, had an attendance upon the date of their visit of 228, showing an excess of 78 over tbe number allowed by regulation. Tho infant and firsb standard departments were the worsb off in this respect. Upon a gallery erected for 60 the Committee found 90, while in the same room the first standard pupils to the number of 44 were occupying the balance of floor space that should be allotted to tbe infants, who were compellod to remain on their gallery during the whole of school hours, cramped op, with barely room to move. Tbe headmaster's room was found occupied by a class of 20, while the lavatories were used as a class-room. It was manifest to the Committee thab both teachers and children laboured under serious disadvantages, and the health of pupils and teachers would suffer by so many boing confined in a space inadequate for them. The report Went on 'fco say thab ib had been urged as a reason why the school should nob be enlarged, thab the obher schools in the neighbourhood could accommodate 400 more pupils, and tho surplus in Chapel-street School should be drafted to theso schools. In order to test the correctness of this the Committee obtained the following figures : — Wellesley-street: 1,020 floor space, number on roll 928. Beresford-stroet: 800 floor space, number on roll 745. Napier-streeb: 650 floor space, number on roll 060. Nelson-street: 469 floor space, number on roll 187. Tbe floor space, 2,939; total number on roll, 2,820. .The excess of space provided over tho number on the rolls was thus 119. The average attendance brought down the totals considerably, bub bhe poinb to consider was bhab if every child on the school rolls pub in an appearance a desk and floor space must be found for them. The reporb concluded by stating bhab bhe Committee had come to the opinion that the school building should be enlarged at once, and urged the Committee to recommend this to the Education Board.— Mr Squirrell moved the adoption of the report.—A long discussion ensued, in which Mr Farrell pointed oub that the subCommittee's figures as to accommodation in tho schools were wrong, and be produced figures to show this. Mr Farrell also stated that the education authorities did nob calculate on the roll number, bub on the average attendance.—On beine put bo bhe meeting, the adoption of the reporb was losb. —A motion was thon passed thanking the sub Committee for their exhaustive reporb. School Stationery.—A circular was read from the Board of Education, stating that fr'"> nbo lsb July nexb bho extra grant to C ......itteeß for the supply of school stationery would be paid according to the following scale:—For an average attendance of 25 and under, £2 per annum; for each additional scholar in average attendance, 9d per annum.—The Chairman explained thab bhe difference was bhab bhe scale w_b reduced from Is 3d to 9d por head. —It was agreed to bring the matber under the notice of headmasters, and in-, sbrucb them nob bo exceed bhe amounb.

Teachers.—The Secretary of the Board of Education wrote thab Mr Hetherington, second assistant master ab the Beresfordstreeb School, had resigned, and that it was proposed to appoint in his stead Mr N. A. Winter, 8.A., a graduate of London University.—On the motion of Dr. McArthur, ib was agreed to ask the Board for" a lisb of seven male candidates for employment who are eligible for the posibion. An Alleged Tbuant School.—Mr J. C. Atkinson, Secretary of the East Christchurch educational district, wrote asking for information on what principle the bruanb school was carried on in Auckland, and where the funds were received from. — Mr Farrell pointed out that there was no truant school in Auckland.—The Secretary was instructed to send all necessary information relative to the working of the compulsory clauses of the Act. School Attendance Bill.—The Minister of Education forwarded a copy of the draft of a School Attendance Bill, which bad been prepared to take tho place of the Education Acb Amendment Bill of last session. Ib wa9 pointed out that the Bill did nob contemplate the utilising of the services cf the police, as did the Bill of last year.—The Chairman took exception to several clauses in the Act, and it .was agreed that he should prepare a resolution upon the mabter, and bring ib up at, the next, meeting of Committee. Resignation,—The Board of Education wrote thab Miss F. J. McKee reeigned her position as first assistant teacher. They recommended tbab Miss Sarah M. Algie be appointed.—On the motion ot Mr Fairs ib was agreed to recommend Miss Botterill for the position. Permit. —Mias Emmeline Edwards, aged 17, asked the Committee to allow her to enter one of the public schools ab the time of the examination as ehe wished to obtain

a Sixth Standard certificate. She had been attending bhe Convent School since she left Napier-streeb School. She wished bo make an application for a position in bhe telephone office.—The requesb was granbed.