ELECTION GRAMMAR SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Bruce Herald, Volume VI, Issue 401, 10 January 1872, Page 5

ELECTION GRAMMAR SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The annual statutory meeting for 'the ejection o : i" a School Committee was held in the school-house, Milton, oil Mdnday evening, at 7 o'clock. Mr iP. Cunninghame in the chair. There was a goo«l attendance of' parents and others. The Chairman explained the object of the meeting, read notice calling ■ft, and *als© extract from Edacation Ordinance bearing upon the election of committees. He then called upon Mr R. R. Jones, Secretary, who read the following report and balance sheet : : — Ainrtiit. Report. " In t6rms of the Education Ordinance, the retiring Committee have pleasure in laying before you their a^nnnal *eport aftd balance sheet for 1871. '" It will 'be .gratifying to note that yo'tr Oonlmflffcee have kept the eipenditnxe within the incbifie, a&d the establishment is in an efficient state. Alter payihg all liabilities your Committee 'had 'the of supplementing iihe salaries of the tw6 under ' teachers whose salaries were considered low, by a bon%* of L3O, and there still Remains ; ■a credit balance of L 42 14. " It will-be observed from the balance sheet <fchat the school fees received during the past year, ate greatly in 'excess of those in. pre:viotis yeara. Arising from the ddltection 6f arreaf s^-the >more pf&nctual payment of fees for the present year, and a decided increase in the number of scholars. ■ ' '" During the early part 0$ the year your 'Committee 'entered into a contract for fenc- : ing in the Bchool grounds. They also--' gravelled a 'eonsiAerable portion '6f the cgr6tind, and effected other improvements. ' which have removed many of thefcoinpfein'ts- J at one time made with regard to the wet arid '< muddy state of the ground in the vicinity ofthe school. . ; "In the month of April, Mr Jn. pupil teacher, made application for leave. Co ; attend the Otago University classes •■■ during'^ the temainder of his apprenticeship, which is

now expired. The Committee 'favorably recommended it to the Education Board, and the requerst'was'readily granted by it. " Your Committee desired Mr Ross to nominate ih 'his place two 'junior pupil teachers, and Mr John Mathesbn and Miss •Mary M'Ltfren were 'nominates and appointed, and an apportionment maiie between them of the salary payable to Mr John Ferguson It is satisfactory to state that! 'these two pupil teachers give promise of; being apt and efficient in the work bf^each-; ing, arid it'i'S hopgd'they will prove of considerable assistance 'to the other teachers. "The bxamination lately made by 'the Sttspecto* btschodls, 'previous to the p'ublic^ examination, -was moat" strict and searching, • and your Committee are fully satisfied from' the Inspector's report and from personal ob- • serration, that the character for efficiency •which ! the school had attained in former years is well s\wtaine& now. " four Committee are glad to acknowledge the diligence, earnestness, and zeal of the various teachers and congratulated them up6h the successful result of their labors as indicated on examination days. " The interest taken by parents and others in the welfare and prosperity of the school has been manifested by the large attendance •of visitors at the recent examination, and by the presentation fcf ispecial prizes to the ptxpils. "Your Committee gratefully desire to acknowledge the liberality ..of tha public in subscribing the handsomeißUmof Lls 14s 6& towards the prize fund. " There are several repairs and improvements still required for the school —but there ■is one thing needed, which they would respectfully suggest to their successors, should be at once attended to. Your Committee ! •tefer 'to the removal of the plasteriiig in the main room, and the substitution of a timber lining. If 'this were done the annual expense and trouble of keeping it in order would be considerably lessened. Peter Cun^xnghame, Chairman. Balance Sheet fob 1872. INCOME. 1871. January 9. To balance from last statement ... £6 12 1 „ School Pees .... .;. .. 286 11 3 > „ Poor Scholars' Fees .:. ... 24 510 \ „ Government Grant towards repairs 20 0 0 i „ Prize Ftihd Subscriptions .. 15 14 6 £353 3 8 ' ■EXPEiforrußE. 189 L By Printing and Advertising ... £4 9 0 „ Repair* ... 60 16 8 „ School Cleaning and ' Broom ... 13 10 Oj „ Salaries, Teachers : 150 0 0 „ Sundries. Mr Ross ... .;. 1 18 10 „ Exchange, postage, telegrams j and stationery)... ... ... 11l 0 „ Clevk's SnkTy ... IS 00 ! „ C mmission on fees collected ... 4 0 0 „ Firewood and coals ... ... 12 6 0 „ Livingstone, prizes ... ... 10 7 2 „ Bonus to teachers ... ... 30 0 0 j „ Summonses ... ... ... 0 11 0 „ Balance in hand 42 14 0 £353 3 8 •'AS3RTS. To Balance ... £42 14 0 *„ School fees in arrear after deducting bad and doubtful ... 31 15 0 £74 9 0 R. &. Jones, Hon. Treasurer. Audited and found correct, January Bth, 1872. Mr James Adam begged to move the adoption of the report, and expressed his pleasure at finding the funds of the school in such a flourishing condition. He had expected that owing to the influences >at work, and the removal of the Roman Catholic children, the report this year would have "shown a serious deficiency, or, at least, a felling off; but, cdntrary to his expectation, there was actually ; an increase, and the balance sheet showed a credit balance 'of I&2 14s, besides arrears of good debts, liSl 15s, after 'allowing a bonfes of LBO to 'line two uiider teachers. Mr •Hdn'ry White dissented from that portidn of 'the "rgptfrt 'with ■reference to giving a bonus 'to 'the teachers. He 'considered them well paid "without it, sttid thought the School fees should rather be reduced. The Chairman explained that the Committee had taken into. 'consideration, not only the low Salaries of Miss Nichol and Mr M'lntyre, Itfftt also the ! great amount o? •enthusiasm manifested by them in all pertaining 'to 'the s&hool, and specially referred to Miss Nicihoi's exertions in raising sortie Lls for prifces, which relieved the Ordinary funds of that burden, and to Mt M-liity re's extra Service's in connection with the cadet corps. Mr M'Latchie begged to second the report, and stated that he did "not consider the teachers too 'highly paid. Mr Gillies supported the action of the Committee. Mr Hay thought tihat they were paying too much for education, and that the ■fees should be lowered. Mr Malrryatt said that he was not satisfied *torith the results of the education given. Mr Gillies remarked that Mr Maityatt was not in a "position to judge of the results, he not having attended either the examination of the School by the Inspector, or the examination by the School Committee. He considered that the Inspector and those who had from year to year taken a lively and active interest in the school were better able to judge, and thefir opinion worth a great deal more than the one who simply expressed a 'haphazard- opinion, and who did not even take the trouble of attending the examinations. His statements were mere gratuitous ■ assertions. < Mr Marryatt pled guilty 6f ftot attending : ; ; he did not approve of the school or the system— he believed in education being left to private enterprise. The establishment of ■public schools prevented private schools tieiag •established. . : Mr Hay considered that tihefre 'were far too many teachers; he knew schools at (home where oSfe teacher taught as many— >(l "B7 Scholars ! -1 !). Mr Murray Remarked that tihe Committee • had no power to reduce the Jfees ; that proposal would have to be submitted to the 1 General, Board. It was the practice, when 1 there were fout of a family Attending school, to remit One. Mr Adams teplied-, pointing dttt that in thinly populated districts it was impossible to-Yednce the fees, and it was very desirable ! the fees should be as uniform as possible all "over the Province. He did not thiak they 'Could be 'complained 'of as excessive^ 'and he toad tto doubt if the Committee that were elected Could see their way clear 'to reduce' them they would;; last yeair a Very small : baknee was in hands, and certainly was not ' such as to justify their reduction. ' : ; The Chairman having put the motion, it was 'carried all but unanimously-.

, Mr Gillies moved, and Mr-Church seconded, that the number of the Committee be fixed at se'Ven^which was agreed to. Mr Gillies moved, and Mr Hay seconded, that the election be taken as in former years by ballot.. Carried. The Chairman, by request, read -'the names of the last Comitoittee— viz., Messrs Murray, Cunninghame, Inglis, Campbell, Gillies, Church, ahd Ferguson. Messrs Church and Ferguson declined to be nominated for -reelection. The. result of the ballot placed Messrs Ctinninghame, Murray, Gillies, tnglis, Campbell, M'Latchie, and Adam as the' seven highest. The Chairman declared these seren j gentlemen duly elected. [ A Vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings.