SCHOOL COMMITTEE ELECTIONS.

Press, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5405, 23 January 1883, Page 2

SCHOOL COMMITTEE ELECTIONS.

{The annual elections of School <#! littees for the year took place y 6B *^! m vening. The following are the lean he city and Suburban schools. — s > -~^B

I EAST CHEISTCHTJECH

The meeting of householders of trict was held in the main school The Chairman of the Committee,. Murphy, occupied the chair, and thes*^ | "f<'J a good attendance of householders. - M fg The Chairman read the advertkeWEJl convening the meeting, signed W-SB Secretary of the Board, and then lowing report for the year:— v«JKJiS The retiring Committee have the *"||&ffl » present their report for the ye&fSrSM Ist December, 1882. They have heW een meetings during their term of "gpH nd have devoted much time and & £rfmffl > the work entrusted to them. ointment of the late Mr John he early part of the year, to nspector of Schools necessitetep ointment of a head-master. itions were received, and, a '^ t •nsideration, Mr J. G. Scott waj 2#£Slil id the decision was oard. Immediately on the the present master the ganising the school and c staff, as strongly r the Inspector in his jecrilp-H c previous year, was gorously carried out. The ttirely confined to the boys' chool. The Inspectors' report ear just ended anows that w rbich have been made esired effect. They report that isation is good, the satisfactory, and that the gimirably behared. The echool **||||1

* vjsminatien on the boye' side were not ac satisfactory as those on thejprle side. S want of a head master dunng 4e first three months of the yte and the reorganiatoon of the boys' school alx>ve referred to, W much to do with the unsafasfactory results in the boys' school, and the small * Bumber in the higher standards can only be remedied by several years of contnmea success in the <wnn»l examinations, in order to form a correct estimate of the work ■of the past year it would be necessary to compare the Inspector's report for 1881 with that of 1882, and by so doing there * ; would be found little to find fault with. It is confidently expected that good work will be done in the future. Eeferring to the -■'- girls' side of the school, we have a much ' more pleasing task to perform in re- . porting that a marked improvement ,-■ has taken place within the year. This ■ is borne out by the results of the -class lists (conspicuous as they are for the number of passes), the Inspectors reporting -that "the girls presented in the 3rd, 4th, and sth Standards passed a very creditable •examination, their papers being neat and -accurate. Such results are most gratifying to the Committee and to Miss Greeham .and her able assistants. The infant school —Mi3s Kowley still continues to give much satisfaction, the Inspectors reporting that -the children attending the infant school were neat and tidy in appearance and well behaved. Phillipstown.—The Inspectors report favorably upon this school, which ha 3 also shown a marked improvement ■during the past year, the Head Master of the district having devoted a portion of his iime to active supervision. Miss Harbidge, the Mistress, has sent in her resignation, a circumstance to be regretted. The appointment of her sue- : cessor will devolve upon the incoming Committee. The Committee have on more • than one occasion urged upon the Board : the necessity of enlarging the school building at Phillipstown, a recommendation ■ which has been adopted, and the necessary additions will be carried out immediately. South Belt School.—The Inspector's report ■on this school has not yet been received, but we are authorised to state that it is ' .highly satisfactory; almost all the children jossed in their standards. A water supply las been provided for the main school, which meets a want long felt. Compulsory Clause. —On December Ist the Board wrote asking if the Committee intended to put this clause of the Education Act into force. A reply was sent to the effect that the clause had been put into force, but that it was found inoperative, as the police would not undertake the duty of hunting up absentees, and the Committee had no funds to devote to the employment of an officer whose duty it would be to hunt up iabitual absentees. Separation of Phillipstown.—A requisition has been received signeabyafewhouseholdersof Phillipstown, asking for the formation of the side-school intoamain school. The Committee do not recommend this change at the present time, on the following grounds:—l. That the younger children are as well cared for at a side school under a competent nustress .as they would be if the staff consisted of a master and an assistant mistress, as the master would have several classes to attend to. 2. That the interests -of the elder scholars are better served by attending the main school, as at present, where every class is large enough to have a separate teacher. 3. That it would be a waste of public money to employ a larger staff, or increase the expenditure in the district, while the present staff is sufficient, and the accommodation, with the proposed addition at Phillipstown, more than sufficient. The Secretary (Mr J. M. Wheeler) read the abstract of receipts and expenditure in connection with the district for the year. The statement of accounts showed the receipts to be £3257 4s Bd, including a balance of last year of JEII 4s 10d. The i&sbursemente for the came period Amounted to .£3237 17s, leaving a balance to credit of £19 7s Bd. The auditors' was appended to the abstract of receipts, &c. In repfy to a question, The Chairman said that there was no register of the attendance of the various members of the Committee. During the jMBt few weeks the attendance had been Tery regular. However, the Secretary would take out the attendances. Eev. H. 0. M. Watson moved the adoption of the report and abstract of ■ -accounted "While doing this, he might say that he did sot endorse the recommenda"tion of the Committee for the establishment of a preparatory school for absentees. Mr J. P. Jameson said lie seconded the motion with a great deal of pleasure. He differed entirely from Mr Watson as to the -advisabknesa of establishing a preparatory school, as he thought it would be a very -good tiling for these children to be com.pelled to go to school. [Hear]. A Householder said he thought the proposal of the Committee was entirely repagnant to the spirit of the Education Act. It was the duty of the authorities to .get the children to come to school, and to enforce the compulsory clauses of the Education Act. [Hear]. The Chairman said he would read the compulsory clause of the Act. [Bead]. Mr Parkes said he thought that, unless the compulsory clauses were carried out, they needed no Government schools, as all ■could well afford to pay for their children. [Mr Hobbs—We do pay now pretty highly for education.] He thought that if the compulsory clauses were brought into force they would find the very children coming into the schools for whom the Act was framed, viz., the waifs and strays. A Householder suggested that it would bo the proper coarse to summon the parents -of the children who were not attending the schools; '[Hear, hear.] Mr Parr said that by clause 93 a parent refusing or neglecting to send his child or children to school when ordered by two [ -Justices, ceuld be fined in a penalty of 40s, ; week by week, until the order wae corns plied with. F Mr Parkes asked whether, if he sent a : list to the Committee of parents whose , -children were not going to school, would they be dealt with? The Chairman replied in the affirmative, «nd said that to facilitate the business of f the meeting he would be willing to with- .". <iraw the last portion of the clause of the " report suggesting the establishment of a . preparatory or probationary school for 1 neglected Children if it were the wish of : the meeting. After some further discussion, Eev. H. C. M. Watson moved-—" That .' the portion of the clause referred to be struck out"

- This was seconded, and on being put was ;. «arried.

: The report as amended was then put and f agreed to. • The Chairman then read the average = attendance of members of Committee for '■ - the year at the fourteen meetings held. ' : The following gentlemen were nominated tot the seven vacancies, viz.:—Messrs M. Murphy, A. Candy, W. Parkes, C. P. Huloert, M. Sandstein, J. T. Smith, H. Wilimson, L. Poszi, Frank Hobbs, E. J. Senders, P. "W. Hayden, and S. C. Farr. Messrs Frederick Hobbs and W. J. Oliver were appointed as scrutineers, and the election as follows ]*ady, Murphy, Farr, Hnlbert, Sandstein, *®ita and Parkes. The Chairman declared these gentlemen inly elected. Chi the motion of Mr Sandstein, a vote ■« thanks was passed to the retiring com'Buttee.

Clephane moved—"That it be an in=a *octiQn to the incoming Committee to T»ge upon the Board of Education the necessity for providing means whereby the -compulsory clauses of the Act may be ■^Miedout." The Chairman said that they had urged we matter upon the Board, and recommended the appointment of an absentee «»«*, but the Board had replied that they *** w> funds. The Board further suggested that the Committee should appoint officer, but they had no funds. «w matter was therefore a dead letter. Mα might say that he had spoken to the awpector of Police on the matter, and he tod told him that the police were too overtO , ™ d ertake the duty, but they with the matter if the lists were sent to them. \ C Wa teon said that he could c6nrse adopted by the VictomnJßoard of Education should not be aad absentee Inspector &r the district* of East and Normal School, &c. F» »«*t suggest that a should be madetothe Board

that it is the opinion of the meeting that, in order to give effect to the compulsory clauses of the Act an absentee Inspector should be appointed a3 an officer of the Board for the district. Mr Farr pointed out that to do what Mr Watson desired it would be necessary to amend the Act, as there was no provision in the Act for lie purpose. This was the difficulty that the Board met with in considering the matter. Eev. H. C. M. Watson said he believed that the Act gave power to the Board to apppoint officers to carry out the work. He would move— " That in the opinion of this meeting it is necessary in order to give effect to the compulsory clauses of the Act an absentee inspector be appointed." Mr Clephane withdrew bis motion in favor of that moved by Eev. Mr Watson, which was then put and carried. At the first meeting of the new committee Mr M. Murphy was re-elected as chairman.