SOUTH CANTERBURY BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7171, 5 October 1888, Page 6

SOUTH CANTERBURY BOARD OF EDUCATION.

m > ■ At the meeting of this Board yesterday the ("hairman stated that Miss Corcoran had been recommended as first year pupil teacher at Waituna, in the place of Miss Bruce, whose time had expired. Miss Fendall, Pleasant Point, desired to be relieved of her duties by the sth inst. A new school had been started at Beaconsfield, witb an attendance of thirty-one, under Miss Jeffcoat as locum tenens. A number of half-yearly reports by the inspector would be laid before the Board. They were all of a satisfactory character. A marked improvement was noticeable at Washdyke and Waimataiti, which had passed good examinations now, whereas fasc year they had very bad reports. The Committee of Glenavy had paid in to the Board's account the £30 demanded from them, and eight tenders were in for the erection of a school. With respect to the difference between " strict and working" average be had seen Mr Wood that morning, who informed him that the difference for the Timaru school for this quarter would be no less than £80. In the case of Redcliffe, referred to by the Chairman, there was a report that the school is only kept open four hours a day instead of five. It was resolved to point out to the Committee the advisability of conforming to the rule in this matter. The-report of the Committee appointed to consider the letting of teachers' residences, when not required by the teachers, recommended that in such cases the Committee should have power to let, first obtaining the sanction of the Board. The building not to be let for a longer term than one month at a time, one month's notice to be given by either side. The teacher not occupying to give one month's notice of desire to occupy, half the rent to be paid to the teacher, half to be allocated to insurance, repairs, and other incidentals, the rent to be paid in advance. The report was adopted. Tenders for the erection of a school at Glenavy, Waitaki North, were opened as follows:—W. Foden, Timaru, —223, accepted; H. "Watts, Waimate, £238 16s; W7 Phillips, Waimate, £240; P. McAleer, Timaru, £245; S. Collett, Waimate, £249 10s ; D. McKay and Co., Timaru, £250 ; H. S. Harris, Oamaru, £270 10s; J. McKenzie, Waimate, £298. The Board, on the motion of the Rev. .T.Barclay, protested against calculating capitation on strict average, on the ground that strict average is frequently affected by circumstances over whicn no one has any control, bad weather, sickness, &c, that it will lead to constant fluctuations of the status of schools, of staffs, and of salaries, involving great inconvenience, additional clerical work, and office expenses. A letter was read from the South Canterbury Educational Institute, urging t_e Board to bring all possible pressure to bear on the department to induce them to revert to the old system of " working average," on the grounds chat, under the other system, salaries are made dependant on ungovernable influences of weather, epidemics, &c, which obtains in no other department of the public service; that the alterations entailed in the staffs of scbools, from time to time, will cause schools to be fully manned, when the attendance is low, and under-manned when attendance is at a maximum; that while not admitting that teachers would yield to it, it is not right to place in the way of teachers a temptation to evade the law by making their salaries depend directly on attendance.