EDUCATION BOARD.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7253, 8 March 1889, Page 5

EDUCATION BOARD.

An ordinary meeting of the North Canterbury Education Board was held yesterday afternoon. Present—Messrs W. Chrystall (chairman), A. H. Cunningham. T. H. Anson, T. S. Weston, A. Saunders, J. Rnddenklau, B. v\. Perynian. An apology was accepted for the absence of Mr E. GTWright. The business done by the Chairman was approved. Ihe election of members was reported as under :—A. Saunders, 91; A. H. Cunningham. 85; K. Westenra, 65; W. H. Wynn Williams, 52; Rev. W. Finlayson, 27; T. Gordon, 22. The number of Com mittees votiug was 119. The three gentlemen obtaining tha highest votes weJe declared elected. The following appointments were reported to the Board by the Appointment Committee :— Uainpstead—Mr R. Frizzell, Assistant Master. Ferry Boad—Mr G. Dalglish, Assistant Master. Southbrook—Miss Janet Dick, Assistant Mistress. Halkett—Miss J. B. Menzies, Mistress. Flaxton (Main) — Miss A via Todd, Mistress. Hurunui —Miss M. Wallace, Mistress. Ihe Buildings Committee reported:— " A memorandum was received from the Department, stating that the Minister had not yet decided as to the distribution of the remainder of the grant for school buildings. The Little Akaloa School Committee again urged that steps should be taken for the erection of a side school. They were informed that the Clerk of Works was instructed to report as to any available site when he visited the Peninsula. An application for painting the school buildings at Ashton was deferred. ! The Dartield School Committee explained that the curtain applied for was wanted on account of the noise when two teachers were at work in the school, and offered to pay one-half of the cost. It was resolved tnat the matter must be deferred. W. Foley wrote to the effect that nothing had been done towards building a schoolroom, as agreed, at Hill Top, Little River, the residents not approving of the site proposed by Mr Brooks. It was resolved to reply that the Board's offer was still open, but the residents must agree about the sice. The Clerk of Works was directed to report as to repairs said to be required at the master's house at Christchurch West, also as to some improvement at the caretaker's. The Jb'iaxton School Committee called attention to repairs required in the school and house. It was resolved to repair the plastering in the schoolroom and the range in the master's house. The Malvern Seuool Committee applied for a niter. Mr Peryman underttVOK to enquire whether a suitable one cou\d be supplied at a reasonable co.st. It was decided to advertise in the Akaroa Mad for tenders for the purchase of the old schoolroom and site at Wainui. Further information was required about the cost of renewing the boundary fence at Kaiapoi Island. An application for painting the school buildings at Tinwald was deferred. The School (Jo mm it tee applied for £1U for matchliniug the upstairs room in the master's house at Selwyn. The sum of £5 was allowed. It was suggested that > scrim and paper would be sufficient. An application fora windmill-pump at Cust was declined on the ground of want of funds. The Gieeupark School Committee enquired whether it was advisable to grant the use of the schoolroom to a brass band, and also applied for repairs to the roof of the house. The Clerk of Works was directed to report about the house. The Committee declined to give any advice respecting the use of the schoolroom. The Sydenham School Committee applied for permission to have * swimming - bath constructed in the school ground under an arrangement with the Borough Council. The Committee resolved to meet the School Committee on the ground, and to confer with them upon the matter. The Clerk of Works was directed to report as to the door of the schoolroom at Governor's Bay, which was said Co need renewal. The Brooinfleld School Committee again called attention to the state of the well. It was explained that the Board had contracted for deepening and re-building the well, and that the work would be done as soon as practicable. The Hampstead School Committee's recommendation as to the purchase of an addition to the school site was considered. It was resolved that the matter should be deferred till there were funds available. The Clerk of Works was directed to see whether the artesian well at the Normal School could be cleared out. The following tenders wore accepted:— St. Albans, pointing and repairs, ALenhire and Co., £4a ltia; Kirwee and AylesOury, painting and fuel shed, Menhire and Co., £31 lus ; Weedon, painting and repairs, A. Swanston, £75 10s Ud ; jtiussell's Flat, painting and repairs, J. Lord, £64 10s, Kakaia, improvements, W. Kemble, £30. The Clerk of Works reported as to necessary repairs and improvements at Fernside, the further consideration of which was deferred till there should be funds available. M.r Preatldge aeked tor a re- I turn of his deposit. Id was decided that in consideration of the extra trouble and expense caused by hits declining to proceed wi h the work at Uieuroy, the sum of £2 should be retained." The report was adopted. The Chairman of the Buildings Committee also reported.:— " The Buildings Committee, in company with the Clerk of Works, visited the Sydenham School this (Thursday) morning to report upon the pioposed erection of a public bath on the school ground. The position po.nted out by the School Committee—viz., on the south side of the new road lately dedicated, to the extent of IOOf t by 3Uf t, near the caretaker's house, the Building Committee recommend and approve of, out refer the legality of leasing the site to the Borough council, and the terms thereof to the Board." The report was approved, and it was decided to refer the question of leasing to { the Board's solicitors. ! The Chaikman said that a long letter had been received from the education otttce ac Invercargiil, and the Inspectors here had reported on it, respecting the uniformity of books. i It lyus decided that copies of the letters should be supplied to members for perusal. The Chairman referred to a report on the Board's nuances, which showed a : saving this year of £1357 16* Id. The expenditure under the previous system was I £43(55 12s Id. Mr Veel had .prepared a report on the result of the examination for certificates, wiiich was extremely satisfactory. Mr V'EEt read the report, which was as under'— "I have the honor to report that tbe results of the examination tor certificates have been gazetted, and that so far as the students oi the Normal School are concerned they are very favoraole. Of the ten matriculated students who studied at i Canterbury College, five have passed in all 1 the additional subjects, and are now J gazetted as having gamed the fall D certi- ; ttcate. Of the seventeen who were taught I entirely in the Normal School, nine sat for i the U certificate and eight for E. Of the nine who tried for class D, four passed : fully and five in all but one subject; two of the latter also completing the work for ! class E, for which they passed the year ! before. Of the eight who went fh for ! class E, six passed altogether and two in all but one subject. One candidate for class L> was unwell on the last day of the i examination, and was obliged to retire shortly after the algebra paper was ' given out. As algeora is one of her strongest subjects, and as she passed in ail the others, there is no doubt that but for this accident we should have secured another full D. It is to be observed that not only did none of these students fail altogether, but that in no instance did those who were not fully successful fail in more than a single subject. Considering that the Normal School opened last year a month later than usual, that there were several considerable interruptions to stuay, and that the time allowed for instruction has, under the new arrangements, been lessened by two hours a day, I think these results may be regarded as very satisfactory, and 1 have pleasure in adding that they are largely due to the efficience and industry of W. Watkins. He has worked throughout the year with a zeal and an ability of which I cannot speak in too high terms, and I am pleased to nnd his exertions rewarded with an amount of success which, in face of the many disadvantages to be contended against, is much greater than I had ventured to anticipate." Mr Sattnders suggested an alteration, as a great deal was due to Mr Veel him--86 f. The suggestion was accepted and the report approved. After disposing of some routine business the meeting adjourned.