BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10778, 4 October 1900, Page 2

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

A meeting of the Board of Education was .held ' yesterday. Present— Messrs T..S. Weston (chairman), Rennie, Scott, Dalziell, Peryman, and Adams.

The Buildings Committee reported, inter alia, the destruction of the roof- of the school at. French Farm owing to the ignition of starlings' nests in the chimney. A vote of thanks was accorded the committee, mistress, and residents for their exertions in-keeping the fire under, and so saving the sbhool from total destruction. The owner of a quarteracre section adjoining the Normal school asked a price which the Board considered beyond their means, as the ground only was required. The name of the aided-school at Dalbeg was altered to Eskvale.

On the recommendation of the Appointments Committtee it was decided to grant the usual sum of £5 per head for a school on the Port Hills. The inspector was authorised to report on the proposal to substitute Longman's New Zealand Readers for Longman's Ship Readers. It was decided to i bring forward a week—to December 10th— the scholarship and pupil-teacher examinations, owing to tlie difficulty of lire-curing accommodation for the candidates later on. It was resolved that the proposed alteration in regulation No. 3 of the Gamihack scholarship, making four years' attendance compulsory, would inflict hardship in some cases. It was pointed out that so far all the winners of these scholarships had been identified with the Board's schools from their infancy. The resignations of Miss J. Ross, as assistant mistress at' Lyttelton, and the toaster at Rokeby, were accepted, the latter to take effect from 31st December next. It was resolved to fall back on the old syllabus for pupil-teachers except with regard to Latin, in which the reduced amount of work shall be taken as an optional subject. The Leithfield Committee having reported an increase in the number of children attending school, it was decided to allow the female teacher to" remain so long as the numbers kept up to the present average, she to leave without further notice should the attendance again

A deputation from the Typographical Union waited on the Board and urged that the Imperial Readers, which w_re produced for the most part in Christchurch, should b3 used m the schools in preference to Longman's New Zealand -Readers. The deputation also urged it would b- a saving to parents to have one set of books for the whole colony.

It was pointed out to the deputation that the Imperial Readers and Longman's were already on the list of bonks. Longmans now wanted to substitute this new edition for the one at present in use. The first consideration of the Board was for the parents and children. The Board's inspectors were asked to report on the books, and the matter would be carefully and deliberately considered. Nothing would be done in haste or to discourage local industry The solo aim of the Board was to do the very best for the children of the colony. Mr J. H. Newlyn wrote drawing attention to the need of some "fire alarm drill " Received with thanks, and referred to the Building Committee for consideration and report. A supplementary report of the Appointment Committee was taken in conunittee and the Board then adjourned. '