EDUCATION BOARD.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13683, 17 March 1910, Page 4

EDUCATION BOARD.

The North Canterbury Education Boara.met yesterday, when there were present:—Messrs T. W. Adams (in the chaii), C. A. C. Hardy, M.P., H. Langford, W. It. Smith, J. Jamieson, M. Palaiel, H. Boyd, and H. It. Peryman.

The Buildings Committee reported receiving; a deputation from the Linwood School Committee urging that the school should be enlarged, as the accommodation was quite insufficient for the number of children in their own district. It was resolved to rent an adjoining chapel as a temporary expedient, and to apply to the Department for a grant for the erection oi two additional rooms as soon as the plans should bo prepared by the Clerk ot Works and approved. It was resolved that owing to the depleted state of the Board's funds, the reinstatement of two of the rooms at the Woolston school must stand over for the present. Messrs Hardy and Smith reported having inspected the miniature rifle rango building offered by tho • Canterbury Association for the use of several schools, which could be safely recommended for the purpose mentioned. The matter was referred to tho Defence Department

Tho recommendation that the ago at vhich cadets wero allowed to go through a course of class firing should bo reduced was referred to the inspectors.

The Normal School Committee repcrted that tho grant authorised by the Department being insufficient to provide a technical school, building for Kaiapoi in accordance ■ -with plans already submitted, it was decided to instruct the Clerk of Works to modify tiie plan so as to bring the expenditure within the amount available.

A letter was received from the Department, stating than the request from the Board to the Minister of Education to oonvene a conference of Education Boards at an early date to discuss matters of administration in connection with the primary school system had been laid befcre the Minister as desired, but tho Minister regretted •that, owing to the appropriation being already exhausted, ho was unable at present to make arrangements to meet the Board's wishes in tho matter. ybo letter was reccircd. Speaking on the subject of the withdrawal by the Government of the capitation allowances previously granted to school committees, Mr J. Jamieson pointed out it would be better to abandon the free school book system and restore the capitation. The free book system, he contended, had been a failure, and the amount expended on that system exceeded by £2C7 10s 5d the total capitation payable for incidentals. Free books, he added, were not asked for: all that was wanted being a uniformity of school books for children moving from placo to place. A letter was received from the Department reporting that full consideration had been given to the objections raised by Mr W. S- lovell Smith aa regards the bond required in connection with students entering the Training College, and that the Department was unable to see .its way to take any steps to vary the conditions.

A circular letter was received from the Education Department stating that the Minister, recognising the desirability of encouraging teachers as far as possible to equip themselves for the proper carrying out of their duties, had decided to continue the privileges previously enjoyed at the Government's expense of free week-end railway tickets. Tho Minister was confident that the Board would continue to use every endeavour to see that the privileges were not misused in any way, and further that adequate steps were'taken t/. test tlie progress of those teachers attending classes which were not definitely preparing themselves for one or other of the annual examinations. With the rieiy., as far as possible, of assisting the; Board in the matter, it had been dt-cided to impose in connection with the'issue of the tickets certain conditiims which the Department trusted would meet with th-s Board's approval.