EDUCATION BOARD.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14344, 2 May 1912, Page 2

EDUCATION BOARD.

A meeting of tho North Canterbury Education board was held yesterday, -there being present: —Messrs M. Dalziel (chairman), T. AY. Adams, H. Langford, W. It. Smith, G. Rennie, C. A. G- Hardy, H. Boyd, and Dr. Russell. IN MEMORIAM. The Chairman moved the following resolution, which was carried by the Hoard, the members standing:—"Th«it tne Board desires to place on record 'as sincere regret at the death of Air £_ Latkins, 8.A., the lato principal of t.ie Chr.stehureh Training College, by which the Board has been deprived 'if an able and fixithful servant, nnd ono who has exercised a good influence over a largo number of teachers now employed in the public service throughout tne Dominion; and that a copy of tin-", resolution be sent to Airs Watkins, with an expression of the Board*, deeptst sympathy with her and hsr family in their bereavement." In a, brief but feeling s*->eech the chairman ixpressed the mind of the Board as to the esteem in which the late principal was held. APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS. Tho following appointments weren.arie:—Barr Hill, Mr 11. Opie, master, Littlo Akaloa, Miss S. Philpott, mistress; Sydenham, 31r S. J. Irwin. ..i-cond assistant master : Westerfield, Mr It. W. Maxwell, master; Christihurch West, on tho renewed application of tho School Committee, it was .greed to make Miss A- Lucas's appointment as assistant mistress perina--1 ent. The appointment of Miss L. Tod .-is mistress nf the Kaiapoi Island school uas ngreed toTho following resignations were received and accepted : —Ashburton, Miss A. M. Clothier, as .assistant mistress; Jhristchurch East,'' Miss E valine V. Ire, as pupil teacher; Ethelton, Miss L. Todd, as mistress; Hinds. Miss F. 11. Kent, as mistress; l'igeon Bay, Miss L. Jeffries, as mistress; Riccarton, Mr Ti.. Adamson, as pupil teacher; Sumner, Jliss Clarke, as probaiioner. A letter was received from the De--artmenfc expressing tho regret of tho Minister that ho could not sco his way at present to adopt the Board's suggestion that additicnal . probationers '.liould be appointed. BUILDINGS COMMITTEE. A letter was received from the Ad- . dington Committeo, drawing attention tj their financial position, and subniitt.ng that the allowance made for incidental purposes was inadequate. Tho matter was allowed to stand over pendi.'.g receipt of balance-sheet for last y-.ar, the committee to ba -.nforuicd that tne Board had not lost sight of their implication for somo improvement to tic dual desks in order to minimise tho noise. A letter was received from tho De--artment, stating that the Public Works Department had been asked to t .kc in hand the building of a movable j* liqol for tho children of railway workmen in the Waiau (Mount Parnassus) district, and that tho Boara would bo provided with funds to meet the expenditure as soon as the Department was advisc-d thafc tho work liad l>;*en commenced. j A letter was received from tho Now ! Brighton committee, advocating tho purchase of an additional quarter-aero in order to enlarge tho school grounds. In view of other and moro urgent claims, it was regretted that the 'Joard would not bo justified in purchasing the section. Tho Tuahiwi Committee's request for a£.sifitanco towards defraying a portion of tho largo expenditure incurred by t.iem in improvements to the school ounds was considered, the sum of £10 ">-:ng authorised for tho purpose. * The Woolston Committee applied for ?as fittings' for each of the rooms in iho .new building. It was agreed to have tho ga.*- installed, in one room and corridor, tho committee to supply fittings in accordance with tho usual practice, the lighting not being necessary for school purposes. ,nf'.-° endbr of Mr E - W - Bachelor t._o_a' for erection of teacher's houeo at Puaha was accepted. In connection with tho plans of proposed additions to the College, the following resolution was passed:— ' That seeing that the Board is very mU( -A 3 S, need of nioro accommodation at it_ Training College, it , will be pleased to have an interview with tho Minister of Education, when the Board .can show, him what is necessary to be, done, and that tho Board invite tho Hon. J A. Hanan to inspect tho Training College." mt '~, A 6TAFF MATTER. Ihe Chairman reported that ho had arranged for Mr T. S. Foster, chief inspector, to tako over tho Training Collego in the meantime, and for .Mr Mayne, of tho Sydenham School, to ba assistant inspector." ... LOCAL GOVERNMENT. Iho Minister of Internal Affairs notified that a conference would bo held in Wellington on May 21st to enable delegates from local bodies to discuss tho Local Government. Bill. Tho chairman of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board wroto asking tho Education Board to appoint two representatives to attend a conference of representatives of the several local bodies within .North Canterbury for tho purposo of selecting seven delegates to attend tho AVellington conference. Tho Chairman and Mr T. W. .\dams wero appointed delegates. Dr. Russell moved:. "That the Board consider tho Local Government' Bill." Ho urged that the Board should get into touch with other Boards in tho Dominion and discuss educational matters, of interest to them all. He could not sco that education could be relegated to any general authority of the sort proposed in tho Bill. Mr W\ R. Smith seconded tho motion. Mr Langford said that tho Bill only made confusion worse confounded, their delegates would recognise the impossibility of educational matters being earned on under such a schemo as was proposed. Tho motion was carried. i Mr Smith then said that it would ! be nd'ctilous to bring education under the scheme m the Bill. • Thero would be men on the general body who would bo absolutely lost when risked to discuss educational matters. Tho present Board could manage its own district, very well indeed. where tho Bill would simplify matters. Ihey would have three educational districts in Canterbury instead of two and the geographical division was .-. Tory bad one. It would not redue'e. the number of members of Education Boards or committees. Tho Bill proposed to give tho Provincial Cou-*ci!s power to rate for education. Their .system would be no longer a national • system if rating were adooted. Some districts would not care to rate, and those districts would suffer in regard i to education and buildings in com- i parison with others which raised and I spent money. | The Chairman said that tho scheme ' did not appeal to him in any way. It seemed designed to do away with thi" Boards, and defray the cost of educa- I tion out of rates. Tho national sys- J tern had worked very well, and "he ! feared that if tho Department of Edu- i cation were associated with other local interests, it would be the beginning cf the end of the national system. There was nothing to show that the work <-f ; the present Boards was inimical-to tho ; interests of education. Tho members . were, by their long association with ' educational matters, really experts in the administration of educational .'if- , fairs. Education should stand by itself, and apart from tho other public ser- j vices of the country. Ho did not .see j that tho new Bill,..which proposed *o tako over the present staffs, would • effect any economies- It would resultrather in a greater expenditure of j . money.. ... " ' V ' "

Dr. Russell said that-the opinion.?! the Board was obviously that the ot" was not satisfactory in regard to education. Mr Langford then moved: "That tne Education Boards of the Dominion oe invited t<_v take united action to '"'■_'" the Government to maintain the present. system of the control of the education of tho young." This was seconded by Dr. Russell. - i Mr Adams suggested an addition to the motion, that the Education Hoard delegates to the Wellington .conference meet previous to the conference, m order to decide on united action. The Boards could then tako a very strong position, and indicate that something similar to tho present system- should be continued. He was satisfied that no more economical system could be devised, or that it could oe more efficiently administered than by the Boards. Mr Langford accepted tho addition, and the motion was carried. MEDICAL INSPECTION. The Department wrote, stating that regulations for the medical and physical examination ot school children liad :.ot been framed, but were under consideration. Very great satisfaction was expressed by members of the Board at tho announcement in the papers that the appointment- of medical officers was contemplated. GENERAL. A letter wr.s received from the Department espressiim the hope that the oocason of the King's Birthday will be used to draw the attention of the tchoo! children to their privileges aud responsibilities as citizens of the Empire. Tho Board decided to support tho request of the Deoartment. It was reported- that a number of committee electrons had not been carried out. and it, was decided to wait a full return. The secretary statedthat tho number of failures to elect committees was larger than usual. Protests were received concerning the elections of school committees at Prebbleton and Wharenui, and it was decided to ask the chairmen of the householders' meeting - -- to report.