SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXIX, Issue 51, 7 February 1913, Page 5

SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The usual mouthly meeting of the Balclutha District High School committee was held on Wednesday evening. Present: Messrs T. Gilmour (chairman), G. H. Reid (secretary), R. Campbell, J. Stewart, A. McDonald, D. Watt arid A. McEwan. CORRESPONDENCE. The secretary of the Otago Education Board wrote that the Departmental grant hitherto made for the supply of free school books will be v discontinued except in necessitous cases or where newly entered pupils have already purchased elsewhere books different from those in use in the school. —Received. From the secretary of the board stating that the quarterly allowance (£22 9s 3d) had been paid to the committee's credit.—Received. The secretary of the Otago Education Board wrote re the new grants for conveyance of children to schools. —Received. The secretary of the Education Board wrote that rates for water and sanitary services for school property are paid by the board, and consequently the committee's incidental allowance will be subject to a reduction of £b* per annum. —Received. RECTOR'S REPORT. Attendance.—The attendance for 1912 was ."{O4 for the primary school and 49 for the secondary school, making an average of 35,"> for the whole school. On luesday there was a roll number of 324, and an attendance of 305 in the lower school, while 60 and 58 were the corresponding figures for the upper room. It will be necessary to have the new buildings completed as soon as possible, las there was'not accommodation i'a the I present upper tooiu for the attendance.

Examinations. —At the annual proficiency examinations 24 gained their proficiency certificates, while two gained competency certificates and three failed. Six passed the junior civil service examination, three getting into the credit list; one gained second place in the I), senior scholarship list, and in the E. senior scholarships the school secured first, second and fourth places. One pupil (the only candidate from the school) passed the matriculation examination. In the junior scholarship examination one pupil gained nineteenth place, and another twenty-third, while three others gained good marks.

The rector applied for leave of absence for the 10th and 11th of this month, and also for the last two days (Thursday and Friday, 27th and 28th) of the month. The school was found clean and in good order for the opening day. The i.resent staff is:—VV. McElrea, 8.E., rector (W. W. Turner, 8.A., takes charge on March 1); W. L. Harrison, M.A., first assistant; Miss Ethel Murray, matron; Miss Florence Murray, third assistant; Miss E. B. Gawn, fourth assistant; Miss M. .1. Macaulay, M.A., hfth assistant; Rawiri E. K. Wood, probationer; Miss Beryl Steven, pupil teacher; Mr E. H. Wade, first assistant secondary department; Miss Janet Paterson, M.A., second assistant secondary department.

Mr Wood has finished his course as probationer, and will go to the Training College in March. lie has proved an :ible and valuable assistant, and given promise of a successful career, and the rector could not speak too highly of the zeal and ability shown in his work. TTie rector had to thank Miss Kinder for the earnest assistance she gave as relieving teacher during Miss Paterson 's absence. The report was adopted, and Mr McElrea was granted the leave of absence applied for. Mr McDonald moved that the Education Board be written to asking for the use of two rooms in the technical school building as soon as possible, on account of the congestion in the secondary department. —Seconded by Mr Watt and carried. ACCOUNTS. The following accounts were passed for payment:—Whitcombe and Tombs, £u 6s sd; Clutha Leader, £2 3s 9d; W. McElrea, lis; H. Burrows (janitor), £3 10s; Jos. Tomkins, 17s lOd; Clutha Timber Company, 4s Id. GENEKAL. Mr Stewart moved that Mr Turner be informed that as soon as the rector's house was vacant it will be inspected and any necessary repairs thought neces sary will be attended to. —Carried. Mr Watt moved that the borough council be requested to have the poplar trees alongside the footpath near the Bchool cut down, as' their roots were L damaging the asphalts-Carried.