THE SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 182, 22 April 1918, Page 8

THE SCHOOLS

TO-NIGHT'S MEETINGS OF HOUSEHOLDERS . The annual meetings of householders |» the various :C liool disirids, convened by statute, j o r the purpose of ehcti.i* commillees foi the ~M i iiug year, willVo held to-night, i i,o i'o!',o»i;i ? reports of the outgoing committee.-:, lu lie read at their re,.pe.,tivo meetings to-night, are to hand:— TERRACE SCHOOL. The report of the Terrace School Committeo slates that during the vear Mis* Williams, infant mistress, resigned o\viic> to ill-health, and the committee, placed on record its appreciation of .Miss Williams's long and faithful services. Miss Fogelb'erg was appointed in Hiss AVilliiinvs's place. The committee regret to record tho deatii, whilst on a;tivn service, of Captain *. A. Atkinson, who for a number of years was a member of tho committee. Another gentleman, Mr. A. P. Webster, who ilicd recently at .Melbourne, was also a member of the committee until he left New Zealand. Special attention had been given to cleansing (be buildings during the year, and the health of Ihe children has been sat.i.sfactorv. Tim headmaster is still compiling a list, of all old boys .whom he knows have enlisted, and his Doll of Honour now contains 590 names, SI of whom have laid down their lives, and 112 have Ixen wounded. The headmaster will bo glad lo receive any names of old boys who may not be on his Roll. ' During the year improvements hare been made to the playground, and a number of trees and shrubs planted. The question of extended playgrounds be. comes more acute c\ ery year, but so far the committee hns been unable to get anything further done towards increasing Iho playing space. It will be for the incoming eommittoe to keep the agitation going. Especially calljng for immediate, attention is the exletision of medical and dental inspection, and compulsory ejjtlinuiition classes. Tho size of the classes is such that the teachers are quite prevented from doing justice to their work. "Tli6 whole question of efficient education" (states the report), "is /,ne that effects tha future welfare of the race, and it. should not be shelved at the present time. Especially calling for immediate attention is the need for attracting the best young men in the country to enter the teaching service, and that can only bo done by providing adequate remuneration and making the profession worth while entering. This is an urgent matter, and should be attended to at once, and it behoves parents and those who realise the danger of delay to seriously study this problem and endeavour to educate public opinion as quickly as possible so that no further time may be lost in obtaining an efficient supply of men who will be fitted lo bring out the best results from the rising generation nnd fit them to do their part in the fierce competition that will take place in the near future. Brains and bodies are required to develop the great possibilities of this land where so much may be obtained in the near future, and our ftatesmen should see that the. children who are now at school are qualified and educated to accomplish the tasks that lie before New Zealand in the next few years. A pennywise and pound foolish policy should not. be adopted in educational matters, or disaster will surely follow." f NEWTOWN. The annual report of the Newtown School Committee stoles that. • keen interest has been taken in the work of the school, and every opportunity has been taken to improve the conditions uiujer which the staff and pupils have to carry on their important work. In this direction special mention must be made of the improvements lo the school playgrounds. A sum considerably over a ,£IOO has been expended recently by the board and committee conjointly iii asphalting work. A. great amount of new work has been done, and other portions have been regraded and repaired both in tho girls and the infants' grounds. The committee expresses its approval at the fact that so many of the girls and boys are qualifying in the art of swimming, ns this must have, a beneficial effect upon the general health of the rising generation, besides being a most useful accomplishment, which will prevent the loss of many valuable lives in the years that are t. come. The matter of fire prevention and fire escape hns received attention, and new lengths of hose have been supplied. The repeated appeals of this and of past committees have not. yet been able to convince the board that a fireescape is an urgent matter, but there is some evidence that at last they a ve. going to move in the matter. A very important scheme was recently brought before the committee by Mr. Parkinson, touching the future policy re the school site and improvements to the buildings. The committee after considering the matter from every standpoint, resolved that tho present is the best sito for the Newtown School, nnd that a determined stand should be made against any attempt to shunt the school on to the Town Belt. ROSENEATH. The report of the 'itoseneath School Committee states, inter alia, that the roll lor tlie year emied March IS, 1018, was 3-13, as against W)l for 1917—au increase of iW. The committee made several efforts m an endeavour to persuade the Education Board to purchase extra sections to prepare for the future extension of the piuygioumis ac llataitai School, but so tar without success, iliis was a matter that should have the earliest consideration of the incoming committee. Shortly alter assuming oltke the committee decided on a grounds improvement scheme for both schools. The work at HaUutai, which is practically completed, comprised tho removal of about lw) cubic yards ot soil, sloping bank, erecting concrete too- | wsj.ll, and lujiug doivii about, j:j()l) yards of asphalt. At Roscneatli the work consisted of repairing old asphalt, top-dress-ing tho whole, turfing banks, etc., anil asphalting that piece of ground known as the tennis court. This work has been carried out with tlie exception of asphalting the tennis '.ourt. This has been delayed owing to the wooden, breastwork giving way during tho heavy rains during the spring; in fact, tho indications, were thjit the whole of tho tonnis court would be precipitated into tlie road. itepresentations were mado to the board, who immediately had a '.übstantial touciete wall erected, and as a safeguard against further erosion by tho weather are having the banks all round the tenuis court concreted. This should beconipleteu shortly; then the committee will put \n hand the asphalting. When finished the. school will then have a playground which the residents should havo every reason to be proud. In response to a request from the Minister of Finance to all the schools of the Dominion to help with the War Loan, tho ciViiiiren of our schools collected and sold waste products, being thus enabled to purchase seventeen i'l war .certificates.

EASTERN HUTT. The report of the.Eastern .Unit School Commitleo states that there are now 3U scholars on the roll, against last year at this time *10. Tho average atlciulanto lor tho first Ihrce. months was :M tlast year ;!0.'l), uSTng !lj per cent, against 0per cent. Tho school grounds have been unproved so that cricket, football, and tennis arc now played there, instead of our seholurs being obliged to go plse.wheri, for their sports. The.ro is a good cricket pitch, put into condition by -Mr. Olseti and tho boys, and also thrco asphalt tennis courts. The works ami improvements effected during the year were, the. erection of a new brick incinerator and extension of latrines nntlerlaKen and paid for by the board; Iho laying down in asphalt of 800 square yarns of Ihn grounds that had previously been-a muddy spot in winter, and which will cost about £50, and to which tho board has agreed lo conlribnto „C2O provided tlto tommitti) raise tho balance; tho pnrchaso of a. lawn mowor; additional library books, and a' school boll. Appreciative acknowledgment is mado to several gentlemen who assisted with thsir time and labour to help in tho improvement scheme. The credit balanco on January 1, 1917, was i'oi Os. 7d., the total receipts .£145 Os. 10d., total disbursements J214,"! 10s. Id., and balance in hand on December 31, £J'o lis. 4d.

MUJUTAI. The report to bo presented lo the meeting of .Muritai householders (o-niglit is of an interesting cluivacter. showing as it does the sternly nil vim cement of tho eastern' ha vs. Last year the average attendance Was 112; it is now IS.I. The. report: emphasises Hie indent necessity of increased iici-oinimiilnt'ioii in the school. iind also of '.hi! playing urea. The Hoard of Education have already done soiiiplliiug ill ihe matter by providing an ud(litiuinil Irndier and piireha.siiiji an'adjoining section to provide move Mr space. Including ilio tard's subsidy, (he cominiltee liaxe raised during the year Hie sum of JSUIi Us. Bd. for school purpose?. The, v.iriouK functions lield during the year, including: the animal picnic, have been most successful. The report thanks the residents of the district lor the very handsome manner in which they have backed tip l.lio efforts of the cojninittce. The inspector's report speaks highly of the work of the. teachers mid tho administration of the school generally. MARANUI. The following have been nominated for election to the Maranui School Committee:—Messrs. I'. J. Evans, S. Gainbrill, .1. Leuchnrs, A. Sando, A. Whitehead fall members of the present committee), N. L. Aitken, S. Ohisholm. J'. 1,. Hollin.se, J. H. Ryder, V. H. Smyth. — Butt, — Croskery, — Hansen,--M'Cly-monf. — Roberts, — AVelle. There are sixteen nominations for a committee of nine, and a keen contest is expected. .During the past year junch' important work has been done, and the retiring committee can show a good record.