PETONE TECHNICAL SCHOOL BOARD.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 111, 12 May 1909, Page 2

PETONE TECHNICAL SCHOOL BOARD.

A meeting of the Petone Technical School Board was held last evening, the following members present : — Messrs. W. G. Lodder (chairman), H. Findlay, H. Baldwin, G. Duncan, and D. M'Kenzie. The Education Department forwarded, £103, representing subsidy for free place pupils. A donation of £10 10s was received from the Ngahauranga Meat Export Co. This means that all doubts as to whether the company could legally appoint q, representative to the Board are finally dispelled. No little satisfaction was manifested at this turn of affairs. According to the director (Mr. E. King), before the commencement of the next term, the board would have to consider whether the art classes were to be continued or not. There were^at present no revenue-producing pupils attending the class. On Mr. Castle's suggestion, it was decided to ask the director to furnish a report on all the dosses in existence. Jn connection with the class for electrical instruction, Mr. H. M'Kenzie referred to the "extreme dryness " of the present course of tuition; if there was some practical work he thought the pupils would take far greater interest -m their studies. Mr. Lodder remarked that lack of instruments and apparatus was probably responsible for so much theoretical work being indulged in. All members wers agreed that the instructor had been working under difficulties for some time past, and that more plant was necessary. The director brought up the matter of salaries, stating that the remuneration of some of the instructors was out of proportion with that received by others teaching different subjects. The board, however, were of opinion that the end I of the year was the time to consider the question of salaries. The question of establishing day classes was touched upon by the director, who stated that, with forty pupils attending, the capitation earned per annum would be £600. This amount would be suffi cient to maintain all the instructors required. Compulsory subjects would occupy the mornings, while in the afternoons cookery, dressmaking, typewriting, and engineering classes could be held. The proposal was, however, not seriously entertained by the board, members being of the opinion that the classes would not be successful. In future the board will meet only once a month, at 7 p.m., instead of an hour later, as formerly prevailed.