EDUCATION MATTERS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 50, 27 August 1924, Page 4

EDUCATION MATTERS

MEETING OF WELLINGTON BOARD

■- --V ■ ■ ;~,- ■■■■■•' / ■.;-: ■- MR.' T. FOBSYTH EE-ELECTED ; • CHAIRMAN.' ' .",.. \. , ■ • " • ■-. ■ r At a special meeting of the Welling-' ton, Board of .Education to-day, T&lv.'- X. Forsyth was l-e-elected.chairman 'for -the" coming year. -■' :. ■ ! In moving- -Mr. Forsyth'-s'- re-election, .Mr. T. Moss bore, testimony-to Mr; For- , syth's fan-ness.and capability, and to the ' good work-he. had done in the interests of education in the -Wellington district. ''•'-.''". '-■ -■'■-. ■..;. The re-election of Mr. Forsyth-- was warmly supported by Messrs. .D.-M'Gal-lunvC I. Harkness,- J..J/Clark G-T London, and E., H. Penny, and the motion was carried unanimously". • . Mr. Forsyth said he appreciated very much the kind remarks which had been made about the manner, in which'lie-had ' discharged the^duties of.chairman. He was pleased :to note that;the country representatives had stated that the needs of the country had always been'well attended, to during his chairmanship.' There uad ueen marked progress iri: educational matters in both.town and country dis- '■ tricts. He admitted that during the ■past year, country districts, had' received special -attention. He hoped-that in the coming.year more -would be done for the city schools, ,and he ■■ desired - the assistance.of members of the board.in the direction of maintaining- arid ' improving the city and school facilities? / In view o£ the. programme which . had been outlined, he thought that .during • the next two years -a ' number- of prob- " terns affectmg : c ity schools would ' be •faced and overcome. He hoped that the difficulties connected . with two :of the most unsuitable city schools would be; overcome by the erection of new buildmgß.:

/ Theboard electedthe following representatives : ; '— Appointments Committee Messrs. London' and ■ Clark-; Wellington Technical School Board, Mr. Clark °Pc tone Technical School, Messrs., . .London •I r ■?•■-!> M' lvenzie; Wairarapa High School Board, Mr. R. M'Leod Sd Jlr A. Donald; Masterton Technical School Board,. Mr. J. M. Caldwell. ...It. w also fP' 6??' > m renominate Mr. Rishworth to the.Hutt Technical, School Board.- - . The chairman welcomed the- following new members to the board:—Messrs. h. ITT m ■ (Wairarapa), ; ;::J. - Stonehouse ' (Hutt) and ,L. H. Atkins (Manawatu), and congratulate^ Messrs.-A. J.-White, R. A. Wright,. E. -H. Penny; and T. Moss on their re-election. •-. • .. ; A communication was, received from the Defence Department requesting- -permission for a petty officer of the Vavv to . address the .children- of / primary schools ny Marlborough on .the question of a-ecruitmg.,The application was a e -/' chned, and a suggestion -was made that the appeal^be made to, secondary schools. ■ ihe- Defence Department wrote statmg that it did not -favour the establish-"" ment-of a school in the camp buildiu-s at Irentham: ' '..'.- . ,D,

_Tke-Chairman, alluding: to the result) of the recent legal proceedings in regard to the receipt of nominations for an .election,, said it was a matter for congratulation' that the steps 'taken- by the returning.officer -had been endorsed by the Court. .■ ■ . -.■.-.-. '.

• Mr. White expressed the opinion that the request of the School Committees' Association for an inquiry should have been.adopted, and 'thus have- avoided legal; proceedings.., ... • . ■ The chairman maintained that "the legal and constitutional.: course had been taken in this case. ~'':1 .

, '• -CLASSES OVER 60. . ■; The Director, of Education wrote stating that investigations ■•--racently made by the Ghiof Inspector -of PriniV ary Schools, showed in' the Wei- " hngton. school 'i'tliere were a number of classes . containing over. 60 pupils. In-many cases, it was stated - the classes could be reduced by altera- ' tion in the organisation. The Department, asked to be supplied with mi approximate estimate of. the expenditure involved in connection -with 'the following schools-—lsland-Bay, four/classes over 60., The Department suggested turning the science room into an ordiu*ary classroom. Hataitai,' one class over ■ 60. Rent of a hall would relieve, but the Department understands there is not a hall available in the neighbourhood -of the school. An 'additional ' room should be considered. Cartertou District High School,-two classes over 60, Hutt District High -.School, seven .classes: over 60.- The Department suggests a,portable building, four sections, each way. . South Wellington,..one class over 60 and one of .60. The-attendance is ■: falling,, and the central ■ hall might ■'" be utilised....Lyall Bay, .one class .over - 60, and .three of 60. The Department suggests'rent of a- hall until the Mira- - mar South additions, are completed Karon, one class over 60. The Department suggests the extension of the room' '" 30ft x.24ft and its sub-division by a movable partition: .; ■•.-■• ... It was agreed to obtain'a report oii the position in regard: to classes ■ and ' accommodation—giving further information in^ respect to numbers in classes ; Mr..A.,J. White moved::"That school - committees be- .advised ;that details asked for under /instruction 6 in the cash-book applied only to money raised •• for suusidy, purposes,". He. maintained that this diaV'hot apply to moneys received for picnic purposes, etc. To furnish such- details !as 'th<.'t3 suggested . Would throw work' on committees. .-..- ■-.•■. , ' ■ ■

The motion was. negatived.. ' Mr. White moved: "That no site-ex-tensions or new sites be purchased without', consulting ,the member: of the board in whose district; the- site "is situated, and, _ further,, that ■no wbrk,_ exceeding £10 in cost be authorised without con-, sultation as above.", . .

The chairman said that already it was the practice to consult members fully, in. regard to such \ matters. He did not think,there was any need' for the passing of such a resolution. Several members,: maintained that the provision in regard to an expenditure exceeding £10 -would be unworkable, in .country districts. ...

. Mr. White said his object in moving the motion was to^prevent the possible breaking of an unwritten law. In view of the assurances given by the chairman as to consulting members in such cases as had been referred'to, he asked leave to withdraw tho motion, and the jiiu.tion \vas, by .le^ave, withdrawn;" "';' "■