SCHOOL COMMITTEE REPORTS

Evening Star, Issue 15778, 15 April 1915, Page 8

SCHOOL COMMITTEE REPORTS

ALBANY STREET, The committee have pleasure in reporting another year's splendid work in all departments of tbo school. The high standard of efficiency reached in former years has been Weil maintained. The highly satisfactory result obtained at. the annual ir specters’" examination, when every scholar in the sixth (standard gained a proficiency certificate, is the bed indication of the qualitv of service that had been rendered. .Mr Jas. Bennie. 8.A., B .Sc., head master, has added another year to his fine record of service. The splendid results that have been achieved have been largely due to his untiring efforts and unabated entliin datum for the welfare of the school. The attendance lor the- year has been excellent, being 96 per cent, of the average roll: June quarter. 1914; Roll, 676, average nt-tendan-e 650; September quarter, 191- : Boil 679, average attendant 648 ; December quarter, 1914: Roll 671, average attendance 645 ; March quarter, 1915: Roll 650, average attendance 622. The band have not only proved a boon to our own school, hut. they have also been of great service to othe* districts. The band have been an important factor in developing the social side of school life. During the vear visits have been paid to the following places, with very satisfactory results; Invercargill. Lawrence, Kaitangata, and Oaniaru. In every instance the behaviour of the boys was admirable, and their services in the districts visited were much appreciated. During the past year the penny savings bank, under the control of Air W. I’hillipps, hae. received generous support fiom pupils. Notwithstanding the fact that more than £l6O was withdrawn in December. the total amount now standing to the credit of depositors is £ll4. The number of depositors (150) is somewhat smaller than usual; but this can easily be explained by tho increased cost, of living and the readiness of the children to subscribe to the relief funds rendered necessary by the war. .Mr D. Wright has entered on his 20th year of work in connection with the Bible" class, and during tho whole of that period he has proved a popular and capable teacher, and his service has been of great benefit to tho young people of the district. ST. CLAIR. This committee report for the year ended .March 31, 1915, as follows: —The number on the roll on March 31, 1914, was 236, and the average attendance for the year 1914 221. Tho number on the roll or. March 31, 1915, was 228,. thus showing a drop of eight pupils for the year, but we tiust that this number will be greatly augmented during the year. The committee are gratified at the report from the inspectors, showing that good work has been done by Mr Pope and staff. The results of examinations for proficiency and competency were very good. Our pupil teacher! gained a partial pass for the D certificate, and the probationer passed the first section for the D certificate. The committee added a number of new books to the library, and are gratified by the use the children make of tho school library. It boasts of a con eider-able number of regular readers. Tiro health of the children has been very good, and so far St Clair has escaped the epidemics. The thanks of the committee are due to the donors of prizes, judges forjudging tho work of the scholars, to MrDarling, who lectured to the children, to the Navy League and Athememu for annual prizes presented, to the Rev. Mr Ashford for conducting the undenominational Bible class, which bad a satisfactory attendance, the interest of the pupils being excellent. The committee regret that no- i thing further has been done in connection! with the erection of the new school. Wo bad several interviews with the Minister of Education, and his reply to the deputation was that ho was afraid nothing could be clone until aftei the war. This committee think it most unfair of the Ednca- | lion Department to use a. bail,ling—viz., j the. • gymnasium—as a- classroom. This j gymnasium .was erected by voluntary sub-1 Hcription subsidised by the Education i Board as the gymnasium, and wo think it i unfair that it should ho used as a class- ! room, and the children cannot fake fuT I advantage of the apparatus. We trust that our successors in office will leave no stone unturned to bring tho project of the ne-.v school to a successful fruition.