EDUCATION BOARD

Evening Star, Issue 15909, 15 September 1915, Page 4

EDUCATION BOARD

, _ » The monthly meeting of the Otago Edu- . cation Board began this morning, Messrs G. O. Israel (in the chair), Borne, M'Ker- .. - row, Wallace, Smith, Mitchell, Fleming. and M*Kinlay attending. Resolutions of sympathy were passed in connection with the wounding or illness of the soldier sons of the Hon Thomas M'Kenzie (a former chairman of the board), Mr S. M. Park (secretary of tho board), and Mt Ryan (the board's truant inspector). Half cost of repairs, etc.. at Pukeuri, Matoa, and Port Chalmers—a total of £9 0s 6d—was granted. The following recommendations by the architect were approved: —North-east Harbor, additional tank and stand, cost £9; Mount Cargill, fencing, etc.; Oturehua, papering and painting residence, cost £l6; Makarora, shelter' shed; Pine Hill, renovation of teacher's residence, cost £65. The Albany Street Committee were -granted half obst of repairs to asphalt on the school ground. Minor requests from Papakaio, North-east Valley, Akatoro Coast, -and Waitahuna were grant-ed,_ one from Hyde declined, another from Kokoamo referred to the architect for report, -while it was resolved to inform the Maruakoa Committee that the board offered no objection to the erection of a building and its removal afterwards should that be found necessary. Mr Winter, representing the residents of Waenga, attended to place before the board matters in connection with the school accommodation there, the District Health Officer having reported to the board that the school is overcrowded. — Resolved that a temporary "collapsible" building be erected on a suitable site to be fixed upon by the architect. The Education. Department intimated that tho board's grant for buildings maintenance for tho current year would be £12,044. With regard to Glenoamarn, the department intimated that the Minister was unable at present to provide a grant for tho addition to the school proposed by the board. Extension of the present porch is suggested.—-Resolvedthat tho application to the Minister bo renewed. ■ The committee (Messrs Israel and Fleming) submitted the following Teport in connection with the burning of the school at WyKe's Crossing :—" After hearing the statement of the head master (Mr Blair), the two girls who cleaned out the school daily, and the person who first saw the fire, the committee decided that there was not sufficient evidence to enable them to say how the fire originated. They are satisfied, however, that, whatever the; cause, it was purely accidental."—The re- \ port wa6 received. j Leave was granted to Mr John R. Saunders, sole teacher at Whare Kuri, who in- j timated that he had been accepted for) military service. j Tho Education Department wrote ask- j ing that Dominion Day (September 27) be j fittingly observed in the schools.—lt was ] decided to forward the department's re-! quest to the various schools. ! In reply to the board's communication regarding urban areas, the Education Department -wrote embodyiDg a, suggestion to the effect that provision should be made to enable a parent to lie entitled to a seat on the committee of a school which his child attends even though he be resident outside the district.—lt was resolved to -write approving of the suggestion. . A draft of eome proposed regulations for the issue by the department of good attendance_ certificates was received, the board having no suggestions to offer. A resolution from the Farmers' Union recommending that a simple form of bookkeeping be included in the syllabus of the primary schools was considered, and itwas resolved to forward it on to the Education Department with a sympathetic recommendation. The Schools Committee Association forwarded a resolution that—"The date of closing the schools for the Christmas vacation be left to the committees, and that . the date of reopening be February 1, L9l6."—Received; the association to be informed that, under the existing regulations, the matter is entirely in the hands i>f the committees.