EDUCATION BOARD

Evening Star, Issue 20029, 21 November 1928, Page 8

EDUCATION BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING COMMENCED The Otago Education _ Board- commenced its monthly meeting this morning ; present—Messrs J. Wallace (chairman), P. M'Kinlay, J. H. AVilkinson, J. Mitchell, J. Smith, G. .Livingstone, 11. H. Todd, W. R. Brugh, J. Horn, and the Hon. D. T. Fleming, M.L-C.

GRANTS AND OTHER BUSINESS. An application for a subsidy for topdressing the drill square at Tc Houka was granted. On tho recommendation of the architect the board approved of the granting of a subsidy for asphalt at the Kelso School, tho estimated total cost being £55.

A subsidy towards topping the trees at tho Pnkcpito School was granted. Intimation was received that the department had passed a grant for remodelling work at the Balclutlm School. Tho department intimated a grant for tho purchase of Mrs Irwin’s section as an extension to the school site at Oamaru South,

Tile department adv’sed approval of the sale of tliGyCrookston School, and the chairman intimated that the auction would take place at the Horiot sale on December G.

The department having aho approved of the sale of the Taierl ferry property, it was reported that tho property would be offered at auction on December 4.

Tho department wrote authorising tho board to call for applications for manual instructors for Central Otago, but appointments were not to be made until grants were approved. Tho Alexandra Committee intimat'd that it would contribute £6O towards new furniture and renovating -ebook Tho architect estimated the cost of removing galleries, making iloor good, and providing heaver or other wallboard for charts in four rooms at about £9o._.Authorisation to carry cut tho work was given. Following on the Macamlrow < Road Committee’s request for attention to tho asphalt, tho architect reported that the usual tnndressing was necessary, and lie recommended that it be done on the usual subsidy basis. flio total cost would bo about £lS.—The board gave its approval. Tho department wrote regretting that it could not approve of a grant in the vicinity of £IOO for a school at Paerau with such a small attendance. It would ho_ willing to nay a small rental for a suitable room as long as tho school remained in grade L The beard resolved to make further inquiries from tho householders. _ Tho invitation from tho Tapainu ExPupils’ Association to attend tho diamond jubilee celebrations on December 14 was accepted. HEDGE-CUTTING DISPUTE. The Head Master of tho East Taierl School wrote stating that he had spent five full days in cutting and repairing the hedges” and had had a man lor two days grubbing the gorsc. He considered it utterly impossible for him or anyone else to keep the hedges in oidei owing to the. condition they were in whet Tho entered into occupation of tho glebe. The Architect reported that he did not report adversely upon tho hedgetrimming that had been done by the head master. It was not tho quality bub the quantity of work done that he was dissatisfied with. The letters were received. OUTRAM’S NEEDS. The On tram Committee requested levelling of floors, repairs to shelter sheds, renewing of infants’ outhouses, painting of infant department, and improvement to floors of main school. The Architect recommended levelling of Jloors. ns the floors in any ease were in a bad state. Improved ventilation was also necessary. The infant lavatories were, not up to date, but with a little attention they could be made to do for some time yet. r lho painting of the infant department was already provided for in tho remodelling work. Tho estimated cost of the. work recommended was BUG. The recommendations were adopted, the Chairman remarking that the board should help the'committees that helped themselves. SCHOOL BOOKS. The department forwarded a copy of a memorandum addressed to the New Zealand Booksellers’ Association regarding school books to bo used next year. This memorandum stated that tho complete list would bo announced at tho earliest possible moment. In the preparatory classes the new Beacon readers would bo retained along with the live readers, while tho Minister had boon recommended to approve the following additions to the list of readers :—New Beacon reader: J ntroductorv hook and supplementary books 1. ami 11. Tiny tots’ primer: First progressive primer. ACCOMMODATION AT OWAKA. The Owaka. Committee asked that in view of tho increase in the attendance additional accommodation he provided without delay. Tho school had been placed on a* higher grading, and an additional teacher had been appointed. The board asked tho district members to make further inquiries as to tho requirements. VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS. With regard to tho doing away of the forwarding of voluntary contributions to the boards before subsidies could be claimed, the department pointed out that on amendment to the Act. must he introduced first. In any case only seven boards favoured the proposal, and the department was of opinion that tho .method as employed at present should bo continued in tno meantime, and suggested that the question be discussed at the first, conference that education boards arranged to call. The department desires the boards to agree unanimously to tho alteration. The board decided to reply expressing tho opinion that the present system was cumbersome, and that an early change was desirable.

WORK AT CAVERS!JAM

At tho last meeting; of the board a deputation from tho Caversham School Committee pointed out tho need for a number. of repairs. In a report tho architect estimated the asphalting at tho rear of the school, together with storm water channelling, at £1.20, and tho committee .might be asked to find one-third of tin’s amount. The crossing would cost £6 10s, and repairs to basins, taps, etc., at £‘l 10s. -The total cost to tho board would bo £-30. He also reported at length on the complaints of a leaking cistern in tho lavatories at the old- school, nhd ! the condition of rooms in use at tho old school. Mr 'Wilkinson said ho was surprised at some of the statements made by tho deputation, which had described an unsatisfactory state of affairs. It was practically a reflection on the architect. Matters were not so serious as _ represented, and, although overstating of the facts had been made, the board should agree to remove the defects. The Chairman; Will rho committee contribute £4o:'

Mr Todd : I am afraid not. The committee had been put to heavy expenditure in connection with the new school, and recently had to authorise tho purchase of a" power machine to the grass. He agreed with the architect that further money should not be expended on tho old school, hut something should be done towards erecting additional rooms at the new building. The deputation had exaggerated tho amount of water lying at the hack of tho .school.

The Chairman expressed tho opinion that the School Committee should not

bo asked to provide CIO, and several members agreed with him. The board authorised the. work to be carried out in the new year. SWIMMING KfSUM'S.

The Otago Centre of the Amateur Swimming Association torwarded a copy of a report on school swimming. The report commended the work in country schools, but it. regretted that of the Int*2;o number of ('crfiHr-ito.s tsMicc) lastyear only 112 wore gained .by pupils of tho primary schools in Dunedin, this being less than 10 per cent, of tho total number. It was hoped that next year will find the teachers in the city schools doing their full share towards the attainment of proficiency by_ pupils with the object of placing Dunedin on a level with the other centres in tho dominion. Air Wallace: Docs this mean that the board is paying for swimming lessons for children from Standard IV. up at a cost of £9O a year, and does not seem to he getting a return out of the expenditure? For all that, a most successful swimming carnival is held hero. Air F. Alitebell; Not ,sufficient numbers of children are encouraged. .. Air Al'Kinlay: Mot sufficient numbers of children are encouraged to enter the water.

The Chairman said the children did not attend the baths unless they entered the water.

The report was held over for discussion in committee.

“Ever read that fable of the wolf?” » clerk asked bis companion occupying: the' next stool to his in the office one day. £ I fancy I have,” was the ;reply. “Isn’t it about a chappio who used to make'rouge of the people of some village by crying ‘ Wolf,’ and then, when they all ran out, ho laughed at ’em. But one day when a real wolf came along, nobody took any notice of his shouting, because they had been ‘had’ too many times, with the result that they lost all their flocks ” ‘That’s the yarn,” said the first speaker. “ Now, would you believe it, it’s something like that with me." “In what way?” queried the other, in surprise. “In this wav,” was the answer. “Every time a match was on I told the boss the usual tale, and the last time I got off for the cup match he told me straight that if my grandmother had another funeral he'd ‘ fire ’ me. Well, to-morrow is my grandmother's funeral,”.