EDUCATION IN OTAGO

Evening Star, Issue 20972, 10 December 1931, Page 7

EDUCATION IN OTAGO

MONTHLY BOARD MEETING DISCUSSION BY EDUCATION BOARD The Otago Education Board commenced its monthly meeting this morning, Mr J. Wallace presiding over an attendance which comprised the follow* ing:—Messrs J, Horn, J. Smith, W. R. 'Brugh, R. H. Todd, G. Livingstone, P. MTvinlay, J. H. Wilkinson,'W. N. Cooper, and the Hon. D. T. Fleming. ARTHUR, STREET SCHOOL. With regard to the Arthur Street School and the committee’s _ application for improved ventilation, the architect did not report very favourably about the use of the shed as an infant classroom. No improvement could he made to give further ventilation, hut the underside of the rafters could be lined to minimise the heat thrown down by the iron zoof. This would co'st about £l2 10s, and if the use of the shed as a classroom was to bo continued he recommended the expenditure. The recommendation was approved. FORBURY SCHOOL. The department wrote agreeing with the hoard that an expenditure of £SOO on the old infant building at Forbury School could not he justified if the attendances at this school were to bo reduced by the establishment of an intermediate school at Macandrow road. It was quite possible that such a school might be established at Macandrew road within the time mentioned by the board (two years), although in the present state of affairs it was impossible to make a more definite statement on this point. If tho policy with regal'd to intermediate schools was not settled within the time mentioned the department would be prepared to consider any proposal for the improvement of the old infant building which the board considered reasonable. The letter was received. WAITAKI. HYDRO SCHOOL. With reference to tho school at the Waitaki Hydro works the district engineer wi'ote stating that ho was at present not able to forecast what tho number of school children was likely to be next year, but expected that definite advice would be available before the school holidays terminated. ,He was willing to run a fourth carriage, provided tho board would pay the rental required by the Railway Depai'tment (3s per school day). The offer was "accepted. CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL. Tho question of a correspondence school was brought up as the result of a memorandum from the department about the supervision of children’s work by parents. Tho 'board was asked to inform parents that the experience of the teachers of the correspondence school showed that tho work of .supervision did not take np a great deal of time. The main thing for the parent to do was to see that the children spent an adequate amount of time at their school work from day to day. Mr Wallace said that correspondence schools had been a boon to many people in New Zealand, but he did say that the statements of tho department were not borne out by parents of children who had been in correspondence schools. Speaking from personal knowledge, he could say that there was no time on a farm to supervise the lessons. There slzould be a school wherever it was possible to have one. Where no such school could be given they could ’ fall back on tho correspondence school as a last chance. (“ Hear, bear.”) Tho Hon. D. T. Fleming expressed tho view that coz-respondence schools were more useful than most people thought. Ho would like the department to make public the work that was being clone in that way. In, reply to a question the Chairman said he thought the standard of the correspondence course was on a level with primary school education. Mr Horn said there were many parents who had no time to Jzelp their children with their school work or supervise them. From the educational point of view some of them were quite capable of doing so, but there were others again who had not had sufficient schooling themselves. The communication was received, the department to be asked to furnish a I'eport of the work that was being done. CONVEYANCE OF CHILDREN. It was decided to call for fresh tenders for the Roxburgh East conveyance of children, REDUCTION IN GRANT. Tho department forwarded the statement of reductions under the Finance Act. It was stated that tho board would receive £722 8s less per annum by way of grant for general purposes. OAMARU DEPUTATION. Representing tho committee of the North School at Oamaru and also tho parents of children at the school, Messrs W. Widdowsou and W. Gillies waited on the board and made a request that, in order to provide further accommodation for the pupils, one or two new classrooms should be erected. Mr Widdowsou said that, under the new system of furnishing, the school, which housed 512 scholars, had accommodation which was totally inadequate. Mr Wallace expressed his sympathy with tho views submitted, but stated that at this particular time it would not be fair to ask for new buildings wizen there were buildings in the old school which could be used. It was pointed out that there were now in the school 11J square feet per pupil. The Chairman said that if the School Committee could raise £2OO within a year for tho purpose of adding to the accommodation tlze hoard would help it in every way possible. Ho could hold out zio znorc cozzzfort thazz that.