EDUCATION IN OTAGO

Evening Star, Issue 21935, 23 January 1935, Page 8

EDUCATION IN OTAGO

BOARD'S FIRST MEETING OF YEAR The Otago Education Board held its first meeting of the year to-day, those present being Messrs J. Wallace (chairman), E. Morgan, D. T. em ing, N. Colquhoun, V. R- Brush, Livingstone, R. H. Todd, and D. C. Cameron. RESIGNATIONS OF TEACHERS. The following resignations of teachers were accepted:—Thomas Cairnej, head master, Strath.Taien; Gordon b. Gillespie, head teacher, Tuapeka South; Gladys I. Little, so l° Blackstone Hill; Mary J. Spark, sole teacher, Waikoikoi; W. J. Alex. Hoi low, sole teacher, Mount Cargill; Allan R. Howie, sole teacher, Spylaw Valiev Jas. W. Hook, sole teacher, \Vaihola; Sarah Gillespie, infant mistress, ■High Street; Myrtle G. Botting. assistant, Caversham; Margaret R. Currie, assistant, Clinton; Ethel E. Hotting, assistant, lorbury; S ophie M. Bowers, assistant, Highcliff; V. Dorothy Lattimer, assistant, Kaitangata; Lilian C. Green, assistant, Macandrew Road; Charles A. Baird, assistant, Oamaru North; Elizabeth S. D. Whyte, assistant, Sawyers Bay; Greta ’A. Hilliker, assistant, St. Clair; Mary M Goutts, second assistant, Mosgiel D.H, APPOINTMENTS MADE. The following appointments of teachers were made: —Ohve M. Dun, sole teacher, Waihola; May E. Carter, -sole teacher, Cape Saunders; Charles H. Kingsford, sole teacher, Otiake; Charles A. Baird, sole teacher, Tawanui * Alfred E. Coumbe, assistant, KaiWai; Douglas S, Deacon, assistant, Arthur Street; Mary Roberts (Mrs), assistant, Forbury; Elizabeth S D Whyte, assistant, North-east Valley. The following transfers were approved Thomas Cairney, head master, Concord (from Strath Taien); Gordon S. Gillespie, head master, Strath Taieri (from Tuapeka Mouth); Allan R. Howie, sole teacher, Mount Cargill (from Spylaw Valley): Lilian C. Green, infant mistress, High Street (from Macandrew Road); Myrtle G. Dotting, assistant, Papakaio (from Caversham); Ethel E-, Rotting, fifth assistant, Union Street (from Forbury) ; Mary M. Coutts, second assistant, Tokomairiro D.H. (from Mosgiel D. CONDITION OF DRINKING WATER. The Education Department wrote suggesting that in view of complaints which had been received by the Department of Health regarding the c? 11 " dition of the drinking water supplied the children, especially where tanks were in use, the attention of school committees be called to the necessity of seeing that all school tanks were thoroughly cleaned out before the be- . ginning of next school term. This was considered especially advisable m view of the recent period of hot, dry weather.—The Chairman intimated that a circular had been forwarded to all school committees. —The chairman s action was approved. EXTRA HOLIDAY GRANTED. The Chairman intimated that the holiday granted at the request of the Duke of Gloucester to mark the occasion of his visit was to be added to the Christmas vacation, and primary schools in Otago would reopen on Tuesday, February 5, instead of on Monday, February 4. ACCOUNTS PASSED. Accounts amounting to £18,027 were passed for payment. MAINTENANCE OF SCHOOLS. Mr D. C. Cameron moved —“ That the total cost of interior and exterior renovations of school buildings be a charge against the maintenance account.” Mr Cameron said there was need for a definite policy for the board in regard to expenditure out of the maintenance account. At present the system was haphazard, the board dealing with each application as it came in and insisting upon payment from some committees and letting others off. He thought the time had arrived when, instead of asking some committees for payment, the board should bear the whole of the cost from the maintenance grant as provided by the Government. No other hoard in New Zealand asked committees for contributions towards the interior or exterior of school buildings. Mr Colquhoun seconded the motion. Mr Fleming said their present system seemed to have worked very satisfactorily. Mr Brugh said the motion looked like a sugar-coated pill. They were going to provide maintenance for buildings and let the grounds look after themselves. He was not sure that the present system was not more elastic. Mr Morgan and Mr Todd supported the motion, the latter stating that he thought those who supported committees would he more keen to give assistance towards grounds than buildings. The Chairman said he did not think the motion was going to_ improve their system of_ caring for their buildings or save the time of the board. It had been the Otago wav to help those who helped themselves. In regard to criticism that 'the Otago schools were not kept as well as those in the north, he pointed out that many of their schools were old. but their newer schools compared more than favourably with schools in the north. He was one of those . who thought that if one took an interest in anything it was worth paying for. There were some schools that had' raised hundreds of pounds, and _ they were worth looking at. He was in sympathy , with Mr Cameron’s ideas, but he was not in sympathy with the motion as it was worded. After further discussion the following motion drafted by the secretary (Mr G. . Carrington) was carried: — “That the board accepts the whole cost of interior renovations of school buildings in all cases where it considers the work necessary.” GENERAL. The Oamaru North Committee applied for, a subsidy on the cost of material for top-dressing. The total cost was estimated at £3B 10s.—It was decided to grant half the cost. The Head Master at Milburn made application for the renovation of the kitchen and living room at the school residence the architect estimating the cost at £8 10s.—Approved. The Education Department intimated that the grant for maintenance of buildings was intended to cover the type of remodelling proposed at the North-east Valley School. —The Secretary said the board had applied for £52 for ventilation of one of the rooms, and the department considered _ that that should come out of the maintenance grant.— The Chairman said he considered the work was remodelling, and not maintenance. —It was decided to protest against the decision of the department. The Clinton School Committee asked |or the establishment of a district high

school. The Form 111. which was approved of last year with a temporary teacher had proved itself, and the committee anticipated that if the establishment was approved there would be twenty-four pupils this year.—lt was decided to place the application before the Education Department. The Owaka Committee asked for the erection of a woodwork room, as the rented room in the public hall was not considered suitable.—lt was decided to make application to the department. It was decided to grant £2 2s to the Tananui School Committee for financial assistance in connection with the teaching of swimming to school children. A grant of £7 10s was made to the Otago Boys’ and Girls’ Agricultural Clubs’ Association. The Waipiata Committee wrote referring to the importance of teaching needlework to girls, and asked when the grant would bo reinstated. —It was decided to draw the attention of the department to the lack of needlework teaching in the schools.