EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION

Evening Star, Issue 22083, 17 July 1935, Page 2

EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION

OTAGO BOARD MEETS MANY TOPICS DISCUSSED j ' • y \ The Otago Education Board met this morning, there being present the chairman (Mr James Wallace), Messrs PM'Kinley,, D. C. Cameron, G. Livingstone, D. T. Fleming, R. H. S, Todd, E.~ Morgan, and J. Shepherd. NOT IN BOARD’S PROVINCE. The City Council made an appeal to the board to co-operate by subsidising the pay of relief labour so that the men concerned should receive standard It was stated that board employed 28 men under the No. 5 scheme at present. . , “I am quite sympathetic with the men, but we have not the money to spend,” remarked the chairman. “ We are not the; employing authority for these 28 men. That duty devolves upon the school committees, and if they can pay the extra money out of their funds well and good. As a matter of fact, we have been very good to the unemployed. We spent £4,000 on Pine Hill, and kept 150 going for nearly two years.” Mr Wallace added that much work had been carried out in school grounds which would'not have been thought of but for consideration of unemployed men. Mr Cameron said that the board could not tap the funds available to the City Council to pay this extra money. . , , It was decided to explain the board s position to the council. MILK SUBSIDY. , The North-east Valley committee naked whether the board’s subsidy oould be made to apply to the_ provision of hot soup in place of milk. “ I want to make it quite public that we are not subsidising the total amount spent on milk, and the committees should know that,” said the chairman. “ In any event, milk is recommended as a special article of diet by the department, and soup is not.” The request was declined. TRAINING COLLEGE, The Minister, in acknowledging receipt of the statement made by the chairman at the last meeting of the hoard, stated that, as he had promised to discuss the matter on the occasion of his visit to Otago, he did not propose to make any comment at this stage, NO FUNDS AVAILABLE. The George Street Committee stated that it did not consider an expenditure of £6 5s for repairs to the janitor’s present'residence justified in view of the condition of the building. It added that the residence was practically con-

demned 12 years ago, and that rebuilding was necessary’, —To be advised that there are no funds available. MANUAL TRAINING CENTRE. The Architect reported that the fitting up of a manual training centre in the Moray place buildings was well advanced. The cookery room was located in the ground floor of the main building, and the woodwork room in the top floor of the old school of art building. INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL.' The Amenities and Town Planning Society stated that in the course of an inspection the condition of the Union street and Amsao avenue frontages of the grounds of the intermediate school was noticed. If this were levelled and planted a great improvement would be effected. The society would be prepared to undertake the planting of trees if the board could arrange the levelling, say, with unemployed- labour. —Held over for reports. WASTAGE OF WATER. The Roxburgh Committee reported that the Borough Council has _ complained of the abnormal quantity of water used at the primary school—approximately 10,000 'gallons every 24 hours.—The architects suggestions for the elimination of the wastage were approved. FIRE AT NGAPARA, The teacher at Ngapara reported that a fire occurred m the school on Friday, July 5, burning a hole in the floor about 3ft x 3ft, also charring the lining. It was put out by means of the fire extinguisher, together with the assistance of another extinguisher brought by the driver of a bus which was passing at the time. The teacher saw the fire from the residence, but she is unable to account for it. APPOINTMENTS. The following appointments were confirmed: —Sole teacher, Kenneth K. Wood, P.uiekireki; assistant, Mary E. Young, Waitahuna; assistant, Harold B, Laytham, Arthur Street: assistant, Lucy J. Crosbie, Owaka D.H.; assistant, Dorothy Groves. Papatowai. Transfers. Headmaster, Cuthbert Parr, Union Street (from George Street); assistant, Christina M'Diarmid, Seacliff (from Shag Point); assist; ant, Emilie N. K. M'Leod, Wakan (from Forbury). RESIGNATIONS. The following resignations were accepted:— Headmaster, Thomas R. W. Coutts, St. Clair; headmaster, Cuthbert Parr, George Street; headmaster, James Fleming, Union Street; head teacher, Robert W. Moir, Totara; sole teacher, Constance C. Courtier, Manuka Creek; infant mistress, Mary A t . Long, Cayersham; assistant, Myrtle M'Lachlan, Waikouaiti. COMMITTEE’S REQUESTS. The Taieri Beach committee asked for assistance in gravelling the drill

square and paths, the estimated cost ot which was £3 7s 6d.—lt was decided to grant half the cost. The Waitepeka committee advised that the concrete work carried out at the school cost about £6O, and asked whether the board could increase its contribution of £ls.—Declined. The Lawrence committee asked for assistance in installing four electric lights at a cost of £7 2s 6d.—The board made a grant of half cost. The Anderson’s Bay committee requested assistance in continuing the concrete approach to the infant school, the estimated cost of which was £ls, and in removing the borer from the gymnasium,—The first application was declined, and a grant of half the cost (£l7) made in the second case. The Port Chalmers Committee asked for repairs to the boundary fence on the south side of the grounds. —The Architect considered that the fence should be removed and a new 6ft paling fence erected. The estimated cost was £35 10s, and it was decided to ask the adjoining owner for £l4. SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS. The Architect reported thht it would bo necessary to sink a new sump at Pukeuri to clean shingle. A tender of £3O had been received, and this was approved. The Caversham Committee stated that it could not see its way to find one-third of the cost of a concrete destructor, the total cost of which would he £l7. The Architect recommended the acceptance of a tender of £29 5s for a garage at Lawrence, and one of £32 for a 'garage at Oturehua.—Approved. MATAKANUI AND OMAKAU. A petition was received from 15 parents, representing 25 children at present being conveyed to the Matakanui School and 16 under school age, for the conveyance of the children to Omakau instead of to Matakanui; also a petition from 11 other parents, representing nine children of school age and one under school age, to be included in the proposed conveyance. A letter was received from the Matakanui School Committee intimating that a motion was carried—“ That the committee approves of petition as presented to Education Board for conveyance of children to Omakau School.” The board’s sub-committee reported having met residents of Matakanui in favour of conveyance and those against the closing of the school. The latter offered no objection to the conveyance of these children to Omakau provided that the Matakanui School was still kept open. The report was adopted.