EDUCATION BOARD.

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 October 1926, Page 6

EDUCATION BOARD.

WEST COAST BUSINESS.

(Special to “Star.”)

CHRISTCHURCH, October 22.

At to-day’s meeting of the Canterbury Education Board, Mr Mackay, Attendance Officer, West Coast, reported having visited 15 schools, notified 12 parents ’and interviewed 15. It was resolved to send a congratulatory letter to the teachers at Ngahere on the good results disclosed in the report of the West Coast A. and P. Association. A letter was received from the secretary, asking for donations as prizes for the fifth annual show, which is to take place next February. It was recommended that the usual prize money be donated in the school garden section of the show. The recommendation was adopted. The Greymouth Technical School Principal wrote asking the Board to remove the words “Technical School from the manual training building in High Street. It was recommended that a letter be sent stating the Board does not see the necessity for this, as the building is at present used for both manual and technical purposes. The recommendation was approved. Mr Johnston’s report for September and October stated: Schools have been visited as follow: Nelson Creek, Ngahere, Kaiata, Runanga, Aratika, Stafford, Awatuna, Wallis Siding, Kokiri, Totara Flat, Arahura, Woodstock, South Spit, and Cobden. The schools resumed on September 6, aftersecond term vacation from 6th to 50th. There have been 14 wet days, and the West Coast evidently means to keep up its reputation and add another very wet spring to its already long list. I have completed the distribution of seeds to all schools. In each case varieties of forest tree seeds have been included. With regard to the latter, personal instructions have been given in connection with the proper methods of planting and care. The Forestry Department's pamphlet “School Forestry and plantations,” has also been supplied to each school. As reported last unonth. a good deal of reconstruction of plots has been carried out in the smaller schools, such as Awatuna and Kokiri. With the help of the pupils I have done the work. The reconstruction of the Greymouth plot, a fairly large undertaking, has been very successfully carried out by Mr A. G. Williams, one of the assistant masters. The whole appearance has been very much improved. Mr Williams, as the designer, is to be congratulated. At Hokitika, too, great improvements have been made in spite of the difficulties. The plot, on which is built the Old Boys WaiMemorial monument, has been grassed and now kept tidy with a lawn mower. Ornamental borders run from the school gates on each side, a wide path to the school, a distance of about two chains. The headmaster deserves credit for the whole hearted energy he has put into the work of improvement, also for the spirit of co-operation his example has imbued into the staff and committee. 1 have visited the school at Wallis’ Siding to find out its possibilities as regards an agriculture course. As far as the ground is concerned, it is no worse than many others on the Coast, and in fact is better than some. 2V factor that guides me strongly is the attitude of the teacher and also the committee. In this case, it is certain that the teacher will <lO her bes.t to make it a success, as she has done well in other schools. As a student at the teachers’ classes she attended with marked regularity in spite of the difficulties, caused by distance and transport. I have sent a small consignment of tools and seeds to Wallis’ Siding to continue the work which 1 find has already started. September 30, 1926, completes my fifth year on the Coast as Agricultural Instructor. A review of that period reveals many failures and disappointments, but on the whole 1 think the successes far outweigh them all. To a superficial observer, the advance may not seem very great, but much of that advance is not measurable in concrete terms. It shows, however, in the spirit and character u 4 ' thos e who put their hands to work. In the final summing up of education, it is character that counts. As a visiting inspector remarked t<\ me recently in this connection, the result of such work cannot be estimated in £. s. d., but if it is sound educationally, then the commercial side must in th e long run beneiit \ery materially. During the whole period, I have had the whole-hearted co-operation and support of inspectors, teachers and members of the Board, and supervisor. To that sympathy and co-operation, 1 attribute the measure of success that has attended my efforts. Whether my stay in the district be long or short, I confidently look for a continuation of that support. 3ir .Johnston’s report was read and adopted. It was recommended that a letter expressive of the Board’s appreciation be sent to Mr Williams. Air Johnston’s action in providing Wallis’ Siding with garden tools was approved. The Building’s Committee reported: Hokitika:—A letter was received from the committee advising it was unabl e to see a way to erect a new fence at the school with the Board’s grant of £75, and asking that the Grey mouth staff renovate the fence to the extent of the grant. It was resolved to instruct the foreman to put the fence in reasonable order at the lowest possible cost. Taylorville: The committee wrote applying for a grant, half cost (£3 7/6) towards the work of draining the school grounds, repairing fences and cutting blackberries and rushes. As these improvements have already been carried out it was decided to meet half the cost in this instance, but the committee be informed in future that the Board’s authority must first be obtained before incurring expenditure on its behalf.

Taylorville: A further application from the committee for the early remodelling of the school was held over, pending a revision of the list of urgent works. It was decided to accede to the request for new outoffice pits. The foreman is to be asked to submit a report on tne cost of providing a fuel shed in a more convenient position than the present one, which adjoins the boys’ lavatory. The foreman’s report was received and adopted. EX-GAOL AS PLAYGROUND. Where once prisoners scowled and fretted in their stony cells, #houts and laughter of happy children may be heard. The frowning walls, topped with broken glass, (they are already demolished), may give place to a public recreation and children’s playground. This is in Lyttelton on the old gaol site. The Lyttelton School Committee forwarded to the Canterbury Education Board to-day, a copy of the Lyttelton Borough Engineer’s report on the conversion of the late gaol site into a public recreation and

children’s playground. The Board decided to send a copy of the. report to the Department, and to state that the proposals, if carried out, would be of benefit to the school.