GREY MAIN SCHOOL

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 August 1929, Page 5

GREY MAIN SCHOOL

COMMITTEE’S MEETING

The monthly meeting of the GreyImouth Main School Committee was held last evening, there being present Messrs W. G. Scott (Chairman), J TCnnent, W. R. J. Smythe, G. Herring, A. V. Olliver and H. Herring (secretary). Apologies for absence were received from Messrs A. J. Fairmaid, R. Barrowman, and R. j. Williams. In reference to a request from the Kumara School (held over from last I meeting) to have pupils treated at the I Grey Dental Clinic, the Secretary reported that the orders issued by the Department were that all primary pupils in the main and Cobden schools had first to be treated, then pupils from outside schools could receive service providing application was first made to the Department. At present Nurse Thompson was fully engaged with Main School pupils. Arising out of the Headmaster’s report the proposed excursion of pupils to the Christchurch Winter Show was discussed. ' The Chairman pointed out that the school would have to be closed a day earlier for the term holidays to allow the excursionists to travel on the proposed date, unless it was deemed advisable to keep it open for those remaining. Several members thought it unnecessary to close the school. The secretary objected to trie methods adopted by the Show’s advance agent in Greymouth, and thought that permission to speak at the school on the subject should have been obtained from the Committee. He was up against the scheme because in his opinion practically everybody in the

town had suffered to some extent from the earthquake and although fares were cheap, there were some of the excursionists who could ill afford the finances. Furthermore all New Zealand made goods which would be seen at the Show, could be seen in Greymouth. To his mind, Christchurch gave Grey mouth very little in this respect, and the trip would be really boosting Christchurch. The first thing the Show people should have done was to ask permission to approach the school; instead, the Committee had been ignored in the matter.

Mr. Tennent thought that the trip was rather strenuous for the children to make. A big journey had to be faced both ways, and during the day in Christchurch sports would be played in the morning and the Show visited in the afternoon. The Secretary thought that the only thing in favour of the trip would be that some children would have a cheap holiday which would otherwise be impossible. Mr. Smytlie was in ’ favour of the trip from a similar point of view, although the method of approaching the school in the matter was pretty crude, he agreed.

The Chairman pointed out that although the Canterbury Education Board might have given the agent permission to talk to the schools on the subject, the Committee had to be consulted also in the matter. The trip had been planned however, and could not be stopped. Incidentally, the speaker said, the fares for the excursion were nearly the ordinary excursion fares available to children during any school holidays. The Chairman was asked to consult with the Headmaster on the closing of the school.

The Secretary reported satisfactorily on the Blaketown school. During the illness of the caretaker, the children were keeping the building in order. It was reported that the housing temporarily of the class in the Scouts’ Hall was proving satisfactory. The Ilall had been lined, conveniences put in, and the caretaking was being done by the boys. Miss E. J. Morgan’s resignation from the school staff was received with regret.

The Canterbury School Committee’s Association forwarded a schedule of aims and objects, which was filed for reference.

HEADMASTER’S REPORT

The Headmaster (Mr. S. Lorking) reported as follows for July:—The numbers on the roll at the Grey Main School at the end of July were:—Boys: 290, girls: 250. The average attendances for the month were: Boys, 234 girls, 243. The numbers on the roll at the Blaketown School were: — Boys 59, girls 57. The average attendances for the month were: Boys 49, girls 43. The attendances of the pupils have been seriously affected by the influenza but owing to the Department’s new regulations permitting schools to exclude the attendances which are below 75 per cent, of the total, the poor attendance is not indicated in the above averages. It became necessary to use the Scouts’ Hall as a classroom for Standard VI. boys when the entrance ceased being used foi’ teaching purposes. It is proposed to take pupils to the Christchurch Winter Show on August 22 and return on August 24. As the visit would enable pupils to gain a first class knowledge of the primary and secondary products of Canterbury, I think the time spent would be beneficial to the pupils. The following teachers t were absent through illness during the month: Misses Ferguson, Morgan, Cornwall, Lilburne, Hopkinson, Mrs. Wise and Mr. Williams. Mr. Wilson was absent for three days and Mr. Lorking for two days. Hinges on the coal house in Blaketown require attention.