SCHOOL COMMITTEES

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 May 1937, Page 14

SCHOOL COMMITTEES

WEST COAST ASSOCIATION The annual meeting of the West Coast School Committees’ Association was held at the Grey Main School, last evening, Mr. H. J. Aldridge (President) presiding over the following delegates: Messrs. J. P. Hewison (Paroa), N'. Hayes (Cobden), L Patterson, E. V. Ellery (Grey Main), H. W. R. Sweney (Hokitika) and R. R. Smith (Taylorville). The secretary (Mr. A. E. Morgan) was also present. . The Dominion Federation ot School Committees,’ Association wrote stating that the Federation would give oral evidence before the Parliamentary Committee concerning revision of the education system, and to this end it was desired to have expressions of opinion from all school committees, with particular reference to the Atmore report, upon which the -Federation was preparing a report. The secretary stated that he had asked for fifty copies of the report, for distribution to West Coast school committees. The Dominion Federation also torwarded copies of Ministerial replies to representations made by the Parliamentary Committee. The Hokitika School Committee advised that they were in'favour of the appointment of a district truant officer. The secretary said that the letter arose out of the business of the last meeting. He had written to various schools asking for an expression of opinion on the question of sthe appointment of a truant officer, but Hokitika was the only one that had replied. The Canterbury Education Board, in reply to the Association’s letter, requested that any known cases of truancy should be reported. The President said that the Minister had stated that he did not think the appointment of a truant officer was necessary, as cases of children playing truant were not frequent. Referring to the resignations of the Kotuku arid Kumara Committees from the Association, the President said he thought some of the committees had adopted a bigoted view, in refusing to become members of the Association. He knew of at least two who had refused to become members because they had all they wanted and did not consider they could gain anything through the Association. In his opinion it showed a decidedly poor spirit. The secretary said that he had circularised committees regarding membership of the Association, but he had got only two replies. Kotuku had pulled out because of a misunderstanding. The President said that he had spoken to one of the members of the Kotuku Committee who had said that they had got all they wanted, and that they could not get any more through membership of the Association.

Mr. Smith: But they forget that they might be able to help some other school.

The secretary said that as a national organisation, they looked at education from a national point of view. Although a small Association, they were assisting to keep alive the Dominion Federation, which did valuable work.

Mr. Sweney: It is probably through the Association that those committees have got all they want. The secretary’s annual report, in which he pointed out the difficulty of carrying on the Association with a limited amount of finance, and stressed the necessity of assisting the Dominion Federation financially, was adopted, on the motion of Messrs. Patterson and Hayes.

The balance sheet, showing a credit of 7/9 was also adopted. The main items were: —Receipts: Balance £6/6/4, affiliation fees £lO/7/-, donation £2. Expenditure: Conference expenses, £lO/10/.-, affiliation fee £2 2/-; telephone A/c. £3/10/-, circulars £l/3/-, postages and stationery £1 0/7. TRAFFIC DANGERS

The President said that he would like to have a discussion on the inadequate regulations governing the school go-slow areas on the highways, particularly at Greymouth, Kaiata, Camerons and Kotuku. With the Committee’s authority he had asked for traffic lines to be drawn outside the Main School, but they had now grown faint. Othqr schools, he knew, had signs posted up. They were alright, as far as they went, but he thought they couid go further. Lines were painted for the protection of fire plug and parking areas from traffic, and surely they could have lines painted for the protection of children. He had suggested to the Department that a set of stencils should be prepared for the drawing. of lines outside all the schools on the highways. It was his opinion that notices were not sufficient. On the other hand, if there were bold lines across the road, motorists could not miss them. The secretary said that already a national scheme was being formulated for the education of children in traffic dangers. The President: The onus should not be on the children. It should be on I the local authority to protect them I better than at present. Mr. Hewison said that some years ago the Grey County put up good notices “School —Go Slow,” but they had been replaced by Highways Board notices which just read “School.” Since then, motorists had gone past the Paroa school at any speed, up to 50 and 60 m.p.h. He had spoken to both traffic inspectors on the matter, but they had said that it was a matter for higher authority. The secretary said that the position at Paroa was the worst of the lot. Sooner or later a child was going to be killed there by a speeding motorist, and something should be done. Mr. Ellery: If you painted the whole road white you would not stop them from speeding: they will not take notice of signs. Mr. Hewison moved that the Minister of Transport be written to asking that roads in close proximity to schools should be adequately marked. and pointing out the urgency of , the matter on the West Coast. ( In seconding the motion. Mr. Smith | said that if the roads were marked, there was a much stronger case j against a motorist, caught speeding j past a school.

The motion was carried. Mr. Sweney said that, his committee had requested' that the’Association should, discuss, the. .question of the School Leaving Certificate replacing the Matriculation examination, and the consequent abolition of the high fee charged. The Hokitika Committee had already made a recommendation to that effect. The secretary said that it was a matter that would come up in the re-

organisation of the educational system, but it would do no harm to recommend that, it should be put into effect.

Mr. Sweney moved that Hie Dominion Federation be asked to recommend to the Minister that when the proposed reorganisation of the educational system was undertaken, an examination set by Department inspectors should be substituted for Matriculation, for all except pupils who intended to take up a University course. The President said that the matter was dealt with in the Atmore Report and had been approved by the Minister of Education. The secretary said that the report did not completely cover the Hokitika request, that the inspectors should set the examination. The motion was seconded by Mr. Hayes, and carried. It was also decided to recommend, through the Dominion Federation, that the Government adopt Scheme B of the Atmore Report, under which the control of primary and secondary education on the West Coast would be in the hands of a central Board, with headquarters at Greymouth. The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted: —President: Mr. H. J. Aldridge (re-elected); VicePresident, Mr. E. V. Ellery (reelected) ; secretary, Mr. A. E. Morgan (re-elected); Committee:, all present, with the addition of Mr. Campbell (Kaiata). After discussion on the question of improving the Association’s finances, it was decided that the delegates should request their respective social committees to run at least one function in aid of the Association.