GREY TECHNICAL SCHOOL

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 February 1941, Page 5

GREY TECHNICAL SCHOOL

board of governors. The Board of Governors of the Greymouth Technical High School met last evening, there being present; Messrs T. E. Coates (chairman), AV. H, Parfitt, P. J. McLean, C. F. cott, E. B. E. Taylor, Mrs. C. H. Lindsay and the Principal, Mr. AV. M. Stewart. An apology for absence was received from Mr.‘J. Goodall, M.L.C. The Principal reported that Mr. Fairmaid, the Borough Gas Manager, had made. a written request for the use of a gas copper.in the primary school cooking centre in High Street by the Presbyterian Church. He added that after interviewing the Chairman, he had granted the request.— The action of the Chairman and the Principal was approved. The Grey Electric Power Board wrote stating that the Board had decided to grant £2 2/- to the school prize fund. The Principal said that he saw by the papers that there had been some controversy about the donation. Mr. McLean: I think that some of the members would have preferred that the discussion had not been reported. The Principal read correspondence he had had with the authorities, who had stated that sales tax was payable on the labour part of the finished article; that sales tax was payable on materials used in repair jobs, when the materials were subject to sales tax, and that printed stationery (including the school magazine) for school use was not exempt from sales tax.

Sapper H. J. Smaile, stationed on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt, wrote thanking the pupils of the school for a Christmas gift parcel he received on Christmas Day, and expressing his best wishes to the pupils, the staff, and the school for the New Year.

The Secretary of the Greymouth Branch of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary wrote asking that permission be granted for the classes in institutional cookery to be conducted’ in the school, and stating that Miss K. McDonald had agreed to be instructor.—The Principal’s action in granting permission was approved. Rev. R. R. Seaton wrote asking for the use of the cookery and woodwork rooms at the Reefton manual training centre for a Bible class camp at Easter—the cookery room for the preparation of meals, and the woodwork room as a dining hall. —The application was granted. The tender of £54 3/- by Mr. E. Matthews for labour and materials (excluding roofing iron) for the construction of a bicycle shed at the school was accepted. Mr. Matthews’ tender was the lower of two received. A letter of thanks was received from Mrs. Kaye, Dunollie, in reply to a letter of condolence sent from the Board.

Mr. McLean and Mrs. Lindsay were appointed as a Visiting Committee. Accounts amounting to £267 15/3 (school £163 19/5, hostel £lO3 15/10) were passed for payment. The school credit balance to February 12, 1941, was £204 8/4, and the Finance Committee reported a satisfactory financial position in connection with the hostel.

PRINCIPAL'S REPORT. - The Principal presented the following report, which was approved:-— When it is remembered that the Sixth Standard numbers for the West Coast district in 1940 were much below the average (200 as compared with the general average of 240 to 250), the enrolment of new pupils must be considered very good. One post-matri-culated boy joined the school from Otago, while of first-year pupils, 1-5 have enrolled (67 boys and 58 gn’ls), and three boys will be el }[oHi n g within the next week. Of these 128, 39 are entered in the General Secondary course, 37 in the Commercial, 34 in the Trades, and 18 in the Domestic Science course. Including the three entries to come this week, the tota number on the roll is 353, 179 boys and 174 girls, who are entered as follows:—General Secondary, 124, Com mercial 97, Trades Engineering and Woodwork 86, Domestic Science 45 These numbers represent a very good spread of strength over the various courses, and, as the fluahty pupils, both senior and fust yeai, seems very good, the indications point to a very successful year iiom the school, despite difficulties, staffing anc other, which will have to be faced. As old pupils are still returning and new ones enrolling, while doubtless several now at school will leave to take position before March 1, it is still too early to state with certainty what the exact numbers on March 1 will, be, but it is practically sure that they will be practically the same as last year or perhaps a little higher. This means that the staffing numbers will certainly not suffer diminution, the average attendance for the two weeks has been 90.5 per cent. This average attendance, while lower than is usual for the early. weeks of the year, s due to climatic conditions. Following the sound and healthful suggestion made by the Education Department, several years ago, I am once more endeavouring so far as weather permits, to devote as much time as possible to outside occupations during February. Thus swimming and life-saving for boys and girls, are in full swing, while an endeavour is being made to ensure that every boy and girl in the school can swim. Physical training, organised games, athletics and some gardening are also finding a place. The complete framework of the day’s periods is being retained, but the periods are shorter. On days when outside work is impossible, the ordinary school programme is followed. Several improvements, larger and smaller, are being attempted in the school syllabus, and, as these involve a great deal of detailed planning, the timetable for the year is not yet finished. In the meantime, we are using the 1940 time-table, which is working quite well. Of the 16 pupils who sat for School Certificate and University Entrance, 12 obtained School Certificate, one a partial pass, and ten University Entrance. In addition, one pupil who had almost completed her course at this School passed from another school. In the Public Service Entrance examination, 20 candidates sat, of whom eleven were successful. The results of this examination were a complete reversal of form, as five, of the strongest pupils in the School failed, including one who gained University Entrance and School Certificate, while one or two decidedly weaker ones passed. This was in great measure due to an English pap-

er which was not so much difficult as unsuitable; in fact I have seen papers of similar quality set in University Scholarship, for which examination it was more suitable. I wish to take this opportunity, along with other Principals and Headmasters, of protesting against the infliction of quite unsuitable papers on candidates at this early stage of their career. Seven out of seven candidates passed in the Chamber of Commerce exams., and four in the Public Service Commissioner’s ex&m., one senior and three junior. Mr. G. W. Ormandy, 8.A., who was appointed to the staff in succession to Mr T. D. Holmes, has-taken up his duties,’ and : has already identified himself with great enthusiasm with the inside and the outside life of the school. Other staff changes are looming, and there is no doubt that the staffing problem is going to cause some hard thinking before the next few years are over. However, that difficulty, like other difficulties, can be met and will be met as it occurs. Twenty-one boys and 17 girls are in residence at the School Hostel, and there is every likelihood of four more boys applying for admission. Of the 38, 14 are full-time, and'24 go home at the week-ends. Cricket and tennis have begun for the year; there are four cricket elevens, of which three are in regular competition. It is hoped that the annual matches with Ho.kitika D.H.S. and Christchurch AVest High School will take place shortly. The annual swimming sports will be held on Wednesday, February 19, and the athletic sports probably on March 12, followed shortly by the inter-schools meeting. In finance, the year-end showed a credit balance of £47 18/10; subscriptions received since January 30 amount to £3l 13/6, including 3/6 for 1940. Payments, £1 10/- for magazine. Amounts outstanding 5/- for life-saving affiliation. Balance in hand, £7B 2/4. The very large and complicated time-table of woodwork and cookery at Greymouth, Reefton and Hokitika centres is in full swing. The departure of Mr. Lyon for Hare wood training aerodrome has caused some of the woodwork to be held up in the meantime, but I hope very shortly to be able to recommend a suitable war-time appointment to the Board. I am informed to-day from outside that the local railway authorities propose to alter the Monday and Thursday Reefton trains, but have received no intimation. If it is so, it will cause a very great rearrangement of classes at the Greymouth centre, with many hours of work. But it can no doubt be straightened out. It is proposed to commence evening classes on Monday, March 3. I hope that the Practical Mechanics class for Third Marine Engineers, A grade motor mechanics and Wiremen’s Certificates, which was approved last year, will receive sufficient enrolments to enable it to be started, and also that the examination classes will be able to resume the work which they did so successfully from 1937 to 1939, but which’ lapsed. I propose shortly to issue a small prospectus of the evening classes for the year. .One candidate from evening school obtained a pass in Public Service Commissioner’s exam and Jackson McLennan of the woodwork classes, obtained his Technological final in cabinetmaking. Air Force Classes have been in session for the past three weeks. „ . . , Mr. McLean said that the Principal and'his staff deserved great credit for the splendid examination results, which were well above the average in other schools in New Zealand. The Chairman said it was the best teaching school in New Zealand. Mr McLean’s motion of appreciation of the efforts of the Principal and staff was carried. It was decided to write Mr. D. Lyon congratulating him on his joining the Air Force, wishing him every success, and expressing appreciation of his services to the school. The Principal agreed to supply to Mr. Shapcott, in his capacity as liaison officer to the Public Service Commissioner, a report on the number of commercial pupils who left school in the course of the past year, and did not sit for the final examinations.