GREY TECHNICAL SCHOOL

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 February 1945, Page 7

GREY TECHNICAL SCHOOL

BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEET

The Board of Governors of the Greymouth Technical High School met last evening, when there were present, Messrs J. B. Kent (chairman), E. O. Henry, W.- Braithwaite, W. D. Taylor, F ,H. Denton, J. H. North, F. Bird, and D. S. Kennedy. The Education Department forwarded a revised sketch plan of the proposed caretaker’s cottage, which it was estimated would cost £1465 to build. —The plan was accepted. The Department also advised that private architects could be employed only with the prior consent of the Department.

The Principal (Mr W. M. Stewart) said, in reply to a letter from the Department regarding stalling, he had advised that three teachers would be required. There would be a particular shortage in the Cookery Department. The Department had advised that the allocation of teachers to the school would be under the old regulations and were not likely to be increased.

The Department advised that a certain allocation of students would be required for the teaching position and asked for a report on pupils seeking information. The Department advised 6f terms under which physical education equipment might be procured.—Filed for reference. The resignation of the caretaker, Mr J. Excell, was held over until the next meeting. The Canterbury Education Board wrote stating that the installation of electric lighting at the Hokitika manual centre had been authorised.

The Canterbury Education Board advised that a bus would require to run from Blackball, Stillwater, Taylorville and W allsend each day to convey the 118 pupils enrolled from those points. There were 86 pupils from the route last year. The Army Department advised that Sergeant R. S. Lovell, of the school, had been selected as the best N.C.O. cadet in the Southern Military Command. —It was decided to congratulate Sergeant Lovell and the School shooting team which won the Davy Cup for competition in shooting between the Hokitika, Greymouth and Westport cadet companies, in the first year of competition. The Principal reported that 20yds of cork lino for the Hostel kitchen had been delivered by the Department, in reply to his request. Mr Bird, for the visiting committee, reported that the kitchen at the hostel should bo overhauled before the lino was laid. Conditions round the sink were much too crowded and small. His motion that the gas range be removed and a bench, a draining board, and a modern gas stove be procured was carried. Messrs North and Denton were appointed to be the visiting committee for the ehsuing month. It was decided to again write to the Borough Council concerning the drain in the vicinity of the hostel. The balance in the school account now stands at £749/0/6, and in me hostel ‘account there is a credit balance of £448/10/-. Accounts for December and January passed for payment were:—Hostel £76/6/8, school £2OO/1/7. PRINCIPAL'S' REPORT The report of the Principal as follows was adopted:—The day school opened on Tuesday, February 6. Two pupils enrolled from other postpi imary schools, and the total enrolment of first-year pupils to date is '202—108 boys and 94 girls. Of these, 48 are enrolled in the general secondary course (24 boys and 24 girls). 44 in the Commercial (6 and 38), 78 in the Trades (Engineering and Woodwork), and 32 in the Domestic Science. The outstanding feature is a record enrolment of 44 boys who at present hope to select the woodwork course. Enrolments in the general course are rather heavier than last year, those in the Domestic Science are rather lighter, while ’those in the Commercial course are considerably lighter. . The gardens and playing-fields, thanks to the skill of the caretaker and his assistant, are in excellent order. I regret to report that Mr Excell has been compelled, for reasons of health, to forward his resignation For seven years the school has owed more to him than can be easily expressed, and it is the earnest hope of the staff and pupils that his health may be restored by rest and a lightening of his unremitting work. The annual barracks and training week will be held for boys and girls; from February 19 to 23. If weather conditions are favourable, we are] looking forward to a week of interest, and immense benefit to the whole school. Eight boys were successful in the Public Service examination in November, in the School Certificate, 12 pupils secured a full pass, and eight a partial pass. Seven obtained | Higher Leaving Certificate, and al! five candidates from the Sixth Form! were admitted to the Christchurch Training College. Two students from | the 1944 evening school obtained the | School Certificate, and. two a partial pass. Evening classes for 1945 willcommence on February. 26 or March 5. One class, that in Wiremen’s Theory for the March examination I opened on Wednesday, February 7 A recent report from the Wiremen’s Registration J3oarcl shows that our three candidates passed the examination; their percentage of passes being on the average the highest for New, Zealand. , With a large proportion of lastj year’s record enrolment returned to school (74 boys and 91 girls), the; total roll number of the school is now' 470—238 boys and 232 girls—dis- ■ tributed as follows:—General course,! 140; Commercial, 118; Trades, 143', Domestic Science, 69. The average at- | tendance for the period of two weeks has been high, being over 97 per cent. With the exception of Miss Ramsay and Miss Wither, of the manual instruction staff, for whose positions no applications have yet been received, all the staff returned to duty at the beginning of the year. Mr W. S Marshall, who has held a war-time appointment for three years in place of Mr L. E. Tweedie, has resigned to accept a permanent appointment at the Dunedin Technical College, and the proper steps have been taken to secure a successor to him. Mr Mar-! shall has given valuable service both inside and outside the classroom, and colleagues and pupil will wish him success and happiness in his new position. In anticipation of the increase in the roll, I took steps to put on order 60 more chairs and tables, and shall need to provide more stools for several of the practical workrooms. The enrolment at the Hostel is 29 (19 boys and 10 girls). Of these, 13J are first-year pupils. Of the 29, probably 20 will be full-time boarders, i As is usual during February, a! good proportion of the time is being devoted to swimming and other out-; oi-door activities. Cricket and tennis; are being organised for the term. At; the end of the year, the second eleven' of Nelson College visited us and played a very enjoyable match against our first eleven. After a two-years’ break for unavoidable reasons, we hope to resume this year, probably; in March, our cricket and tennis fix- I tures against Christchurch West, who! will visit Greymouth. The swimming] sports have been set down for Tuesday, February 27; the athletic sports I for Wednesday, March 14; and the ; inter-schools sports tentatively for Wednesday, March 28. The credit balance in the School Activities Fund at December 31, after a total receipt of £166/14/2 in school subscriptions. and the payment of all outstanding accounts, of which the chief. vzas £4B/11/6 for the School Maga-! zine, was £lll/7/7. Receipts to date in school subscriptions have totalled