MAIN SCHOOL

Grey River Argus, 8 June 1931, Page 6

MAIN SCHOOL

COMMITTEE MEETING. i i At the monthly meeting of the Grey 1 Main School there were present: Messrs .R. A. Barrowman (chairman) R. J. Williams, H. Herring, A. V. Oliver, W. Scott, J. Tennent and the Secretary, Mr J. C. McDonald. An apology was received from Mr G. Herring. The headmaster. Mr E. S. Lorking, reported as follows for the month ot Mav:—

The numbers on the roll of the Main School at the end of May were 301 boys and 309 girls, and the average at- i itendances were 268 boys and 276 girls. I At Blaketown the roll" numbers were’ 54 boys and 41 girls, while the average , a tendances were 48.5 hoys and 38.2 girls. Last term’s average attendance j for the Main School was 545.4. If’ that number had been increased to 550 the school would have been entitled ito an additional assistant. For some time the prospects of attaining an average | attendance of 550 for the term were good, but unfortunately a minor epidemic of chicken-pox, and heavy downpours of rain marred the splendid average. It is, to say the least, a ridiculous situation when epidemics and weat- I her determine a school’s staffing. The only logical method of staffing a school is on the roll number. Rooms 4A and 2 at ithe Main School are leaking, and last night’s wind shifted a few slates over other rooms. A cupboard for the books forming a central library would be Avelcomed.—The report was adopted. The Dental officer reported a total of 275 operations during May as compared with 253 during the preceding mon; h. The (’hairman stated that he had interviewed the Watkin’s Fund trust< es and they were quite willing to fall in with the wishes of the committee re the ordering of the medals in sufficient t.me to permit of their being presented to the winners at the close of the school ! Mr Herring stated that he had seen Mr fleaphy who informed him that the two 'medals had come to hand. The Chairman said that the presentation had been arranged to take place at 3 I p.m., on June 17th. The Canterbury Education Board wrote requesting a refund of thirty shillings of a subsidy which had been paid in error. Mr Herring stated (that Mr B'cheno had paid 30/- out of his own pocket and had forwarded it to the Board with an order for a Rotor roll. The Board wrote back stating that such an application would have to come through ithe committee in- order to obtain the subsidy. lie understood that Mr Bicheno had paid 30/- to the Board which received the subsidy of £3 from the Department. The Board had forwarded the £3 which was paid by the committee. It was decided ithat the refund be made. Mr E. S. Lorking forwarded h’s resignation stating that he had received an appointment :it Beckenham School. The Chairman said that they very much regretted losing the service’s of M r | Lorking who had been wii h them for the past throe year-. He had done excellent work and t was mainly on account of his health that he was leaving the district. He moved that the resignat on be accepted wi. h regret and that a letter of appreciation be sent to Mr Lorking. The motion was seconded by Mr Oliver and carried. Messrs Willi ms. Herring, Scott, Tennent and Fairmaid also paid tributes to the fine work accomplished by ;the retiring headmaster. It was resolved that the chairman interv ew the foreman of the Education Board regarding the leaks in the roof of the school referred to in the report of the head master.

The Minus,! er of Education wrote stating that he regretted the decision of the committee in opposing the transfer of the Standard 6 pupils to the Technical School and also a similar de- , cision by the meeting of householders. He pointed out addtioiial accommodation had been provided at the Technical School, and he regretted that thus would not. now be used. The proposed change, he staited. was supported by eminent educationalists. Regarding. the objection that the transferred pupils would be among children of adolescent age, he did not think that the change of ithe Standard 6 to the Techn’’cal School would be any more dangerous than when the pupils of Standard I 1 were associated with those of Stand -' ard 6. He asked that the Committee reconsider its decision. Mr Herring 1 said Mr Atmore’s contention that there i was no more danger in Std. 6 pupils I associating with children of adolescent I age than in Std. 1 pupils associating with Std. 6 pupils was absurd. Mr Ten-I nent moved that the Minisiter be not'fi-' ed that the committee could see no reason why its decision should be re-con- , sidered, and that they were quite con- ! vinced that ithe change would not benefit. the pupils concerned. As far as examination results were concerned they had a record of which to be proud, Last year they had topped the list for New Zealand. The motion was seconded by Mr Scatt and carried. The Chairman stated that he had granted Miss Phelan one month’s leave of absence and had wired the, Education Board pointing out that there were 95 pupils at the Blaketown school under one .teacher, but as yet he had received no reply. The action of the chairman was endorsed.

The Visiting Committee (Messrs. Fairmivd and Williams) reported that all was in order at Blaketown School. A pane of glass was required for a win- ( dow in the gymnasium, there, and the) fuel shed required enlarging, as at present the coke is stored in the open. The Headmaster proposed bagging the coke and storing it in the gymnasium. The lawn also required attention as it was i almost totally devoid of grass. It was decided that the Education Board i be requested to enlarge the fuel shed I and that Mr Fairhnll be employed to I top-dress the lawn. Accounts totalling £l3/1/10 were pas-1 sed for payment. Mr Williams said his attention had i been drawn ito the advertisement for al headmaster in the Educational Gazette,! where the School had been graded as 7, whereas it was 7d. Whether this was by design or accident he could not say. It was resolved that the atltentiou of. the Board be drawn to the advertisement, and that they bo asked to explain the fact /that the school had been referred to a* grade 7.