EDUCATION BOARD.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 12 February 1925, Page 2

EDUCATION BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING

SOUTH TAIRAS'AKI BUSINESS.The monthly meeting of the Taranaki Education Board was held yesterday, when there were present Messrs. S. J. Smith, iYI.P. (chair), H. Dempsey, F. H. Sim, A. Lees, P. <l. H. \Vhite, R. J. Dearc and Rev. .1. L. A. Kayli. The Hawera branch of the Workers Education Association was granted the use of a room in the old Technical ,School during the forthcoming season. Tenders by the Eg moot Tourist Motors lor the conveyance cf children from Tokaora to Hawera and from Okaiawa to Hawera were accepted. APPOINTMENTS. A report of the teachers selection committee, dated January 2.3, stated that-''subjee to compliance with the .regulations, the following appointments had been made: Edna May Flavin, pupil teacher, Auroa; Alt. J. Thomas, pupil teacher, Stratford; Edna A. Death, pupil teacher, Tawhiti; Dorothy E. Wood, probationer, Eltham; Harold Clarke,' - probationer, Hawera; Eileen F. Sage, probationer, Hawera; Brian Mason, probationer, Pihanni; Doreen McKenney, probationer, Matapu. A subsequent report of the same committee dealt with teachers positions in South Taranaki as follows: Eltham. —E. Geever’ status changed from probationer to pupil teacher, as she took the place of M. MacDonald, pupil-teacher, transferred to Stratlord. Opunake. —Alexander W r . Morrison appointed to the position left vacant when the appointments were made. Stratford' —A. J. Thomas withdrawn and place tilled by M. MacDonald. Hawera.- —Dorothy Duke transferred from Moturoa to her home, in Hawera in place of H. Clarke accepted for? Training College. FRASER ROAD, The Boards architect reported in connection with the Fraser Road school as Follows: Whilst at'this school recently I went into the matter of additions (now before the Department). The attendance will, be at least 50 according to- the teacher, and I would recommend turning the present building at rightangles to its present position before putting on additions. The cost will- not be more than £4O and I would suggestthat the Board pay it out of maintenance. If the Board agrees, an amended plan should be placed before the Department immediately. Probably the proposed school at the Mangorei cross roads and the Fraser Road additions are the most ui'gent cases at present. Air. Lees moved that application be again renewed for additions at Fraser Road, and that.the Department be asked to treat the matter as urgent, the Board to ask for a reply as early as possible. Also that the Department b© asked to allow the Board to t-urn the school round as suggested by the architect, and the cost to be borne by the Board out- of th© rebuilding fund. Speaking to the motion, Mr Lees said that application for additions had been made in November last, but so. far no reply had been renewed. Mr. Dempsey seconded the motion which was duly carried. MORE HIGH SCHOOLS.

T 1 e Education Department advised that the establishment of a district High School at Opunake had been approved, as had also been the grant of £525 for the building. Air. Lees said it was to be hoped that tell Opunake people would rise to the. occasion and see that th© school was properly established. If they did not make the most of the opportunity they would lose what they had now got. The Department also advised that it "had been decided to establish a districthigh school at Manaia, as the conveyance of children to Hawera would he a difficulty. REPORTS. The teachers selection committee reported that owing- to reduced average, Miss M. R. Luuam had been transferred to Fitzroy. , In the chairman’s monthly report it was stated that Aliss R. M. Smith had been appointed relieving second assistant at Otakelio. In his new capacity as supervisor of manual training, Air. R,. G. R-idling reported as follows on manual instruction : Delay in commencement- of classes: Because of the delay in the opening of the schools no classes have yet been commnced. This will materially affect the organisation of the classes throughout the year, and difficulty will he experienced in completing the necessary periods laid down by the department as essential to a course. This may necessitate alteration of the time-tabe to suit changed conditions. Time-table: The time-table submitted to th© department lias not yet received their approval because of minor differences ot policy. I believe that these differences can he overcome without loss of efficiency in the work. The department believes (1) that the responsibility for th© conduct of rural science classes at the various manual centres hould li© thrown upon the staffs of the schools concerned, (2) the work of the specialist instructors in these classes should be chiefly advisory. This, I believe, can he carried out without loss of efficiency in some of the classes, and I would suggest that where efficiency is not likely to be decreased,, the board affirms the principle accepted by the department. Classes ca.n then lie organised accordingly.'' Hawera manual building : A grant- of £2O has been offered by the department for this work. It is suggested that this work should be carried out by the woodwork instructors themselves during the period in which th©. schools are closed. No report on the repairs necessary to th ewoodwork room is yet availabe. Air. J. A. Valentine, senior inspector of schooLs, reported that the Board’s two organising teachers had each done very tine work during the year, and he wished to place on record his opiinon of their conscientious and efficient work. For 1295 there were perhaps 32 schools which should- be- v listed by the organising teachers, and of these some 14 or 15 were in the 'Oh urn district.

The chainr/an said that of all the progressive moves made in New Zealand in education,- nothing was more important than that of the appointment of organising teachers. He regretted that in the case of Taranaki more visits had dot been made to the smaller centres, but even so the money spent had been used to the best advantage. Other members of the; Board supported the chairman’s remarks, Mr. Sims stating that lie would go to the length os saying that their educational system had now reached a stage where they would not go on without the as- , sistanee ol their organising teachers. 1 The reports were all. adopted.