SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 1 June 1926, Page 4

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION.

WORK OF COMMITTEES. “A VITAL LINK.” ADDRESS BY AIR A LEES. An interesting address, dealing with the powers and duties of school committees, was given by Air A. Lees, a former chairman and sitting member of tlie Taranaki Education Board, at the annual meeting of the 'South Taranaki School Committee’s Association at Okaiawa last, evening. “We know it is generally stated,” said' Air Lees, “that the powers of. school committees are very much restricted, but to appreciate the value and, importance of the work they carry out we have only to investigate conditions at schools where committees do not exist. In such we generally find that the advancement of the, school and its pupils is lacking, but in schools where good, live committees function, progress is almost' invariably assured. The committees give a lead in many things and are regarded by the Education Board as a very vital link in the work of the schools.”

Referring to a question, often asked as to the rights: of householders to vote at the election of committees, Air Lees explained that anyone possessing a dwelling house or renting ap lace of abode m tne particular school district was eligible. The privilege was also extended to parents or guardians of children attending the school, though the former may reside in another district. Both the parents' could vote. Boarders, however, were excluded, though where a room in a house was rented the lessee could exercise the vote.

Dealing with the numbers on committees, he explained that, in schools having a roll call of up to 1(19 pupils, a committee of five could be appointed:; where the roll number was between 190 and 200, a committee of seven could be selected; and over 200 the committee number was nine. In the ease of. the: election of committees for seholos having a roll number below 240, verbal nomination at the householders’ meeting could be made, but where the number exceeded 240 the nominations must- be lodged ,a week previously with the school committee. “When the committee has been appointed,” continued Air Lees, “its first duty is to elect a chairman and a secretary. 'I II dealing with 'the business of the committee, the chairman lias a deliberate as well as a casting vote. If no meeting is held for a period of three, months, the regulations provide that the committee automatically goes out of office, but it is not often* that the rule is enforced. Tli,e boardJ appreciates the, value of having capable committees and, so long as the work is being conducted satisfactory, allows them to arrange meetings as are most convenient.

■OAiPITATION EXPENDITURE. ‘ ‘ The work of committees generally may be divided into two classes —the official and voluntary work. The first is bounded by the regulations and bylaws of the Act. In dealing with these, the principal difficulty lies in the interpretation of the regulations, which are considerably involved, though the requirements of the Act are comparatively easy to follow.” The principal .duty under the official category was the control of tlie finance made available as capitation. . The Taranaki Education Board distributed £6OOO annually in capitation among 75 schools. The balance-sheets of the school committees showed that the principal item of expenditure was in cleaning fees. In a small school of Grade. I tlie capitation was £l9; in a school of 3a or ;B grade tlie capitation was £35, the expenditure in cleaning amounting to over £11; in the grade: 4 schools £BO capitation was given, and the average cleaning fees amounted to £4S, from which it would be seen that the expense of keeping the schools in a sanitary condition swallowed up a big proportion of the allowance. The board was sometimes accused of giving the larger schools more capitation than they were entitled to, but lie could give a sincere assurance that the allocation was made as equitably as possible.

Another very important official duty required of committees was tlio attention to. the sanitation of outbuildings. At, the present the board’s architect .was investigating what was required ah a good method, costing £9 to £lO to instal in the smaller schools.The most (satisfactory system, lijoweveiy where drainage did not exist, was that of the septic tank, costing from £IOO to £l5O, including the subsidy. This, in; the speaker’s opinion, gave the only satisfactory solution of the sanitation question. The heating of t-lie schools was a further matter to which committees were' required to attend. The cost- of this was becoming larger every year owing to the increasing difficulty of procuring fuel at economical rates. In the larger and: newer schools, heating by hot water pipes was being adopted, and was proving comparatively economical. This was being fully investigated with a view to- its further adoption. ■-

The committee had also to attend to the grounds and to provide for minor repair work to the buildings, but permanent replacements, including boundary fences, were arranged by the board.

It was not permitted to expend capitation grants on prizes, social gatherings, excursions, gardens, tools, or teachers’ residences. In showing the return from entertainments or special appeals, it was advisable to show the net profit only on the bal-ance-sheet, as the practice sometimes adopted of recording the gross receipts and accounting for the expenditure was; apt to lead to unnecessary entries and confusion. Subsidy was granted on the expenditure of net proceeds of such organised appeals or on grants received by the school. Permanent improvements carried a subsidy of £1 for £l. Expenditure on .‘school libraries carried a £1 for £1 subsidy from the Department, and the board also gave a subsidy of 3d per pupil, with a limit of £» a year. Work on tennis courts carried a subsidy of 10s in the £l. Free class books could be procured in necessitous cases. Pupils who come from, schools in other districts where the same text books were not in use, were also entitled to free books. LEASING SCHOOL GROUND, ‘ ‘ Committees have the right to lease school grounds not required for school purposes, conditionally that the rent is expended! in connection with school improvements,” continued Mr Lees. “With"reference to the closing of school® the, committee lias no right to grant holidays without the authority of the board. The regulations required that shools should be. open for 100 lialf-days a "year, and it is difficult to always ens.ure that number. The

board, however, does not object to allowing a holiday to be granted for a local function, but it insists- on the authority being granted.” ■ Dealing with the appointment of teachers, Mr Lees stated that the board hadv to appoint .the teacher of highest grading who ‘applied for a vacancy unless, in the opinion of the board and the chief inspector, another would fill tlie position to better advantage. The committee had the right to object to the appointment of a teacher, but to be upheld the objection would have to be supported by verystrong reasons. Tlie. school hours were fixed by the board, five hours daily being required. The hours were from *9.30 to 3.30, with an hour for luncheon, but if the authority of the board was given, committees could make slight alterations to suit local, conditions. The teachers could not alter the hours without applying to- the committee. When schools are required for meetings, entertainments, etc., the committee could arrange to hire the building, though the practice was objected to in districts where a separate hall was available. For religious work or .moral instruction, however, the school- could be let at the discretion of the com-

mittee, whether a hall was available Where a teacher did hot occupy* the residence provided', tlie house could be rented' if the sanction of the .board was given. LOCAL EFFORT, “A greater work than the carrying out. of the regulations mentioned lies before, school- committees,” said Air Lees, who, went on to show the importance of local effort and voluntarywork. “The service afforded by this means in Taranaki in improving the school environs lias be'en invaluable,” continued the speaker, “and of itself has more, than justified the existence of committees.” A great deal had been done in afforestation. Last y*ear 11,000 trees had been planted in school grounds in various parts of the province, and at Urenui, during the past two years, 860 trees hiyl been planted in a gully*, which, from being previously a piece of weed-infested: land, was now the site of what would, prove a valuable plantation. Referring to the duties of school medical officers, lie said that they* had the right to carry out inspections at any* time, but were required to notify the parents in cases where attention . was necessary,. Teachers had tliey right to punish children for refractory* behaviour during school hours and whilst proceeding to and from school.

The supply, of monthly reports to the board concerning the attendance and the work of the school, was required of teachers, and- the committee had the right’to 'see details of the report and to have access to the school. They could not, however, interfere with, the teacher, the procedure, if anything considered incorrect was observed, being to report the matter to the board. To children who drove distances of over .three miles to school an allott* anee of Gd a trip was made in cases#' where the child was over 10 years or age. If the child was under 10, a similar allowance could be claimed in respect of distance over two miles. The allowance, however, •was not paid to children who rode to school. 'Concluding liis address, Mr Lees remarked that, apart from the necessary absence as the result of the epidemic, the attendance at schools in the province throughout the year had been very satisfactory. As a final word to school committees, he recommended that a copy of the board’s rules and by-laws should always be kept for guidance. 1 Several speakers expressed appreciation of the valuable information made available in. Hie address, and a vote of thanks to Mr Lees was carried with acclamation.