SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 16 November 1929, Page 7

SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

SOUTH TARANAKI ASSOCIATION

Q UARTEKLY MEET! NG

T 1 e quarterly meeting of the South •Taranaki Primary School Committees' Association was held in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Kaponga. on Thursday. There were present: Dr. AV. M. ' Thomson (Hawera, in the chair), Messrs AV- T. Seed, A J. Brestidgo (Matapn), A. K. Spratt (NfVrmnnby), T. A. Bridge (Manaia), AV. H. Sangster, B. Gibbons. M. F. Vonllaire, 15. Chapman, A. D. Turner (Kiverlea), 15. Kirlcby (Hawera), K. H. Le Fleming (Otakeho), A. R. Kemp (secretary, Eltliam), F. W. Fallows, and Et'v P. J. Cos-sum (Kaponga). Apologies for absence wore received from Messrs \Y. Ricketts (Eltliam) and J. Cocker (Rawliitiroa). TARANAKI SCHOLARSHIPS. Dr. Thomson strongly deprecated an effort now being made to widen the scope of Taranaki scholarships as ail extremely dangerous move. He explained that any interference with existing conditions in this connection would probably result in Taranaki losing the benefits of scholarships now avaialble to pupil-s of modern attainments. leaving only junior university and national scholarships to aim* at. There was only a limited number of these available throughout New Zealand., and only pupils of high scholastic attainments had a chalice of success. The Opaku Reserve Scholarship conditions were to be shortly discussed by an educational commission at New Plymouth. Messrs J. Cocker and AY- Ricketts were appointed to represent the association and meet the commission at New Plymouth. INCREASED SUBSIDY DESIRED. The following motion, moved by. Mr. | F. AY. Fallows and seconded by Mr. | A 15. Spratt, was carried unanimously: : “That this association urge upon the Education Board the advisability of I subsidising the funds raised by special effort to supplement the general funds of school committees.” On the motion of Dr. Thomson it was decided to communicate with the AVellingtou Association with the object of ascertaining the possibility of launching a. combined effort throughout New Zealand to increase capitation . " DENTAL CLINICS.

Ajr. 15. Gibbons advocated the establishment of travelling dental clinics, as many patients were unable to make the. journey to the nurse’s headquarters.

The chairman said that at the pres- 1 ent time there - was a shortage of > dental nurses in New Zealand, but he I thought the suggestion an important one as applied to schools in remote localities. The existing system ‘of dental service in South Taranaki was mainly governed by the paucity of nurses on,the one hand and lack Of funds necessary to establish “C type” clinics at such centres as Manaia and Kaponga on the other hand. About thirty nurses are annually trained, but the services of each one are invariably bespoken before a state of efficiency is attained. NORMANBY SCHOOL COMPLAINT, j Mr. Spratt raised the question of compelling children to attend the school nearest tlioir homes. Free transport and the issue of concession tickets were, lie said, seriously depleting the Normanby school attendance roll. There were three, classrooms at the school, and the attendance was so affected that there was a likelihood of the teaching staff being reduced to three after the Christmas vacation. The chairman expressed regret that adjacent schools were reaping a benefit at the expense of Normanby, and stated that there was no ruling on the matter beyond the fact- that children must attend some school. It might be possible to effect a reform in the desired direction by agitation, but in the meantime Normanby and other schools, similarly situated must suffer. A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the meeting.