HAWKE'S BAY EDUCATION BOARD.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5286, 21 January 1879, Page 2

HAWKE'S BAY EDUCATION BOARD.

Monday, January 20. The board met at 11 a.m. Present — The Rev. D. Sidey, Mr Sutton, and Mr Williams. In the absence of the chairman of the board the Rev. D. Sidey was voted to the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. PROGRESS OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS. The following report from the architect was read : — I have the honor to report upon the progress made in erecting schools in the district as follows : — 1. The Woodville school ia nownearing completion. Owing to continuous rain a long time elapsed after the signing of contract without any work being done. Satisfactory progress has, however, been made. 2. The school at Waipawa was also delayed by a difficulty in procuring timber. This building will be completed in two or three weeks. It would be a good improvement to this school if the master's residence was shifted ; its present position close to the back of the school makes it very difficult to so arrange the outbuildings as to secure the required privacy. The cost would probably be about £40. 3. The contractors for Olive school are about raising the frame, and fully expect to complete the building within contract time. 4. The Taradale school contractors having failed, and there being no sureties to complete the work, it will be necessary to relet this contract. This there will be no diffioulty in doing In order to prevent any recurrence of this, in all conditions of work now open for tender I have inserted a clause requiring security to the amount of 30 per cent, to the contract Bum. 5. The ground round the Napier school will require fencing. I would suggest a dwarf stone or concrete wall with neat palisading on top a 9 the most Buitable. 6. The sureties for the Napier school are carrying on the work in a satisfactory manner, and I anticipate the completion of this building by about the end of February. W. A. DuoLEBr, Architect, The board decided, in respect to the Waipawa school, that the recommendation of the architect respecting shifting the master's residence be adopted, the cost to be £40. CORRESPONDENCE. The following correspondence was dealt with : — From the chairman of the Norsewood and Ormondville school committee, stating that he had received an offer for the execution for £12 of certain work to the Norsewood school, and suggesting that two sections should be procured from the Government for the teacher's residence. The letter also mentioned that some logging up and burning was required to prepare the ground for the Ormondville school ; the cost would be about £15. The board agreed to the two matters in reference to the Norsewood school, but the matter of logging and burning for Ormondville school was held over. From Mr A. M'Leod, resigning the mastership of the Hampden school. The resignation was accepted. From Mr Margoliouth, stating that the education reserve required by the Government—under the Railways Acts, 1871 and 1872— is of the value of £700. From Mr Tylee, chairman of the School Commissioners, forwarding a cheque for £251 19s Bd, being the revemie derived from reserves as endowments for primary education in the district of Hawke's Bay. From the Te Aute school committee, recommending the appointment of Mr Lysnar as master for that school. The appointment was agreed to. From Mr Robert Holt, offering to take up the contract of Messrs Baillie and. Davis for building the Taradale school, at the same price. The board decided to accept the offerFrom the same, stating that the Napier school building could not be finished sooner than in six or seven weeks. After considerable discussion as to the best course to be pursued, the board sent for Mr Holt, and having ascertained from him that there was no possibility of hastening the completion of the building, it was decided that the inspector should endeavor to make temporary arrangements for opening a school elsewhere, Mr Holt undertaking to provide desks and benches, removing them afterwards to the new building. From the Napier school committee, recommending that Mißs Robottom's salary be increased to £60, and that the board take measures to provide an assistant teacher at a salary of not less than £150 per annum. The committee also urged the necessity for having the new school building pushed on faster than at present. The board agreed to the recommendation to increase Miss Robottom's salary, but postponed the matter respecting another assistant teacher being engaged for the Napier school. From the chairman of the Waipukurau school committee, respecting the inspector's report on that school. The secretary was directed to forward to the committee a copy of the time table.

From Mrs Sh'arland, respecting the late examination of teachers, pointing out that sne had obtained the same number of marks as a teacher who had passed the examination, and yet she was put down as having failed. It was explained that the teacher referred to as having passed is in employ as a teacher, and so he was allowed to have passed, though he did not, in fact, obtain the required number of marks. This indulgence was not extended to Mrs Sharland because she is not in employment under the board. The secretary was directed to intimate to her that she could attend the examination in March. TENDERS. A number of tenders for school buildings were opened and considered, the board deciding to acpept the lowest tender for the schools and teachers' residences at Port Ahuriri and Te Ante, and for teachers' residences at Olive, Taradale, and Norsewood; the remainder of the tenders to be held over, and the secretary to inform the school committees that the tenders are considerably in excess of the architect's estimates. ACCOUNTS. A number of accounts were passed for payment, and the board adjourned.