EDUCATION BOARD.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6281, 21 June 1882, Page 3

EDUCATION BOARD.

Tuesday, June 20. Present — Mr J. i>. Ormond (chairman), Rev. D. Sidey, Oapt. liussell, and Messrs J. N. Williams, R. Harding and Dobson. CORRESPONDENCE. The following correspondence was read : — From the Onga Onga committee, recommending Mr Howlett as master of the Blackburn and Makaretu schools,—Approved. From the same, asking for £10 with which, to put in. repair the chimneys of of the schools.— -Granted. From the Fr.a.BertQwu committee, urging

the necessity for alterations and repairs to the schoolhouse, and pointing out that the residents had built the school and fenced the ground at their own expense ; also asking for the appointment of a pupil teacher, and for certain sohool apparatus. — The consideration of the first matter was deferred, owing to want of funds ; the committee to bo asked to recommend a pupil teacher ; apparatus to be forwarded.

From the Gisborne committee, asking for progress payment of £155 to contractor for the teacher's residence. — Approved.

From the Napier committee, recommending that the master's salary be paid on the normal average attendance, instead of on the actual attendance for tho last two or three months, which had been exceptionally low owing to the prevalence of sickness. — Granted.

From tho Hastings committee, stating that they had taken upon themselves to close tho school owing to an outbreak of measles, one of the master's children having been attacked. — Approved.

From the Norsewood committee, recommending Mr F. W. Thompson as master.— Approved.

From th» Port Ahuriri committee, covering the following resolution : — " That this committee respectfully requests that the Education Board will consider the advisability of the Board supplying all school books and stationery to the school committee, for sale to the pupils at a stated price." — The Board disagreed with the recommendation.

From the Norsewood committee, stating that a number of bottles of. water from wells and streams in the township had been forwarded for analysis, as requested by the Board. From the Port Ahuriri committee, complaining that the water runs through the ceiling into three of the rooms in the rooms in the teacher's residence. — The Board decided to ask the architect for an explanation as to the leakage.

From the Napier committee, intimating that ,Mrs Stanley, mistress of the infant school, had left Napier without giving due notice, and recommending that tho position be declared vacant. — The Board endorsed the recommendation and approved the temporary arrangements made by the committee for carrying on the work of tha schools. From the Matawhero committee, forwarding a petition signed by the parents of fifty children, asking for the removal of the master, and also enclosing the following resolution passed by the committee :— " That from our personal knowledge of the number of children who are daily sent to the Gisborne school, from this district, in consequence of their parents having found that no progress was made at tho Matawhero school by these children, we recommend that the prayer of the petition bo granted, and that Mr Bolton be removed from his office of teacher." — The Inspector stated that he had made enquiries in Gisborne, and found that only five children from the Matawhero district attended school there, and most of those were in the upper standards, and would under any circumstances attend a town school if possible — The Board decided that the evidence submitted by the committee was not sufficient to warrant the removal of the master. .

From the Taradale committee, asking for the number of marks obtained by Mr Mabbett, master of the Meanee school, at tho late teachers' examination. — The Board had not the information asked for, but had been informed that a license to teach had been issued to Mr Mabbet.

From the Taradale committee, enclosing and endorsing a letter from Mr Smith, master of the Taradale school, asking for the bonus due to teachers holding certificates of D. and upwards, he having obtained a C. certificate. — The Board decided to reply that there was no regulation giving such a bonus.

From the Woodville committee, stating that they had again been disappointed in obtaining an assistant-teacher, and recommending temporary arrangements, which the Board approved. Prom the Waipawa committee, stating that the resolution previously forwarded, asking for the removal of the headmaster, had been rescinded, also stating that Miss Craig, assistant mistress, had resigned. — Approved. From the Takapau committee, stating that the school (which had boen closed in consequence of sickness in the district) had been re-opened and would be kept open during the holidays, to make up for lost time. . .

- From a number of residents at Tarawera, petitioning for a school there, and offering to subscribe £30 per annum towards the teacher's salary. — The Inspector reminded the Board that the school at Tarawerahad been olosed for some time past. — The secretary was instructed to apply to the Government for the use of a building for school purposes. TBACHEES' BEsiDBNCBg. A circular from the Education Dopartment, stated that "the Government does not approve of the practice which some of the Boards have adopted, of paying out of sums received for buildings the rents of school buildings, or allowances to teachers as rent, or premiums for fire insurance, or bank interest."

The Chairman remarked that this resolution was of great importance to the Board, as in Hawke's Bay in many casos allowances to teachers for rent were made.

After some discussion the following resolution was passed on the motion of Captain lluasell, seconded by Mr Sidey, " That the decision of the Education Department necessitates that provision be made for the cost of building schools in those places where buildings are now rented ; also that teachers' residences be built where required— the same to be forwarded to the Minister for Education with a request that provision ' for the same may be made." CLOSING SCHOOLS. The secretary reported that he had written to the Education Derartment, pointing out that if, through sickness or other unavoidable cause, the attendance at any school fell off, the Board received capitation only for such diminished attendance ; but if the school were closed entirely the Board would continue to receive capitation on the previous average attendance, thus offering a premium for the closing of schools. He had received a reply from Mr Habens, stating that he was fully aware of the working of the regulation, but that if it becamo the practice to close the schools during the prevalence of sickness the regulations would be revised and made more stringent. TEACHEDS' CERTIFICATES. Owing to the difficulty of ascertaining the results of teachers' examinations, the Board passed the following resolution : — " That in the opinion of the Board it is necessary that the Board be informed from time to time of the result of the examination and classification of teachers holding appointments under the Board, or of any licenses to teach which may be granted to teachers within this education district." attendance at school. The Secretary laid upon the tablo a statement showing the attendance at school in Napier and Gisborne, and Waipawa, Hawke's Bay, Cook, and Wairoa counties. This showed that at Napier, out of 1489 children of school age, 011I3' 858, or 576 per cent., attended the public schools, while the average attendance was only 574, or 38"5 per cent. In Gisborne there were 436 children, of whom 327, or 75 per cent, attended the public schools, and the average attendance was 274, or nearly 63 per cent. The figures for the counties were as follows :— Waipawa, 1473 children ; attending school, 1172, or nearly 80 per cent.; average attendance, 844, or 57*2 percent. Hawke's Bay, 1094 children ; I attending school, 667, or 61 per oeftt. ; average attendance, 527, or 42 0 per coat,

Cook, 797 children ; attending school, 579, or 72-6 per cent. ; average attendance, 438, or nearly 55 per cent. Wairoa, 262 children; attending school, 109, or 41 f 6 per cent. ; average attendance, 76, or 29 per cent.

The Secretary explained that the tables were for the quarter ending March last in the case of the counties, but for two months only in the case of Napier and Gisborne.

The Board considered the report, and it was generally remarked that the results ■hown were moat unsatisfactory, especially in the case of .Napier, even after making allowance for the children attending private schooLi.

Ultimately the secretary was requested to draw up a roport relating to the twelve months ending March last, and in the meantime it was considered inadvisable to publish the whole of the report presented. MISCELLANEOUS. The motion ot which Captain Russell had given notice, asking for information as to what constituted a pass in tho teachers' examinations, was passed. Tho Secretary roportod that only two pupils had entered for class A. in tho .scholarship examinations, and none for class B.

The Board th.en adjourned.