NAPIER MAIN SCHOOL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 89, 28 March 1911, Page 7

NAPIER MAIN SCHOOL

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Napier Main School Committee was held last evening. Present: Messrs. C. H. Edwards, Dr. E. Caro, A. B. Gibson, J. C. Thompson, E. P. Smyrk, J. H. Thompson and Mrs. Ingram. Leave of absence was granted to Mrs. Oldham and the Rev. J. K. Archer.

The headmaster, Mr. James Hislop, reported that the attendance for the past month had been very satisfactory, namely, 725 or 95.6 per cent, of the average roll. The highest attendance was 745, the present roll number being 767. Leave of absence was granted t<the headmaster from March 9th to 17th, in order that he might comply with the request of the Defence Department to attend the camp. Mr. J. C. Thompson and Mr. E. P. Smyrk were elected to meet the Technical School Committee, in order to discuss regulations making attendance at the technical classes compulsory. Mr. C. H. Edwards stated that during Mr. Seddon’s Ministry a capitation of 9d had been granted to the different committees in order to carry on the school work. He said that at present there was a balance of £lB/11/10 in the bank, and without the -Government capitation he did not see how they were going to carry on the school, with the utterly inadequate money that they had at their disposal. The Board granted £125 per year, and out of this £B5 had to be paid to the caretaker, and such sundries as gas and fuel, clerical work, etc., accounted for the rest. After a long discussion it was r decided, on the motion of Mr. Smyrk, that the secretary be instructed to put the matter before the Education Board, and show how unsatisfactory the position was. It was decided further that in the advent of the Board giving no satisfactory answer, that the Minister should be approached. Messrs. J. H. Thompson and E. Caro reported that the caretaker was performing his duties satisfactorily. Several little matters needed attention. They noticed that the merry-go-rounds (presented by Mr. J. Vigor Brown) had “one wheel broken, one wooden stay missing, and the centre iron bent.” It would seem that the machine is useless. The Education Board wrote stating that Miss Hannmg had been appointed Grade 2A assistant teacher in the Napier Main school. —Received.

The Dominion newspaper forwarded a circular stating that a column entitled “The School World” was to be published every Saturday, and contributions on matters of interest to the teachers were solicited—Received.

Mr. E. P. Smyrk wished to move that something should be done in connection with teaching tne school children fire drill. In America, he said, a school containing over 2000 pupils pould be emptied inside of three minutes, and in some tests it was done in two. If a fire were to take place in the Napier Main school, the panic caused among the scholars would be worse than the fire itself. It was decided that the matter be referred to the headmaster, with the request that he should report on the matter. This concluded the business.