HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 205, 13 August 1927, Page 9

HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL

BOARD OF GOVERNORS. MONTHLY MEETING. Mr H. Holderness presided at the monthly meeting of the High School Board of Governors last night, when the following members were also present: Messrs G. A. Maddison, A. Ross, E. V. Simpson W. J. Rush E. J. W. Hallett and J. Wright. The principal (Mr W. A. G. Penlington, M. A.) submitted his report for July as follows;— Attendance. —The average number of pupils on the roll during the month was 240, and the average daily attendance was 218, or 90.83 per cent. The attendance suffered a good deal owing to the prevailing epidemics of mumps and measles. Visit of Inspection.—The Department’s inspectors, Miss Hetherington and Mr Caradus, visited the school on 18th and 19th July in connection with the grading of staff and the recommendation of pupils for the senior free places.

Games. —During the month wo nave had a good deal of inter-school sport. The first Rugby fifteen visited Dannevlrke High School, and the second team visited Waipawa. A junior team played' a match against Hereworth School. The girls played basketball matches agaiiTSt Woodford House and Napier Girls’ High School. In the Saturday competition the girls are doing very well, each of our two teams leading in its grade.

Miscellaneous. —The new caps have arrived and are being worn by most of the Loys. Boys taking the agricultural course attended the ploughing match, at the invitation of the Farmers’ Union. A few boys attended lectures at the Winter Farm School held by the Department of Agnculture; but, owing to the visit of the inspectors at that time, it was not possible to give leave to many of the boys. On 28th July about 150 boys and girls attended a picture lecture at the Cosy Theatre, the subjects being “A Trip Round the World” and “Cobham’s Flight to the Cape.” The educational value of the programme was distinctly good, which is more than can be said for most of tne so-called 11 educational ’ ’ films. The report was adopted. PRINCIPAL’S RECOMMENDATIONS. The principal placed the following recommendation before the meeting; (1) “That instead of compelling all pupils in the general course to take French, we permit them to take (a) either French of Latin, (bj both languages if they so desire. The effect of this change would be to encourage more pupils to take Latin. (2) “That boys in the commercial course take book-keeping instead ol woodwork (not instead of geometry as at present). Geometry will thereby be included in the commercial course ' for boys, and so enable them to sit for matriculation.” Recommendations were adopted. The principal also reported as follows regarding the school curriculium:— “In the recent inspectorial report reference was made to the fact that gills taking the commercial course at the school do not study science in their third year, although they are required to do so by the Department's regulations. I wrote to the Depart ment suggesting that the requirements in science should be relaxed, in order to permit more specialisation in commercial subjects. The Director of Education has replied that no change need be made in our course this year, and that, in all probability, the regulations will be amended in the direction of allowing pupils to drop science in their third and fourth years as 1 have recommended.” AN OFFER DECLINED. Mrs E. Goldsmith and Mr R. Nihill wrote makiifg an offer of land, one chain wide, free of cost (half a chain from each’donor), through the properties in South Willow Park road, to the High School boundary, for the formation of a road, on condition that the road was formed within a reasonable time, the time to be arranged and that all expenses of refencing, forming and surveying be borne by the board.

The proposal was discussed and it was decided to decline the offer.