TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVII, Issue LXVII, 16 May 1919, Page 4

TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD

At the Taranaki Education Board's meeting on Wednesday, the following further business was transacted: DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL FOB Messrs R. Masters, S. G. Smith, H. J Eaves, and P. J. H. White, the committee appointed to visit Opunake in connection with the provision of secondary education in that district reported to the Education Board on Wednesday that they had met in conference the Opunake School Committee, together with representatives from Qaonui, Pihama, and Te Kiri schools, and after listening to the representations made they were of opinion that Opunake was laboring under serious disabilities in respect to higher education. They were unanimous in considering a strong case was made for the establishment of a district high school, as most suited to the requirements of the locality, and recommended that as soon as the necessary forms were qompleted and returned to the Board application be made to the Department accordingly. Mr P. J. H. White spoke strongly in favor of Opunake's claims, pointing out that it was the centre of a very considerable area, and its isolation from the railway precluded many children from taking advantage of a secondary education, as in many cases their parents were unable to send them away to school. He moved that representations be made to the Department under section 88 of the Education Act.for the establishment of ja district iigli school at Opunake, arid that a deputation of the Board wait on the ■ -Minister when visiting Wellington. . .; .' ■, '_ Mr Buchanan, in seconding," said that a district with from 35 to 40 pupils -ready to avail themselves; of secondary education ■ was deserving of consideration. ■'■■ X«^. : -.■•■■ '**%\l* ■'.■••.; -Mr Wilkinson hoped ■■■ the matter would be brought forcibly before the heads of the Department in Wellington. Opunake was in an isolated position, and had no railway, and was specially entitled to consideration. The resolution was carried. INSPECTOR'S REPORT, Mr A. J. Morton, senior inspector, forwarded a statement slowing that 12 pupil teachers and probationers had retired at the end oi 1918, 27 .had continued in 3919, and 23 had been .newly appointed in 1919. Of the. twelve who had retired, seven had passed the full or partial examination for a D certificate, and only two failed to pass^in tnree out of the four gioups. im& of t&cse had recorded success in the luatiiculacion examination. Of those at present in. the service, and with at least six months' service in 1918, twenty-one had at least passtKi in two groups. Of this number ten had a full or partial pass for the D certificate. Of those not so successful, two had a successful record connected with the matriculation examination. While the general result was very satisfactory, the attention of six trainees should be drawn to the necessity for advance in their record for the D examination. .Of twenty-three newly, appointed, three had a full or partial pass for D, while four others had recorded success in two groups or in the matriculation examination. . - There are about 120 unoertificated teachers holding positions,as. sole teachers and assistants. Unfortunately, the record was incomplete regarding other qualifications held by a number of these, .and a full and accurate register was urgently required; ""V : V ° As far as the information at present available extends, nine had passed the certificate examination, but for some other reason had not received a certificate; 11 had k partial certificate;four had passed partially in four "groups; 6 had a full or partial pass in three groupsi 10 in two groups; and one in one group. At least six others had passed the intermediate or matriculation examination. The inspector concluded: "It is evident that the large majority have no record qualifications beyond the proficiency certificate. When a definite record has been achieved-a further investigation can be made to provide for discrimination of those that may well b© expected to show a regular advance in qualification." RESERVES COMMITTEE REPORT. The Reserves Committee (Messrs H. H. Grayling and T. Buchanan) recommended: That the tender of Mr L.' W. Johns for a lease of section 40, Makaka, 7 acres, for a further term of 7 years at £10 10s per annum, be accepted. That the application 6f the lessee for the transfer of the lease of. section 9, block IV., Hawera, to Mr G." Blackwell, be granted subject to the rent being paid to date. That in reference to the application of the Okaiawa Committee for additional site, Mr Pascoe be asked to report on the condition and value of section 43, Okaiawa. OVERSEER'S REPORT. Air C. H. Moore (overseer) reported as follows: — New Work —Okaiawa::. Good progress has been mad 6 with the new building. Repair Work—Ngaere: The painting of the outside of the school was completed. Cardiff: A start was made on the paint work but owing to the painters leaving no further progress can be made for the present. Matapu—l visited this school and the dhjalirman of the committee brought up a matter of making further improvements to the school grounds; I would recommend supplying a gate, the committee to find the whole of the labor and fencing material. Another request was for some improvement to be" made to the porch to enable the cocoa business to be carried out. I would point out this particular porch, along with most of the porches in that part of the district, are not fit to !hang coats in, let alone eat meals in, and I would respectfully suggest that application be made to extend and line all these places, and put them in a sanitary condition. j ■ Plans—Technical High School, Hawera : I met Mr La Trobe, Chief Techni- : cal Inspector, and went into this matter I closely. The plans I submitted were' objected to on account of the central hall principle. Whilst not adverse to an ' assembly hall, Mr La -Probe objected to the centralisation of same. I am working on further plans for this proposed, work, and will submit the same as soon as possible. I Tawhiti, Hawera —The plan for a new ' school at Taivhiti is completed. Plans have also been completed for additions at Lepperton and Egmont Village schools and applications made for a grant for a new residence at Norfolk road. j TRUANT OFFICER'S REPORT. j The truant officer reported that lie had issued 82 notices to parents for ir- [ regular attendance. He had visited the ' following schools: Huirangi, Okato, ' Tataraimaka, Norfolk, Tariki, Midhiist, ; Ngaere, Rotokare, Fraser road, Manaia, Kapuni, Rowan and Mahoe; also ; Eltham and Manaia Convent schools. ' Excepting when children had to travel thi-ee to four and a-half miles the attendance at these schools was good. Twenty-nine schools had sent in returns for irregulai attendance. He drew attention to how. few teachers send in

these returns^. Only ten tirig qriarter* had sent in returns every month*- He had to summons four parents for the irregular attendance ©f : - their children, fines being imposed in each case. In the matter of a child not attending sclbool for fifteen months he had a doctor's certificate of exemption. Twenty-nine irregular notices had been sent to parents in Hawera, Stratford and New Plymouth. Excepting in a few cases the attendance was satisfactory, and much better than in the past. He had summoned one parent for a boy failing to enrol, the parent being fined.-—Abridged from News.