BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LX, Issue 6998, 3 August 1883, Page 6

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

NORTH CANTERBURY.

An ordinary meeting of the North Canterbury Board of Education wae held at 8 p.m. Siterday; present-Messrs H. B, Webb, A. Cunningham. H. W. Feryman, O. Booth, S. 0. Farr, and Rev 0. Fraser. „ In th* absence of the Chairman, Mr H. B. Webb was voted to the chair. The business done by tho Chairman since last meeting was reported and approved. - navoaxa. Inspectors' report* on a number of eooatro schools were laid on the (able and considered. It was decided to call the attention of the local Committees Interested to various matters mentioned In th* report*, several of which were nobby any meant eatiefaetoiy. snrnxATiov. A deputation of the members of the old Lower Heaihaote Bohool Committee,consisting of Messrs Bamford, M'Diarmid, and Walton waited on the Board with reference to eomo accounts outstanding, which bed been inenrred by the old Committee, concerning which the deputation stated they thought (ho Board had acted somewhat meanly. They hoped that after farther explanation the Board would be prepared to make some refund. Th* total amount was about £27. The principal item was one of £lB for prises, on whieb account £2O had been collected in the district. There waa another of £2 7s for olosst pans, which was a necessary expense, and another of £lO toe repair#, all of which tho present Committee repudiated, and for wbieh the members of the old Committee were liable. Mr Webb remarked that he understood th* old Committee had paid certain talari** out of their incidental fond*. Mr Bamford replied that the Committee had paid the salaries under the idea that the money would be refunded by the Board. The whole affair had arisen out of the recent troubles in the school, and the Committee had no intimation from the Board that the teachers in question had been suspended. There was a balance of £4lo# in tb* hands of the present Committee, wbieh they offered to hand over on getting a receipt ia full of all demand*.

A conversation ensued between tbe deputation and the members of tbs Board, principally with reference to the payment by the Committee of the teachers who had absented themselves from the school during the msstership of the late bead teacher. The Chairman promised that the Board would consider the matter, and the deputation, after thanking the Board for their hearing, withdrew. A brief discussion took place on tbe subject, the general impression being that tbe request of the deputation could not be entertained. It wa* finally agreed to defer the matter to the next meeting, XIBOXUAFIOPS. A letter was read from the Waiau School Committee, enclosing a tearing of the proposed boundaries of the district, which were recommended for adoption. The Board approved of the recommendation. Mr W. D. Lance, Chairmen of the Horsley Downs Bohool Committee wrote, requesting that a side school might be opened at Manuka Town. He stated that an attendance of 10 children could be scoured. It was agreed to reply that the Board was prepared to try the experiment for a term, and would grant assistance at the rate of £6 per scholar.

Mr dagger was appointed to the mastership of the French Farm school on the recommendation of tho local Committee. Tbe resignation of ths head mistress of the Papanui school wae accepted. An application was received from the Ealapoi Bchool Committee for a grant-in-aid of their incidental fund. It appeared that some £35 was owing, £8 of which bad been authorised by the Board, but paid out of incidental money by mistake. Consideration of the matter was deferred.

It wrb decided to authorise tome repairs and additions to the Kaiapoi and Lower Heathoota school promises, and the architect was directed to report as to the cost of repair* ing the caretaker's bouse at the former school. Tender* were opened for repair* and additions to the Ashley Bank and Spreydan schools, and those of Mr Bardie, £63, and Mr J. Paynter, £2l 6i, were recommended for acceptance. Mr Webb reported that he had visited the St Alban* school premise* in company with the Chairman of the School Committee, Mr Cordon, and another resident of the district. He found the grounds in a dreadful state. A number of boughs had been laid to enable the children to roach the door, and the places where the drainage sumps had been put in were actually the driest in the grtfand. Mr Lambert had been seen on the subject, and the sumps, which ho admitted to be too high, had been lowered. The ground was still in a fearful state, and a letter had been received from Mr Cordon on the subject (letter read). It had been finally decided to ask Mr Cordon to furnish an estimate of the cost of draining the ground according to the ideas of the Committee, '/hit had been done, and a •ketch of the proposed drains was on the table.

A letter vu read from Mr Lambert, enolo* ring a tender from Mr Frudboe for altering the level of the piper end shingling the ground lor the aum of £4O, provided the Committee did not think the amount excel* •ive.

After »ome further business of an unimpor* taut.nature, the Board adjourned.

SOUTH OANTKftBUBY.

The Board met yesterday j present—Bev Q. Barclay (Chairman), MeiireJ. Talbot, h. Goldsmith, a B. WaUot, M. Gray, B. A, Barker, I).- Foster.

A difficulty between the Board and the contractor for the Waimaitallai eehool, arising out of the Beard's change of architect, was considered by the Board in Committee, and the following resolution was carried, on the motion of Mr Wakefield, seconded by Mr Barker i That the Waimaitaitai Committee be informed that Mosete Wert and Barber are the Board*! architect*, and that the Board cannot undertake to refund any sum paid to the con tract ora except agon the certificate of their architect*. That the architects be in* slruoUd to inspect the Waimaitaitai school building and report promptly to the Board at to any matter* requiring attention. That the Secretary be instructed to notify to (he gentleman to whom the Board's guarantee of the building grant to the Committee is hypothecated that there Is a dispute between the contractors and the architects, and that the Board's guarantee does not hold good except in respect of such payments as are authorised hr the Beard's architects.” 1 It haring been mentioned that M» Bowl bad £***«»•* poeeeseion of a certain agreement re •he Waimaitaitai •ohooibnUdtof.thejwoparty ot the Board, it m Mm Olmfarman take prompt action, mril « eriml* naL for the recovery of the eame. M a'se&su A deputation from the Btreora district—

Mr Campbell and anothsv-waUsd upon the Board in a«k that the Board would Moods to a petition from th# Com«nlMro to the ofifsot that tho waster of th# school, Mr J. Stesrsrt, should be dismissed from hi# position. Tho deputation appeared to have some otfltenlty in slating what charges existed agriiwt the teacher; bnt they said tbero wee n a that there ought to be a ehaoge. Tho deputation having withdrawn, the Boftwl considered the waiter, and after discussion rssolved to esmtannicate with the master on the subject, and request hi* to offer any explanation or reply he may desire to submit. The Tsciuta dehool Committee was authorised to roll for tender# for fenefne, and a yearly allowance of i’*lO was granted to the head master for iodfiog money, Th* mssttris house connected with Ibc Timaro school bavin* besn vacated by tho Inspector, was ordered to bs offend to the head mistress at a yearly rental of E 76. Failing bar acceptance of the offer, tbs Board derided that the house bf left to Mr fioott (master) to dispose of os bo may sec fit. In reference to the practice of holding entertainments in school buildings, the Board resolved to enjoin Committees to insure the buildings on all sttch occasions, and to rsoonp themselves for tbs premium by charging % fee; this regulation not to apply to meetings of » religious, political, or scholastic character. It was derided to investigate lh# prillon of fits Board’* book d*; 6t at tbs end of the year, several members being in favour of its Immediate abolition.

The WaitohiFJat school was reported npoa unfavourably by the Inspector. The Clerk wrote, stating that be could not discharge bis duties properly if he were expected to continue also in charge of the book depdt, and asking for an increase of salary. Consideration wa* deferred. After passing sundry accounts, lb* Board rose.