SCHOOL COMMITTEE ELECTIONS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVII, Issue 93, 23 April 1904, Page 1

SCHOOL COMMITTEE ELECTIONS.

THE BLENHEIM KEPORT.

The following report has been prepared by the Blenheim School Committee for presentation to the annual meeting of householders to be held on Monday evening next :—

Your Committee beg to report that during the year fourteen meetings have been held, all of which were well attended, the individual attendance being as follows: Messrs Penny 13, Ferguson 10, Birch 12, Cbiog 14, Brown 11, Noigrove 9, White 13, Neville 8, and Jackson 9 During the year there has been a decrease ia the attendance, both in the boys' and girls' departments. Epedemics of sickness, the recent rush for vaccination and the wider opening of the High School in connection with the newly introduced system of free secondary education have contributed to the diminution, though the Committee retain the opinion that, after due allowance has been made for these factors, the attendance should have been greater. There seems to be a lamentable lack of appreciation on the part of some parents of the advantages of education for their children. The capitation has, however* been only a few shillings less than the amount received last year. With regard to finance, the Committee have striven to keep the funds on a sound basis, while doing justice to the «are lof the buildings, and the year ends 1 with a credit balance of £15 3s 2d. The Committee have to thank the Education Board for the generous consideration it has given to requests for requirements and improvements. Daring the year the Board has also renovated the building and put the school in a sanitary condition. Miss Brewer was temporarily appointed Headmistress in succession to Miss Douslin ; and later on the resignation of Miss Litehfield, as assistant mistress, was received. Subsequently Miss K. Furness resigned, and Miss Healy received , an appointment to the Eal Valley School. The Committee recommended that Miss Wanden be appointed to Miss Litchfleld's vacancy, and that Misses Garnham, Moroom and Fraser (probationers) be appointed pupil teachers, all appointments to be pro tern. A question which gave^the Committee much thought and food for discussion is what is known as the Headmastership ease. The householders are aware that the Board's decision to dispense with the services of the Beadmaster was overruled by the Teachers' Appeal Conrt, and an arrangement was made between the parties to state a special case for the Supreme Conrt. The resolutions passed by the Education Board in May last with reference to the Headmastership case was endorsed, and the Committee expressed its willingness to leave the whole matter in the hands of the Board. At the August, meeting Mr Sturrock's report.was laid on the table pending the decision of the Board re taking the matter to the Supreme Court, four members dissenting to the report not being read in the usual manner. At the September meeting a memo, was received from the Education Board notifying its non-recognition of Mr Sturroek as Headmaster, and his monthly report was again laid on the table by 5 votes to 4. A resolution was also carried by 5 votes to 3 that the attention of the Board be called to the unsatisfactory relationship to Mr Sturrock, and requesting ife to use every endeavor to effect a settlement. The Board also notified that Mr Sturrock would be paid his salary without prejudice pending the decision of the Supreme Court, and asked the Committee to narae teachers who were to receive notice in the event of an amalgamation of the boss' and girls' departments having to be effected. It was resolved by 5 votes to 4 that in the event of amalgamation the Committee recommend the Board to give all teachers of the boys' and girls* sections notice, the teachers to be notified tnat they would be free to apply for the new positions under the amalgamation scheme. It was also unanimously resolved that the Committee failed to find in the Public School Teachers* Salaries Act anything which compelled amalgamation of the Borough Schools, and, believing the householders to be adverse to amalgamation, suggested to the Board the advisability of retaining the teaching staff on its present footing as nearly as possible, A subsequent motion that any notice of dismissal was not to apply to the Headmaster was lost by 5 votes to 4, The Supreme Court did not reverse the decision of the Teachers' Appeal Court, and the Judges gave no definite decision as to whether the amalgamation of boys' and girls' sections was compulsory. la March last the Board resolved to take the case to the Appeal Court with a view to obtaining an authoritative direction on this point; and there the matter stands, the Appeal Court having heard the arguments and reserved its decision. The School Committees Election Act has been amended to provide that in the case of husband and wife any qualification possessed by either of them shall be deemed to be possessed by each of them.