HIGH SCHOOL BOARD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9742, 6 March 1914, Page 6

HIGH SCHOOL BOARD.

The annual meeting of the High School Board of Governor* was held last evening. Present —Messrs W. Rutherford (chairman), W. Stubbs, \V. H. Colhngwood, W. F. Durward, T. R. Hodder. G. Hirsch, #nd the Rector (Mr J. E. Vernon). ANNUAL REPORT. The chairman, in his annual report, remarked with pleasure upon the return to the Dominion of the rector, Mr J. E. Vernon! and also referred to the several changes made on the teaching staff. The Board had not so far been successful in securing a site for the proposed Girls' High School The growing necessity of a separate establishment for girls demanded a strong effort i:t the direction of obtaining assistance from the" Government. College House continued to prove a most valuable adjunct of the school, and in that connection it had to he remembered that if it were not for this establishment the Board'.- revenue would ui'Ter by at least £340 per annum. The Board had. on more than one occasion, taken into consideration the matter of acquiring College House. Two elements etiuri d into the question. Firstlv, making arrangements by which the full benefits of College House should be obtained at some time for the Board. Secondly, some measure of safety was due to Mr Vernon. who had provided the establishment, with the Board's approval. The- roll for the present year was. girls 69. boys 160, total 229; average roll number last year 217. Honours geainod during 1913 were: Junior i uiversin scholarship's, 3 in credit list;

i'-achers' 1) examination, 3 partial passes; higher leaving certificates. 7; matriculation. 5; matriculation completed, 2; engin-e-ring preliminary, 1: matriculation partial pas-. 3; senior Board scholarship, 1: Public Service entrance, 2. The junior department had commented work, and the : ;tl was 18. A temporary teacher was in charge of the form, but an appointment ol ;. teacher uouhl be made shortly.

The bailance-sheet showed the finance of the High School to be sound, the position being practically the same as at the end of last vcar for althouirh the credit balance had been'reduced from £348 to £ll7. a previous existing but now recurring liability ( f £250 had been extinguished. The chairman regretted (hat Mr Lundie. one of the junior a-sistatus. had mad.' a series of charges against the Board, again.-; the Hector, and against the Technical School. Those charges were laid before the lion. Minister for Education, who declined to c irnplv with Mr f.undie's request for an ■ quiry. notwithstanding that the Board waived a;>\ technical objections to such an enquiry. Ir would be necessary for the w 'lfure and reputation, not onh of the -eiiool, but of the persons referred to in il.e charges for the Board itself to deal - \ .tti those charge*. Tin' onlv change in the p-rsonnel ot th* Board had been the appointment of Mr Durward. it) place of Mr McNab. The Technical School, during the past year, had continued to do good work, and had proved a \er\ great advantage to many who had taken advantage <>i the cdu rational benefit's to be obtained there. During the year, ihe average number of individual pupils attending the school was 350. the highest weekly class enrolment iKMiig 830. This latter figure was the highest i'verage the -ohool had attained. The rev isi n of certain class fees made at the beginning of the year, and ivducti n ol cor

l sin fee? i" pupils taking more ilian one cias*. I Kill proved entirely >ik ct ■-- t'u l . inaer'icii a« ihe number of pupils attending tn\-j or more classes \va< t-toadih increasing. Tl ■• chaii'itiuii submitted lor consideration llie probabiiiu of purely technical classes la-ire; nvi I'shadowed by die more popular land per-

hap* more remunerative) continuation <;- . Willi regard to Unanew. ill" Ti'clndeal S.cli'ioi. only h\ the stricter-! icouomy, managed to carry on. The Hoard v.as indebted to local Ixxlies and donors i- >•-.ipi.or-;. The report suggested that tiie Hoard diould make some effort lo relieve i:• Director from the rather unpleasant duty, although voluntary on hi- part, of Ii iving it) obtain linanc ial t-uppori for the

in -HI in ion. The report ami balance-sheet were adopt- • i. While discif-ing tiie balanc< sheet. Mr ('.illingwood made refeience to the handi<;:;i piaei-d upon the High School, in that the 1';. aid h.iv! conrinualU to Ijc drawing on the Government for advances. He thought lint the Government diouhl place the . hon] in such a financial podtion that ad\an<os wuidd trot be mecs>ary. A* far as lie could >ee. the Hoard would always have : ■ rail upon die Government for ilu.-e id-; \nnces, and- our never knev «hell tin n' might J>e sfo|>ped. Mr Cqliingwood also' mentioned that v.hen the seltool was established, n v, as hanqx'red v. iii a £6O debt, ■•rid allowed to continue without \<?r\ bright pt'o?peet»-. Meinl.xws ii'-neiallv considered the school bad done excellently, considering tire la-t fact mentioned bv Mr ('ollingv .1. GKXKHAL. The Kduc-alion Hoard and Mr K. K. Barrowclougli wrote with reference to n mi*understanding which had occurred with K. Harrowelough. s«Jn oi the latter, in re«pect ol in- candidature in the Hoard seholarshil) examination. The Hoard -lat.d thai the regulations >tipulated that matheinaticc uai one of the compulsory subjects a 1 the examination*, and a< the lad had failed to rake mathematics he was debarred from a scholarship, although be had conic fourth in tiie result list.—After the Rector had explained the situation, ii was decided to write to the Waiiganui Board, stating that, in the opinion of tiiH Board, they were responsible for Barrowclouirh's position, inasmuch as lhoy accepted his entry (which showed lie .'.;.- not taking uiathemaric.-) as being in

\ letter ras received from the secretary of the High School Old Pun?' Association, but held over for consideration until the next ordinary mooting of ihe Board. Votes of thanks were passed to tht chairman (Mr W. Rutherfurd), treasurer (Mr llir«ch). and chairman of the Ground Cotflmitiee (Mr l»arnicoat] for work aec implished during the year. The election of officers v\a? adjourned until the next meeting of the Board.