EDUCATION BOARD

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 253, 20 September 1930, Page 4

EDUCATION BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. GENERAL BUSINESS HANDLED.: The Wanganui Education Board’s monthly meeting tvas held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Mr W. A. Collins. There were present Messrs W. Adams, A. H-. Ross, J. S. Tingey, J. K. Hornblow. A. S. Coleman, M. H. Oram, W. S. Woodroofe and R. Dukeson. ' ... ■. „ The Sanson committee asked the hoard to support its claims for subsidy towards the cost of carrying out extensive improvements to the grounds. The board decided to act as required. ..The Kiwitea County Council offered to lease a section for the use of the Owhango School free of charge for five years. —Accepted with thanks. The architect asked for an instruction from the board with regard to the maintenance of unoccupied school buildings. It was held to be false economy to allow these to develop into a state of disrepair. It was decided that the architect be empowered to carry out essential repair work.. With regard to an application to the department for a grant to instal a septic tank.at South Makirikiri a reply was received to the effect that while the department would like to see septic tanks installed at all country schools, nublic funds would not permit. ■ ‘ The case of South Makirikiri was not on- all fours with that of Westmere School which had been granted money' for a septic tank ’ recently.

“We are not going to take that lying down,” said the chairman, "I can’t see the logic of the department’s reply.” The matter was left to the chairman to deal with.

The department wrote stating that it was not prepared to grant further subsidies for ground improvement work done.at Lytton Street (Feilding). The school committee wrote regretting that decision, and pointing out the necessity of carrying out drainage work which was essential to alleviate the trouble which occurred as the result of accumulated storm water.. The architect reported that the work was very necessary and recommended that the department be asked to consider th‘e matter. On Mr Tingey’s motion it!. was decided to act accordingly, forwarding' full details of the urgency of the work. ARCHITECT’S REPORT.

The architect -presented the following report for the month of August: Work completed: Marton D.H. School; ; The whole of the interior

walls and ceilings have.been painted in two coats. Glen Groiia: The trough system has been removed from the out-offices and wash-down pedestal closets installed. A bicycle shed has been erected. Oroua Downs: A new shelter shed lias been erected and one of the existing sheds converted into a store room. Eighty feet of drainage has been laid. Rongotea : Repairs to the washdown pedestal closet at the teacher’s residence have been made. Works in hand: Apiti: The {minting of the school exterior and interior is in hand, together with the painting of the exterior of the out-buildings and teacher’s residence. Proposed for ensuing month: To carry on with works in hand. Colyton: To erect new out-offiCes. Westmere: To install septic tank service. AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION. . The chief agricultural instructor presents the following report on the agricultural instruction for the past month: Id a number of schools the indoor course is rapidly approaching completion while in most it is well on the way. In the earlier districts preparations are in hand for. sowing directly, after the vacation, and seeds and fertilisers have been distributed

to all schools. Some very interesting studies have been taken up, and, given a good season and adequate attention to the crop during the growing period, should result in excellent class work and valuable research information from the school and educational point of view. Good work is being done with the following: Maize, tobacco, linseed, potatoes from seed, legumes and lime, as well as with the usual root and general crops as studies in the past. The chart system of record supplemented by short note work has been found very, satisfactory. . Class revision from the chart entries displays a wealth of information and considerable improvement on the past. “The B.G. Club report of all areas is now in your hands, and records a good season despite the adverse conditions prevailing. A separate report of the executive. meeting of August 6 is in your hands. * From circumstances which have arisen it is intended to have a second meeting on or about the 24th instant, after which our report on the activities will be placed before the board with recommendations relating thereto. The Feilding entries for the ensuing year are to hand and are as follow: Roots. (mangolds and maize) 43 schools, 328 plots, calf rearing, 13 schools, 172 calves. ARBOR DAY. Some few Arbor Day celebrations have been attended and good work done. In this connection Mr Lange, Feilding, remarks in his report, inter alia: “The month was spent on ord-

inary office duties, a .few Arbor Days being attended where the itinerary permitted. I regret to notice that, since we have been prevented from attending functions on the invitation of committees, the day is rapidly losing its significance in the community.. “Non-issue of thp usual Arbor Day. circular by the board, may in part have assisted in bringing about this apparent loss of significance, but the issue of the circular has in the, past done little without the practical help and advice of the instructor.

“On August 22 a conference was held, the inspectors and agricultural ’instructors attending at the board’s office. • Much useful discussion resulted in very satisfactory arrangements being made for further improvement of the work, nature study in the lower classes being particularly dealt with. “Apart from other points of importance decided on, it was arranged that the agricultural instructors’ reports be issued, not in November-De-cember as in the past, but at the conclusion of the year’s work in May or thereabouts, and after the first visit of the instructor. Thus we can better report on the outdoor garden work and avoid the' previous broken year in the report. Our thanks are due to the board for arranging this conference.”