SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 69, 20 February 1932, Page 8

SECONDARY SCHOOLS

MEETING OF BOARD OF GOVERNORS. A meeting of tlie Board of Governors of the High Schools and of** l ? Technical School Committee was held last night. Mr W. L. Fitzherbert presided, and also present were Mrs Aitem6on, Messrs J. A. Nash, M.P., Hodder, Itutherford, Birnie and Oram. An apology for absence was received from Mr Durward. TECHNICAL SCHOOL. The report of the director of the Technical School (Mr G. G. Hancox) stated so far 497 students had been enrolled for the day school, the corresponding number last year being 464. Details were given of the success achieved by pupils at the recent examinations. By handing over the main building completed on January 30, 10 days before the contract time, the contractor permitted the day school to resume on the scheduled date. Besides giving a greater feehuf? of security, the alterations had added considerably to the appearance of many of the classrooms. The director acknowledged the good work done by the staff in the holidays in assisting in removing and re-arrangmg the equipment. As the lunch room was very poorly ventilated, and was generally unpresentable, he recommended that the lower windows be made to open and that the room be lined, under the supervision of the Public Works Department. *To .deaden the noise in the dressmaking room and to assist the teaching in the rooms below approval was sought for covering the dressmaking room with cork linoleum. Approval was sought for the purchase of chairs for the house din-ing-room. The report was adopted, and the various matters referred to were left with the chairman and dirA vote of condolence was passed to Mr Newman, of the staff of the Technical School, in the death of his wife. GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL.

The report of the principal of the Girls’ High School (Mrs Rhodes) stated that the roll number was 264, made up of 163 pupils returned to school and 101 newly enrolled. At this date last year the roll stood at 261. Miss Eastwood, first assistant, had been appointed to the position of principal of the Southland Girls High School. Miss E. M. North, 8.A.., was acting as relieving assistant till the vacancy was filled. The re-filling of the science laboratory had been completed and the new arrangements were very satisfactory. The lady principal asked for the board’s authority to purchase a table for the corridor and also authority to spend about £5 on new books for the library. The school also required more shelves in the library and electric lighting put in rooms 6 and 7. The two typewriters authorised by the board had been ordered and the two new sewing machines had been obtained, two old ones being exchanged.—Adopted. _ On the suggestion of Mrs 'Rhodes it was decided that the term’s fee for pupils using the typewriters be reduced from 5s to 3s 6d. BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL.

The rector of the Boys’ High School (Mr J. Murray) reported that the roll number stood at 372, consisting of 273 old and 99 new pupils. The number was less -by 18 than at the corresponding date last year. The decrease was the result, probably owing to the smaller enrolment of boarding pupils and the rton-retum of a number of old pupils on account of economic conditions. Despite the Jatter fact the sixth form this year was a particularly big one, numbering 47. The boys of this form were engaged in post-matriculation work of a specially useful nature and, so far as circumstances permit, have definite objectives ahead of them in their course

of study. The decreased attendance might entail a modification of the staffing according to the regulations. The rector asked for the board’s authority to communicate with the department in order to have the present staffing schedule retained. Reference was made to the examinations

passed by the pupils last year. Two boys (J. Bounce and I Whitehead) passed the University entrance scholarship with credit; J. McEwen gained the first section of the B.A. degree in three subjects; three boys (G. Hoffmeister, AV. McGorkindale and J. Wagstaff) gained a section of the accountancy professional examination. Nineteen were awarded higher leaving certificates; five gained full passes and three partial passes in the Training College entrance. Senior free ? laces were gained by 94, and ’ublio Service entrance by 20, the creditable place of seventh for the;Dominion being gained by C. Swallow. In University entrance (matriculation), 68 were successful in the accountants’ preliminary , nine passed the complete examination, and eleven gained partial passes. The result as a whole he considered an

index of faithful work on' the -J&part of the staff and pupils alike. Maintenance work, in order of urgency, that could be done included painting of part of walls of room 12 end underside of room of verandah adjacent to it ; the walls of the dressing rooms at the baths; oiling and varnishing of inside of front doors and vestibules of the school and walls of main corridor, painting of outside of various rooms.—Adopted. Mr Rutherfurd referred to various maintenance works required at the Boys’ High School and it was decided that the work recommended be carried out. He suggested that the front gates be removed in the meantime, yhe recommendations were agreed to.