SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 92, 18 March 1936, Page 11

SECONDARY SCHOOLS

MEETING OF BOARD. REPORTS OF PRINCIPALS. The monthly meeting of the Palmerston North High Schools Board of Governors and Technical School Committee was held last evening, Mr J. A. Nash presiding. Others present were Mrs M. Aitchison. Messrs M. H. Oram, Av J. Graham, AV. TL Birnie, G. Tremaine, and T. D. Lynch. Apologies for absence were tendered on behalf of Messrs J. AV. Rutherfurd and T. R. Hodder. The rector of the Boys’ High School (Mr J. Murray) reported that the roll number was 422, the average attendance being 406. The annual swimming tournament had heen held, and the school’s teams _ had gained first arid second places in the life-saving competition for the secondary schools shield. Tho gross proceeds of the Parents’ Association gala day had been £ll3. The first eleven had won a cricket match against Mr D. C. Collins’s eleven, and lost one against Mr E. Gilbertson’s eleven. The annual match with Wanganui Technical College was in progress. Mr A. A. Langley had presented a handsome cup for competition in the swimming championship (pupils under 14 years). The rector recommended that the motor-mower shed be moved from the east ground and placed adjacent to the coal shed on the west ground, the chairman of the ground committee to have power to act in the matter. It was also suggested that the City Council be asked to remove the wire fence hetween North Street Park and the ground. It was decided to take no action regarding the suggested removal of the fence, while the matter of the motormower shed was referred to tho grounds committee.

A resolution was passed thanking Mr Langley for his donation.

The principal of the Girls’ High School (Mrs M. Rhodes) reported that the roll number now stood at 290, the average attendance being 273.7. Miss C. Weston, who was appointed to the new D grade position, had taken up her duties. 'The swimming sports had heen held, and the athletic sports would be held on March 25. The school had been visited on March 12 and 13 by the chief secondary inspector (Mr E. G. Parr) and Miss Hetherington. The contractor had started work on the erection of the new classrooms.

It was resolved to forward to Mr E. R. Hodge, the Wanganui Education Board's architect, a letter of appreciation for his services in connection with designing an assembly hall for the Girls’ High School.

The director of the Technical School (Mr G. G. Hancox) reported that the staff consisted of 17 full-time and 34 part-time teachers, while the number of students was 1153, some 644 attending during thde day and 509 in the evenings. The total had increased by 149 compared with the corresponding period of last year. There were 148 train and 30 bus pupils, while the weekly hour enrolments were 16,236. The full-time equivalent roll for tho day school (excluding High School and Convent pupils) was 507 on March 1„ compared with 465 last year. The annual swimming sports had been held, and the athletic sports would be held on April 1. All forty candidates for the speed typewriting examination held in October last had passed, twenty with distinction in the junior grade and two with distinction in the senior grade. The examiner had sent his congratulations on the excellence of the pass list. The reports were adopted.