SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING. Friday, 28th October, 1864.

North Otago Times, Volume II, Issue 37, 3 November 1864, Page 1 (Supplement)

SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING. Friday, 28th October, 1864.

Present — Messrs Ashcroft (in the cliatr), Sumpter, Bain, Ingram, and Greufell. An application for the situation of female teacher was referred to the master. A letter from Mr Miller, M.P.C., was received, (stating that he had communicated ,iith the Superintendent in regard to Crown grants for educational reserves, and that the matter would receive early attention. Carried It, was moved hy Mr Grenfell, seconded by )lr Ingram, " That a sum of £o be set apart f o v prizes for the children at the next examination." Carried. Moved by Mr Gibbs, seconded by Mr Sumpter, " That in consideration of the estimates of receipts and expenditure as presented, this Committee resolves to"assess the Educational rate for the current term at fourpence in the pound for the fifteen months." Caivied. Moved by Mr Ingram, seconded by Mr Gibbs, "That should the Education Board [assent to the appointment of a female teacher, (lie clerk be instructed to apply to the Board, ,n terms of the Ordinance, for a subsidy in aid of her salary." Carried. Moved by Mr Grenfell, seconded by Mr Gibbs, " That the clerk be requested to reply in detail to the letter of the General Board, of October 1 7th, stating that the Committee intend to try the voluntary system; but should a rate be required, they propose one of 4d. per pound." Carried. It was ordered that a screen be erected in (be school to separate the sexes, under supervision of the Visiting Committee. Moved by Mr Bain, seconded by Mr Ingram, " That the meeting adjourn till the 17th day of November proximo, at 7 p.m., then to meet and proceed with their attempt to raise the necessary amount by voluntary subscriptions, and that the Visiting Committee be appointed to prepare a circular innfing subscriptions " Carried. We now give the report of the Sub-Com-mittee referred to last week : — Repoht of Sub-Committee appointed by the Oamaru School Committee to visit the School and ascertain wh»t improvements are necpssary. Fint, as to Teaching.— It appears to your Sub-Com-mittee, without committing themselves to any opinion a, to the general efficiency of the system of instruction adopted, that the Master Iips far too much of his time jtprnsent occupied in teaching tho merest elements, sn'i that it is impossible for him to give sufficient time and attention to the elder children without some asiHtance- The question seems to be' as to whether a ppil teacher or a female assistant teacher would bp most desirable. Under such circumstances, your Subcommittee think that the Monitorial system might bo r/lopted with good results ; but this seems to be precluded in the pi esent state of the school, by the absence of boj'R and girls sufficiently advanced to take such a, pt " They ar*», on the whole, of opinion that, conbidfnng the number of girls in attendance— neaily half He whole number of children in the school— that a kiale assistant teacher would be of the greatest advantage to the school ; and indeed it seems impossible that snmanv girls can be perfectly instructed in sewing, &c., unless this is done. This assistant teacher might, in addition to the girls, tnke the lowest classes of boys, to iiutruct them in the rudiments of reading and spelling, mil the Master would thus be as efficiently aided as he would by any pupil teachor, with the additional advantage of having a better sybtem of instruction in operation for girls. Secondly, as to Separation of the Sexes.— Your Subcommittee consider it desirable that as _ much ■-paratiori as is practicable under the circum'hnces should be made between the boys' and tirls' sides of the schoolroom, and recommend that iron plates should be fitted to the floor, with rods to fit into them, supporting a green baize curtain, which ouH be with di awn when simultaneous teaching was zoing on. The boys and girls would thus enter and h\ o the school by different doors Third, as to Rewards and Punishments.— Your Subfommittee cannot but feel that there has been want of thorough discipline in the school, partly arising from a Mint; of restraint on the part of the Master in using punishment. Your Sub-Committee think that the i"thority of the Master should be suppoiterl, and that while only a very moderate use of the cane should be nade, a more free use of a mode of punishment known si "keeping"— detention of the offendine child after kouri for a reasonable time— is allowable and even ulutary. Should, however, any flagrant case of misBDfluct arise, the Master should not exercise severe ranishment, but remove the offender from the school '•it the day, reporting to the Committee at onco for tifir election on the case. They consider that rewards 'hould also be assured to the children for good conduct, tasonn, cleanliness, and punctual attendance ; and that i register should be kept as at present, and that the faster should be at liberty to deduct a certain number ■fmaiksfor unpunctual attendance (of which, if freMenUy repeated, the parents should bo informed), as t»ll as for any repeated acts of disobedience or other 'mlts ; but that no deduction of marks should be made 'w n, single piece of misconduct, unless very flagrant, i which case the child should be liable, at the discretion f the Committee, to lose tho whole of the previous "oorl marks received during the session. As this is a atter of much importance, they consider that the fester should be required to place before the Committee Complete system of marks, giving especial prominence 0 cleanliness, which your Sub-Committee are aware !m in some instances been too much neglected. They snsider that a code of rules founded on this system, 'imild be hung up in a prominent place in the school. Fourth, Advanced Classes. — Your Sub-Committee Ave not had tho opportunity of examining the more wvnnced elates in the school, biifc they consider that rach attention should bo given to these, and that when pessary the Master should give an additional hour to Wm, say from 4 to 5 o'clock, dismissing the younger 'sildren at the usual time. _ ( Finally. — Your Sub-Committee consider that a visiting ■ommittee should be appointed, of not less than three »r more than five members of the Committee, whose aty it should be to visit the school from time to time, sd report to tho Committee on any matter requiring Mention. (Signed) J. Ashcroft,) S. Gibbs, > Sub-Corn. M. Grenfell,; Oamaru, 24th October, 1864.

A Good Hater —Parson Brownlow, a cordial hater f the South, says In his paper, the " Knoxville Whig nrl Rebel Ventilator :"—" Had we our wish, we would bow hell wide open, and throw all such heast-liko fficers upon an inclined piano, atan angle of 45 degrees, renae the plank with hog's lard six inches thick, with a ticket at the bottom, and send them, as one stream of raitors, robbers, and assassins, into the hottest part of he infernal regions." Ships of "VVaii Building fob the Hoy ai< Navy. — ihere are at the present time thirty-six vessels under Miatvuction at the various royal and private dockyards >r the British navy, many of which are in a very forard state for launching. They consist of four iron rew-ships, two iron cased screw-ships, one screw iron irvette, one double-screw iion gun-boat, one doublerew iron and wood g«in-boat, six screw frigates, three rew ships, two screw corvettes, four screw sloops, one addle despatch-vessel, five screw gun-vessels, and six rew gun-boats.— Morning Post ' At the village of Plaxtal in Kent, a match of cricket a* recently played between 24 ladies. The sides were stinguished by rosettes, one side wearing pink and the her blue. A Mrs W. GouWing was captain of tho ues, and a Miss Thompson of the pinks. There was a rge number of spectators on the ground, and the game, may be imagined, proved very amusing. The pinks on, their scores being 114 and 297- total 411 ; while the ue» only scored 202 and 97, total 299. The late Albert Smith once wrote an article in Blackwood," signed " A.S." " Tut," said .Terrold, on adin^ the initials, " what a pity Smith will tell only fo-thinto of the truth !"