CITY SCHOOLS COMMITTEE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6001, 10 February 1881, Page 5

CITY SCHOOLS COMMITTEE.

The ordinary meeting of the City School Committee took place last evening. Present: —Mr. Gorrie (in the chair), Messrs. Hewin, McMaster, Schmidt, Thwaites, Wright, and O. Mahon (secretary). Wellesley-street East School. — A letter from the Board was read acknowledging receipt of one from the committee, and stating in reply that the recommendation of the committee that one month's leave of absence through sickness be given to Mr. H. P. Pycroft, Wellesley-street East, had been granted. A memo, from Mr. Worthington was read, calling attention to the necessity of providing blinds in the girls' room, standard 11., as cases of sickness had occurred through the exposure of pupils to the excessive glare of the sun.—lt was decided that the matter should be attended to. Appointment OF Teachers.— Letter read from the Board, notifying that it is proposed, temporarily, to appoint as junior teachers at Wellesley-street East, Nellie Blades and Kate Colebrook; and at Howestreet (for the present), Helen Simpson. These girls were lately pupils in the 6th form of the Auckland Girls' High School, and obtained certificates of proficiency at the late examination of that school, and they attended the examination of junior assistantteachers in January last. In accordance with section 45, the Board desired to consult the committee iu regard to the proposed appointments, and to inquire whether they had any suggestions to ofter to the Board thereon. The committee had no objection to offer. j City Schools' Grant.—A letter from the Board was read, acknowledging the receipt of one from the committee representing that the grant fixed by the Board was insufficient to meet requirements. The Board stated the subject would receive careful eon- ! sideration.

llowe-steet School.—A letter from the Board was read, notifying that Miss Hungerford, probationary teacher, was suffering from au attack of typhoid fever, and had been granted leave of absence. Another teacher had been sent temporarily to the school.—Letter from Miss Barton, teacher of the school, applying for a number of school requisites.—lt was agreed that the application should be complied with as soon as funds were iu hand.

Training College and Practising School Regulations.—Letter read from the Board, enclosing draft regulations proposed for the management of the tramino college in accordance with Government regulations. The Board requested the committee to consider clauses 2 to 4, and 15 to 22, referring to relations between the training college and practising school, and to communicate to the Board their views thereon.—Mr. Thwaites said whether Wel-lesley-street school became a practising school ornot, the committee should maintain control, and the teachers of the Training College the moment they came into it should come under jurisdiction of the committee. He claimed no more, and he would hold uo less.—The Chairman observed that under these regulations the head teacher of the public: school would be compelled, even if his better judgment dictated another course, to carry on liis school according to the "views or whim of the principal of the training college.—Mr. Wright was under the impression that one of the first results would be the loss of Mr. Worthington's services. — The Chairman: | Very probably.—Mr. Schmidt held it was supreme folly to hold the head teacher ! responsible for the success of the public school under such conditions. The clauses specially objected to by the various ] speakers were—clauses 1, 17, 19, and 21, ! which left the relations of the head teachers of the public, school and the principal of the training college undefined, established a conflict of authority, and studiously ignored the existence of any right of control by the committee of the public or practising school.—The Chairman observed that the regulations were very ingeniously worded to carry by a side wind the original intentions of the Board. Clause 21 was referred to them for their opinion, while clause 1, which largely controlled it, was not referred to them at all.—After a prolongued discussion, Mr. Schmidt moved, and Mr. Thwaites seconded a resolution setting forth the opinion of the committee. It stated that owing to the vague character of the regulations differences would arise which would materially injure Wellesley-street school as a public school. The committee sympathised with the object the Board have in view, the establishment of a training college, and have no objection that Wellesley-street school should be used as a practising school, provided the committee retain full control over the school as a public school.—Mr. Wright moved, "That the consideration of the question be postponed till next meeting," but the proposal failed to find a seconder. The motiou was accordingly carried.

School Requisites.—Mr. Wright brought forward his motion, "That the Board be requested to alter the regulations so as to place the power of charging for school requisites in the hands of the committee, instead of head-teachers." Their estimated income was £255 for the present year, and the expenditure similarly about £296. The pickings now filling the pockets of somebody would go to meet the deficit in the school committee's revenue.—Various speakers regarded the proposal as impracticable, for i committee would have to keep a stock of the requisites, and could not work matters so economically and make so few bad debts as teachers.—Motion withdrawn.—Mr. Hewin moved, "That the notice of the Board be again drawn to the letter of 7th April, ISBO, in which the committee drew the Board's attention to teachers' charges to pupils for stationery, &c., and desiring them to fix a' uniform charge to pupils. The speaker said a reply was received on the 30thi April to the above letter, stating that the Board had desired the Inspector to confe).' \vith the Chairmen of the City and Suburban School Committees on the subject. From that day to the present nothing further had been heard on the subject. HiGir-STREET School.—The following is the Inspector's report on tho examination for Standards at the above ivhool:—"On roll at time of 94 males and 68 females; not presented?, -54 males and 43 females. Standard I.V Presented, 23 males and 10 females > pi-.Sssed, 14 males and 7 females; absent, 2 males. Standard 11. : Presented, 15 males and 15 females ; passed, 12 males and 10 females ; absent, 1 male and 1 female. Total presented, 3S males and 25 females; passed, 26 males and 17 females; absent, 3 males and 1 female. Object lessons: A list was furnished by teacher. Second Standard was questioned, and answers fair. Singing taught by singing teacher. Laws of Health not as yet taught. Drawing is taught by drawing teacher, on slates. Recitation : A list of pieces prepared by pupils was furnished, children recited fairly. Needlework is tauyht. Discipline and drill at this school was good.'"

Nominations for Board Elections.— Mr. Hewin stated that, in one of the Auckland journals, it was published that Mr. T. Thompson, of the Thames, was one of the candidates, and the erroneous statement was being industriously circulated to defeat the election of Mr. T. Thompson, of Victoriastreet, Auckland, the well-known member of the City Council. Over .School Age.—Mr. J. Lyle, of Wel-lington-street, applied that his son, just over 15 years of age, might be permitted to attend Beresford-street School. He had been

prevented by sickness from completing his schooling.—The application was granted on the usual conditions.

Complaint Against the Master of the Industrial Home.—A letter was received from a woman who had two children in the Howe-street Industrial Home, complaining that her two daughters, aged 11 and 13 years of a?e respectively, were debarred from attending the Howe-street School, and were both kept employed nursing the matron's baby. Circumstances compelled her to have her children iu the Home, but she did not wish them to be deprived of education.— The Chairman stated if the fajts were as alleged, the master's proceedings were very improper. The master could be compelled under the compulsory clauses to send the children to the school. If this was a specimen of Dr. Harvey's conduct it was a poor improvement on Mr. Stickley's management. — Mr. Hewin said it was current that tliere was a considerable falling off in the attendance at the Howe-street School now as compared with the state of things under the previous master.—lt was decided to bring the conduct of the master of the Home under the notice of the Committee of Management, aud the Schools' Visiting Committee was instructed to inspect the attendance rolls of the school.

Adjournment. — The committee then adjourned to Thursday fortnight (the 24tli instant.)