BOARD OF EDUCATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7515, 19 December 1885, Page 6

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

A Meeting of the Board of Education was held yesterday. Present: Messrs. Luke (Chairman), Lawry. Upton, Lennox, Oatr, Goldie, Cooper, Clark, and Moat.

Chairman's vlepokt.— Cambridge : Approved recommendation of committee to close achool from 11th inst. Kniwaka: Mr. Webster has been furnished with copy of school committee's report oti his protest. Maungakaramca : Committee informed that ■chool cannot be re-examined before the holidays. Maungaturoto : Committee have been asked for reply to proposal for appointment of teacher. To Kopuru : Furniture has been ordered for the Red Hill aided school.

Tenders. — The following tenders were received for additions to the Onehunga School: — Millf, £319; J. G. Mathiesou, £365; Smith and Howe, £370; W. H. Edwards, £40S. Mills' tender was accepted. Nine tenders were received for additions to Woodhill School : Burn's tender (£102) was accepted ; Briggs' and .Nixon's tender (£189) was informal.

Rkmukka. —A deputation, consisting of Messrs. W. P. Buck.and, M.U.K.. Rhodes, J. Newman, F. Larkius, and Brown'nill, waited on the Board in order to urge greater school accommodation in the eastern part of the Reinuera district, and also asked the Board to erect Remuera into a separate achool district. It was alleged thac the Remuera School was controlled by the people of Newmarket, who had elected ■ix members of the committee. These aix gentlemen were members of the Newmarket Borough Council. The children living in the eastern portion of the district had to travel long distances to school. Although thero was a school at Mount Hobson, it was chiefly a girls' school and young children's school. The larger boys had to go to the Newmarket School. A letter from the Mount Hobson School Committes was read.—Mr. Clark thought a good case had been made out as to the necessity of a ■chool being ercoted at or near the junction of Orakei Koad and St, John's College, or near the end of Green Lane.—Mr. Cooper supported Mr. Clark. He thought that the Mount Hobson School should be enlarged, or, what was better, a new school should be erected.—lt was resolved that the prayer of the petitioning residents—that the dount Hobson school district b>- divided—be granted, and it was also agreed that meetings of the householders of the Remuera and Newmarket divisions bo called to consider the question of boundaries.

Of vies Accommodation*.—The Office Committee reported that the New Zealand Insurance Company offered the Board office accommodation in the Arcade now in course •f construction in Queen and Shortland streets, at a rate of £300 a year with rates. The committee recommended that the Government be asked to provide accommodation in the new Customhouse Building. It was proposed that the offer of the New Zealand Insurance Company be accepted.—Mr, Carr moved as an amendment that tenders be invited for office accommodation.—Mr. Carr's amendment was agreed to.

Girl's High School.—The Visiting Committee reported as follows Staff: Mrs. Snell—Your committee have to report the resignation of Mrs. Snell, assistant teacher, to whom the position of second assistant was offered by the Hoard at its last meeting. Your committee recommend that Mrs. Snell's resignation be accepted from the 31st inst. Second assistant : With regard to the appointment of second assistant teacher, your committee recommend that the appointment should be deferred for a month in order that enquiry may be made in the meantime respect ug the applicants whose names were submitted at last meeting ; and on the recommendation of the headmaster your committee suggest that Mr. W. Wood should be engaged a* temporary assistant for the first term of ISS6, with ■alary at the rate of £250 a year. Third assistant The headmaster having certified that Miss K. G. Wallace is fitted for the position of third assistant, your oommittee recommend that she be appointed accordingly, with salary at the rate of £150 a year, from Ist January, ISCO Fifth assistant: To fill the vacancy which will be caused by the promotion of Miss Wallace, your committee, after conferring with the headmaster, susgest the appointment of Miss Clara B. Weatwood, assistant teacher at the Wellesley-street School, to rank as fifth assistant, with salary at the rate of £100 » year, from Ist January, 1566. French: Your committee also, on the recommendation of the headmaster, suggest that Mons. A. Yilleval shou'd be reengaged as French teacher, with a salary at the rate of £03 a year, according to the terms of his present engagement. The accounts show a balance in hand of £152 12s 7d. Terms : Your committee recommend that the terms for 18S6 be the same as those fixed for the Auckland College and Grammar School, viz., February S to May 14, May 31 to August '27. September -0 to December 17. —Samcel Llkk, Chairman." — Mr. Carr moved the omission of the paragraph, re appointment of Mr. Wood. This was negatived, and th 6 report was adopted.

Training College.— The report of In. ■pector-General on the Training College was •gain brought up. The matter had been held over in order to get a copy of the principal's report to the Inspector-General. The principal said he had not krpt a copy of the report, but the substance of it was that he did not expect such good reaulta this year owing to the low educational attainments of many of the students admitted to the school. He enclosed a list of those whom he thought unfit for a teacher's life, owing to physical debility and other causes.—lt was agreed to defer further consideration of the matter until a copy of the principal's report to the Inspector-General is received, and also until Dr. Stockwell's report i* to hand.

Grafton Road : Tub Holiday Question. —The committee wrote stating that it was intended to keep the Grafton Road School open for another week.—Mr. Cooper said all the schools in the city were closed that day (Friday), and yet it was sought by the committee to keep the Graiton Road School open for a week longer, He considered that tne committee had acted in a moet arbitrary and unfair manner towards the teachers of this school. He moved, " That the committee be informed that the school is closed, and cannot be opened before the termination of the holidays." The Board had publicly announced that the schools would be closed on the 18th inst.— Mr. Upton agreed that tho Grafton Road Committee were wrong in this matter. He was quite sure the school could not be carried on till the day before Christmas. Although he considered the committee silly, they had a perfect right to advocate what they liked in regard to the holidays. — The Board divided, and, the numbers being equal, the Chairman gave his casting vote for Mr, Cooper's motion.—The headmaster will be given a copy of the Board's resolution for his guidance in the matter.

Taor&nga. —A. telegram was received from the teacher, saying that the committee had suspended him because he had written to the Board in regard to the curtailment of holidays. A telegram from the committee was also read, confirming the teacher's communication.—Mr. Cooper said the committee had no power to suspend a teacher except for grievous misbehaviour.lt was resolved "That no action be taken until committee's letter is received."

Teacher of Mkrcttry Bay School.—

Some farther correspondence was received . for and against retaining Mr. Talbot. It was j resolved that the former decision, of the j Board—"That Mr. Talbot be removed"'—be '■ adhered to. 1

Half Schools.—A protest was re- j ctived from Albertland North and Wellaford 1 against the proposed arrangements re half- • time.—lt was agreed that the schools be : made half-time for the present. — Protests j were received from Churchill and Ohiuewai, j and there being an average attendance of 20 j in each school, it was resolved that the schools remain full-time. —It was also agreed that the Whktawhata and adjoiningschool be retained as full-time schools.—Titirangi and Waikomiti are to be made half-time schools.

Rotorua. —Mr. Cooper moved : " (1) That it is advisable in the interests of education to establish a primary school at Rotorua ; (2) that steps be taken to forthwith erect the locality of Rotorna into a school district tinder the Education Act, 1877 ; (3) that application be made to Government for a suitable site for a schools building and playground." motion was carried, and it was also agreed to make an application to the Governmanb for a building and site of the present native school, which it is proposed shortly to close. The Government bad promised the building for a school, to bo under the control of the Board.

Miscellaneous Applications. — Auckland City : £40 granted for partition.— Cambridge : Application for new school. Mr. Cooper reported that the present building

| was in a dilapidated state, and was overcrowded, A new school building was required. Agreed that plans be obtained.— Kaitaia : Application for removal of school building granted. —Ngaruawahia : Request for change of site. Deferred for further information.—Ohinemuri : Committeo to be informed that the Board is not liable for account of four guineas.—Taupo : Question of making the district into a school district deferred till April quarter. The Board adjourned until Friday, loth January, ISS6.