CITY SCHOOLS COMMITTEE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9013, 28 March 1888, Page 5

CITY SCHOOLS COMMITTEE.

The City Schools Committee met yesterday evening. Mr. Gorrie presided, and there were also present:—Messrs. Crowther, Farrell, Usslier, McMaster, Blades, and Batty.

_ Correspondence.—The Board of Education wrote stating that they had agreed to advertise for applications for the position of first assistant master at the Napier-street School from certificated teachers in the Board's service; but that, in view of the committee's suggestion for a re-arrange-ment of salaries in the city schools, the Board could not fix the salary to be assigned to this appointment. It was resolved to forward a cheque for £20 to the Board of Education as the contribution towards the painting of the Wellesleystreet Schools. Mr. Hart wrote requesting permission to use the Nelson-street School for a social gathering on Wednesday night, and it was decided to grant the request. A week's leave of absence was granted to Mrs. S. A. Jones. It was resolved to comply with the request of Mr. E. M. C. Harrison, that disinfectants be used at Beresfordstreet School. Permission was granted to the Auckland Society of Arts to hold an exhibition of mechanical drawings at the Wellesley-street School oil Saturday, April 7. Miss Maud Nicholson applied for extended leave of absence without salary on account of illness; but it was resolved, "That in the interest of the school, the committee cannot see their way to comply with the request, and regret that Miss Nicholson's health has not improved." The Tonic-Solfa Association requested the use of a room in the Beresford-street School for the purpose of extending the knowledge of the art of singing, and the matter was re- I ferred to the headmaster.

Nelson-street School.The names of the following applicants (17 in number) for the position of headmaster at the Nelsonstreet School, were forwarded by the Board of Education Messrs. Win. H. Arnold, H. P. Burt, C. M. Carter, T. H. Chapman, B. Cronin, R. C. Dyer, Neil Heath, Arthur Home, Wm. Malcolm, Win. Murray, D. O'Uonoghue, David Scholield, J. L. Scott, Colonel T. H. Smith, Messrs. T. B. Tanner, George Thwaites, A. S. Webber. The Chairman said that as the Board met on Wednesday, matters would be expedited were the committee to forthwith recommend a candidate for the position. The committee therefore proceeded to select one of the applicants for recommendation to the Board. The number was reduced to seven, the following being 1 left in : Messrs. Cronin, O'Donoghue, Malcolm, Arnold, Heath, Murray, and Thwaites. The testimonials of these candidates were considered at considerable length, and further ballots were then taken when Mr. Cronin was recommended for the position, Mr. O'Donoghue being second on the list of voting. The Napier-street School.—Some discussion ensued with respect to the request of Mr. Hart that Misses Blades, L. Bell, Edwards, A. Bottrill, and A. Edwards be appointed to the new Napier-street school, of which "he was recently elected headmaster, and it was resolved that the request be granted. A motion that Miss L. Bell be retained at the Nelson-street school, as it was feared that her removal would tend much to the disorganisation of the latter school, where she was employed as assistant, being lost. Dividing the Wellesley-street School. —Mr. Farrellmoved, 4 'That this Committee request the Board of Education at its earliest convenience to divide the Wellesleystreet school building into two parts, upper and lower, and place them in charge of two head-masters with separate schools." He pointed out that the building was admirably suited for the purposes of division, whilst the present school was too large to be under the charge of one head-master. Mr. Batty said that Mr. Farrell had failed to show why the change should be made, and Mr. Farrell, in reply to this said that during the past three years the school had become less efficient. The school was too large. Mr. Ussher seconded the motion. He Believed in the system of small schools. The Chairman thought that even in a school numbering 500 scholars the headmaster's work would be chiefly inspectorial, and this could not be avoided. Mr. Farrell had failed to show that the good work done in ellesley-street School had been adversely affected by the largeness of the school. Mr. Crowther said that parents had taken their boys from the Wellesleystreet School to the Grammar School, and had brought them back again after a short time. After a long and pointless discussion the motion was put and lost.