BOARD OF EDUCATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8824, 12 March 1892, Page 3

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

The Board of Education met yesterday morning. Present: Messrs. Moat (chairman), Muir, Motion, Luke, Lennox, Cooper, and Grant.

Auditor. response to advertisement for an auditor of school committees' accounts for the year ending March, 1892, seventeen applications were received as follows : — Joseph Barber, Auckland ; Alex. Bell, Tamaki West; John Bridgewater, Auckland ; Albert Burchcr, Anckland; J. G. Carr, Retnuera ; W. H. Churton, Auckland : H. E. Cotton. Auckland; Henry Goulstone, Auckland ; William Gray, Auckland ; H. A. L. Harvest, Auckland; J. P. Martin, Auckland ; T. A. Menzies. Auckland; W Osborne, Auckland ; Samuel Pascoe, Remuera; C. A. Stubbs, Auckland ; Joseph Warren, Auckland ; Samuel Willoughby, Auckland. The application of Mr. J. G. Carr, who did the work during the previous year, was accepted. Chairman's Report.— report of the Chairman contained the following items :— Arrangements have been made as follows : Mr. C. T. Smyth to the temporary charge of Tauwhare school pending inquiry; Mr. T. Day, relieving teacher, to Napier-street for a week during absence of assistant, and thence to temporary charge of Te Kopuru school in the absence of headmaster. Salaries : Salaries have been adjusted according to results of teachers' examination as follows Headteachers, net increase, fc'l7B a-year; pupil teachers, net increase, £100 a-year. Applications from Misses Steel and Colebrook are held over for consideration at quarterly adjustment of salaries. Leave of absence : Mrs. Jones, Napier-street, a week, illness in family ; Miss B. A. Souster, Richmond Road, two aavs, influenza; Mr. A. F. Burton, Mount Eden, death in family. The report was adopted. Tender.—ln connection with the erection of teacher's dwelling at Whangarata, Mr. Bennett, whose tender (£264) had been received, notified that he intended to abandon the contract. His deposit was, therefore, forfeited. The next lowest tender was that of Mr. Beamish (£315), but as this was £30 above the estimate, it was decided to call for fresh tenders.

Miscellaneous. —Kaeo: The committee applied for an enlargement to the school, which had suddenly increased in numbers. The application was referred to the inspector for a report. The same committee also asked for new and improved desks. It was decided to ask for an estimate of cost. Northcote : It was resolved to ask the committee for an estimate of the cost of certain repairs applied for. Omana: Committee applied to nave the teacher's house painted. It was decided to grant the material required. PukekoheEast: Half cost of science apparatus granted. Takahue : A difficulty with regard to 'the expenditure of £5 5s 6d on a partition in the scnool having arisen between the committee and the contractor, the correspondence was placed before the Board, It was decided to suggest that, if possible, an amicable arrangement should be arrived at between the parties. Ellerslie : The committee asked that the boundaries between the Remuera and Ellerslie districts should be fixed as soon as possible, in view of the approach of the annual meeting. It was pointed out that a sub-committee of the Board had themattei under consideration. Newmarket: The Board decided to supply the materials for tarring and sanding the school grounds, the committee to find the labour. Opotiki: An application for permission to make certain alterations in the Easter holidays was declined. Alexandra: Committee applied for blinds, and a grant for the papering of the teacher's house. The blinds were granted, and also half cost of papering. The Tawhare School Roll.— irregularities reported by the inspectors in connec tion with the marking of the Tawhare School rool came up for consideration. In 1890 the head-teacher, Mr. James Graham, had been reported not to have marked on the roll the attendance on a certain afternoon until the following morning, and in 1892 to have marked three boys present before they arrived, and one present who was not in attendance. Mr. Graham stated that he had sent the three boys on a message in the dinner hour, which should have taken about twenty minutes. He knew they were coming back, but they happened to be delayed, so that they were about an hour late in the afternoon. The other_ boy had just been received on the morning in question, and went home without leave in the afternoon. On calling the roll he did not receive an answer, but as new boys have a habit of not answering he marked him present, believing that such was the case, He had no intention of being dishonest. Mr. Cooper pointed out the very serious nature of the irregularity. In these matters the Board had to depend almost entirely upon the integrity of the teachers. Mr. Lennox urged the Board to be lenient. He thought the teacher should bo reprimanded and placed in a less responsible position, and paid a smaller salary. Mr. Cooper pointed out that Mr. Lennox's position was not a logical one. Either the teacher was negligent or dishonest. If the former, the punishment was too severe; if the latter, it was not severe enough. Ultimately, the suggestion of Mr. Lennox was adopted. School Requisites.—Some further complaints as to the nature of the school requisites supplied having been considered, the Board resolved, " That the contractors be asked if they were in a position to supply squares according to sample ; if they were not, they were to be informed that none should be forwarded without being first submitted to the chairman for approval." Grade Marks. —In accordance with notice given, Mr. Grant moved, " That copies of Mr. Grant's question re inspectors awarding of highest or excellent grade marks, and of the reply thereto, be forwarded to the Minister of Education for information of the department." He thought that the grade rank as given in New Zealand was peculiar. Before a teacher obtained the mark " excellent" he should have had experience of a school for a considerable period. He (Mr. Grant) had heard that there had been considerable laxity in some instances in awarding the mark "excellent." The matter was one of great importance, and some clear and fixed procedure should be formally laid down. He, therefore, wanted to draw the attention of the Government® to the whole question. It was decided that Mr. Grant be asked to place the matter before the central Government himself, as he had evidently gone very deeply into the question. Mr. Grant s Expenses.—Mr. Grant stated that he would like the Board to authorise the payment to him of expenses incurred in attending the meetings of the Board. He had very often to come from considerable distances. He estimated his expenses at £27 10s. This sum represents 10 meetings, to atteud which he had to come from Te Arai, Mangawai. The claim was granted.