BOARD OF EDUCATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11714, 25 July 1901, Page 3

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

A meeting of the Boa;d of Education was held yesterday afternoon.' Present: Messrs. L. Bagnall' (chairman), W. Lambe, J. Muir, 11. McKenzie, J. Blades, and R. Farrell.: Reports: The report of the Finance Committee was adopted "as follows:—Your committee have adjusted for the current quarter, according to existing scale, ■ the salaries of head-teachers, of first assistantasters, or teachers in charge of infant departments ot schools over 250 average attendance, ana 01 assistants entitled to increases by reason or promotion of certificates. That accounts totalling £1090 Us 7d be passed for payment. The recommendations of the Teachers Selection Committee were adopted as follows: That the following appointments should be authorised by j the Board: Mr. L. S. A. Meiklejohn to be teacher of Oreville ' aided school; Miss. A. Penzholz to be teacher ot Pukekawa school; Miss K. Keesing to tie first assistant-teacher, Cambridge school; Miss L. E. G. Thorpe to be substitute assistant, Waihi school; Miss P. E. Gillman to be assistant-teacher, Puriri school; Mrs. Ewart to he sewing-teacher, Kaiwaka school; Miss G. R. Jones, ex-pupil-teacher, from Baillie-street to Parnell school; Miss C. A. Bryant, pupil-teacher, from Parnell to I onsonby school; Miss E. M. Piggot, junior assistant, from Drury to Ponsonby ;• school; Miss Ida Hill, pupil-teacher, from Ponsonby to Newmarket school; Miss M. E. Mandeno, pupil-teacher, from Puriri to Rangiaonia school: Miss C. A. Hutton, junior assistant, from Te Pa hi to Kauaeranga Baillie-street; Mr. F. W. Garland, pupil-teacher, from Wel-lesley-street to Napier-street school; Miss Margaret M. Muir, pupil-teacher, to Drury school; Miss Elsie B. Carder, pupil-teacher, to Bercsford-strect school. Headmasterslup of the Mercury Bay school: That the names and qualifications of the following candidates classified Dl ho submitted to the SchoolCommittee for their consideration:—Messrs. J. La Prelle, A. M. Rust, J. N. Marsdon,, and J. M. Warn. That School Committees' Iks consulted in regard to proposed appointments as follows:—Waipu Central. Mr. W. 11. V. Hall; Bombay (assistant), Misses 1. E. Piggot and C. White; Mount Eden (second assistant-master), Messrs. D. MoTnnese and W. A. .1011. That the Awatunu school be combined half-time with the Marlborough school, under one teacher, subject to the usual conditions. That a male assistant should be appointed to the Opitonui j school. That a letter from the Otorohanga i School Committee, relative to the withdrawal of one of the pupil-teachers, be referred to i the chief-inspector, for his report upon the suggestion for enlargement of one of the classrooms. That the request for an additional pupil-teacher at the Rotorua school should be deferred until the average attendance shall reach the minimum number (121) required .by-scale. That qualified pupil- '< teachers be appointed to the following schools:— West, Te Pahi No. 2, Victoria Valley. Chairman's Report: The report stated that the resignation of Mr. R. McEherson (late head-teacher Maungaturoto school) bad been received, and that the following appointments had been made:—Mr. T. D. Woods, relieving-teacher, to Mercury Bay school, pending appointment of headmaster; Mr. W. H.V. Hal!, relieving-teacher, to Waipu Central school, pending appointment of headmaster:. Miss H. McGee (from Cambridge) to Grafton school, in temporary absence of assistant; Miss M. J. Lane, relieving-teacher, to Beresford-street, in temporary absence of pupil-teacher Miss T. E. Gillam to Kauaeranga Baillie-street school, temporarily, during absence of pupil-teacher. Workers Act: An opinion was read from the Board's solicitor as to the Board's liability under the Workers' Compensation Act,' and suggesting that a floating annual policy of accident insurance bo taken out by the Board for its protection. The Chairman said the Board had already secured itself, and further consideration of the matter was ordered to stand over till the next ingTenders : The tender of Mr. W. Hogan, for the removal of the teacher's house at Taotaqroa was accepted at £102. Educational Institute: The secretary of the New Zealand Educational Institute wrote} asking the Board when making a selection of' names of applicants for a position, if the names of the teachers recommended by the inspector are included in the list forwarded to the School Committee. Resolved to reply that tho Board will exercise its own discretion in the matter. The secretary also wrote asking the Board to abolish the name of "ex-pupil-teacher." and. to rank all who are now so called as "junior assistants." so that they, may be thereby entitled to the bonus addition to their salaries. Request declined. Motion Rescinded: Mr. Baguall moved, "That in accordance with the request of the Hon. the Minister for Education, the Board hereby rescinds the resolution passed on October 17, 1900, to regulate the granting of money allowances to teachers retiring from the Board's service by reason of ill-health or physical incapacity." Motion carried. I Teachers' Salaries: Tho Education Department forwarded a circular stating that the bonus additions would bo granted for the third quarter, and a telegram was read stating that the Department had no objection to tho Board taking the June quarter's average as a basis for the current quarter's payments of additions to teachers' .salaries in those cases only where the increase or decrease involved is not more than 5s per month more, but not otherwise. Received. New Schools: Applications for new schools at Te Mata (To Puke) and To Opu (Whakapirau) were referred to tho inspector for report. It was resolved to call for tenders for a new school building at Fencourt, and that the school building at Golden Cross be lined. An application for a new school at Kawhia was held over, pending the receipt of a reply in the matter from the Minister. Election: Mr. Farrell drew tho attention of the Board to an anonymous circular which was widely circulated amongst the various school committees, so as to influence the result of the election against the three retiring members, strongly denying the statements as false in the highest degree. As regards the statement that the retiring mem-

hers had not given time and attention, he might say that during his three years and four months' service he had not missed a single meeting of eithei committee or Board, and the other two retiring members were equally diligent in their attendance. As regards the statement that it cost £1000 to inspect the Catholic schools, he might state that £150 would cover the annual cost. All the oilier charges were most injurious, and only of equal value. Such charges only tended to prevent capable men from offering

their services as members of tho Board, and the candidates who succeeded in obtaining seats on the Board - by such mean tactics would be a disgraco to all concerned. Mr. McEenzie sympathised with Mr. Farrell, and very strongly condemned the writer of such statements. Messrs. Blades, Lambe, and the chairman spoke iu the same strain, all condemning the circular. Mr. Mnir stated that he did not write a word of it, or contribute anything to tho cost.