SCHOOLS COMMITTEE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12546, 13 April 1904, Page 3

SCHOOLS COMMITTEE.

The ordinary meeting or the City Schools; Committee was held at tho Welleslov-streot ■ school last night, Mr. P. Crowe (chairman) presiding. There were also present: Messrs. J. Gordon, A. H. Cliappell/H. Fletcher, H. Kimber, R. Finlay and Dr. King. Annual Report: The secretary read the rough draft of the committee's annual report. This stated that the results of the examinations at the five schools held in August last were as follows:—Wellesley-street; On roll, 624; present, 599; passed," 347. Beres-ford-street On roll, 718; present, 702: passed, 418. Napier-street: On roll, 598: present, 583; passed, 395. Nelson-street : On roll, 495;" present, 492; passed, 294. Chapel-street: On roll, 310; present, 286:; passed, 129. Total on roll, 2745; total present ut ( examinations, £662; total passed, 1494. From this it was necessary to deduct the primer classes (964) not shown as passed, thus making a total of 1494 scholars passed out of a total of 1698. The average on the roils and the average attendances during the years were as follows :—Wellesley-street, on roll 611. attendances 529: Beresford-street. on roll 688, attendances 607: Napier-street, cm roll 573, attendances 518; Nelson-street, on roll 491, attendances 425 Chapel street, oil roll 304, attendances 243: total average on rolls, 2667; total average attendances, 2328. On the whole the attendances had been satisfactory. 9 0f course there had been the usual drawbacks through sickness and other causes, and for illegal absence 37 had boon prosecuted and fined. Empire Day had been duly observed at the schools. Applica- | tion had been mad© through the Board to I the Minister for Education to constitute on© of the city schools as a district high school. This request had not yet been, granted.; Certain school repairs had been carried out, but the necessary addition to Beresford-street | school and the proposed wing at Nelsonstreet school bad not been effected. The committee testified to the good work done I by the headmasters and the harmony existing; j between them and parents and the committee. In scholarship examinations during the year distinction was won by the following pupils: —Mabel E. Freeman (Wellesleystreet*, Girls' High School scholarship; John | radii (Beresford-street), junior district and national scholarship; Edward J. Croliin tNelson-street), junior district scholarship ; Robert A. Wilson (Nelson-street), junior district scholarship. Certificates of 'proficiency with free places in secondary schools were won by John Maud, Annie B" Moore, Samuel Miehie, liobt. E. Dowding, Minnie Kearney, Robt. B. Steele (Beresford-street),, Margaret D. B. Parkes. Irene Laycoek, ■Kenneth W. Aimer, Chas. Oxenham and Gertrude M. Foreman (Wellesley-sireet). The draft report was adopted for submission to the annual meeting of householders. Finance: The following abstract of school fund accounts was read by the secretary: — Receipts: Balance in bank March 31, 1903., £44 '3s 3d; grants for ordinary incidental purposes, £527 J* sd; grants for special purposes, £91 7s sd; receipts from other sources, £6 5s lid: total, £659 4s. Expenditure: Cleaning schools and outbuildings, £255 16s; fuel for school use, £17 9s lCd: repairs, £95 15s sd: books, maps and furniture, £1 2s 9d; expenditure of special grants from Board, £15 10s; _ printing, £3 12s; advertising, ■£4 10s: stationery, £4 7s 9d; gas, £5 4s lOd; rent, £1 ss; secretary's salary, £26 ss; accident insurance, £1 19s; bank commission, 10s: water rates, £70 14s 9d; science- apparatus, £2 8s sd; kindergarten, £22 5s Sd:; schools stationery, £108 17s 4d; balance, £31 10s 3d: total, £659 4s. The accounts were adopted. Headmasters' Reports: Annual reports were received from the various headmasters. Mr. R. D. Stewart's (Wellesley-street) stated that at Christmas that school won one Girls 1 ' High School scholarship, one Rawlings scholarship, and five certificates of proficiency. Two pupils qualified foi national scholarships, and three passed the junior Civil Service examination. He considered that some attempt should be made to induce the Board to have certain of the school passages asphalted and tho walls calsomined. Mr. Edwin 1. Hart's (Beresford-street) report stated that during the year he had admitted 324 new pupils, and that during the same period 338 left the school, showing a decrease of 14 in the roll number. In the examinations for junioi district scholarships the school obtained one scholarship and three certificates for free tuition, and in the examination for national scholarships obtained one (with the highest marks in the Auckland province). and six certificates for free tuition. The school classrooms were behind the times in respect of their darkness and dinginess. The regulations requested teachers to make the rooms as attractive as possible. whilst the walls at Beresford-street were absolutely gloomy and repellant. The attendance had shown a marked improvement. Mr. Chas. M. Carter (Napier-street) reported that 33 more pupils were admitted than during the previous year, and two loss had been withdrawn. Mr. B. Cronin (Nel-son-street) reported that during the year 277 pupils were admitted and 273 left. Two pupils won scholarships at the last examinations and the same two qualified at the national scholarship examinations. Mr. W. H. Draffin's report on Chapel-street school stated that 130 pupils had joined the guild! of courtesy at the school. The advisability of forming a boys' club and library was being considered. Orange and Green: On the motion of Mr. Gordon it was decided that the correspondence between Mrs. Niehol and the headmaster of Beresford-street school with refer- | ence to the "orange and green" incident occurring there recently should be produceable by the secretary at the forthcoming annual meeting of householders. j Vote of Thanks: A vote of (hanks to the chairman for hi; services during the past | year was carried.