Education.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 285, 14 July 1877, Page 9

Education.

BOARD OF EDUCATION. Friday, July 6. The Board met at 11.30. Present—The Hon. C. J. Pharazyn (Chairman), Messrs. Bunny, Gisborne, and Toomath. ACCOUNTS PASSED. A surveyor's fee of £5 was passed for payment. An account was received from the Featherstou Local Committee, forwarding and recommending payment of £4O on account of school contract and £2O as extras. It appeared the sanction of the Board had never been asked or obtained as to the extra expenditure, and the Secretary was requested to communicate with Mr. Cox, the Chairman of the Local Committee, on the subject, the Board being of opinion that it would be an exceedingly bad precedent to establish, that a Local Committee might order extras without reference to the Central Board. In the meantime £4O on account of contract was passed. TAITA SCHOOL. A letter was read from Mr. Beetham, Chairman of the Taita Local Committee, acquiescing in the appointment of Mr. Johnson to be master of the school in the room of Mr. Sinclair. Mr. Johnson had been recommended by the Inspector, Mr. Lee, and the Board now definitely appointed him to the charge of the school. CROFTON. A letter was read froni the Hon. W. Fox, enclosing the tenders he had received for the erection of a schoolhouse on the land given by him to the Board, and recommending the acceptance of the lowest—that of Mr. Russell—at £l5O. It had been decided to ask Mr. Fox to increase the grant of land from three-quarters of an acre to a full acre ; but as he evidently had not received the letter prior to writing re the tenders, it was resolved to postpone the matter till next meeting. JOHNSONVILLE. A letter was read from Mr. Weston, the schoolmaster at Johnsonville, in reference to charges which had been made against him by the Local Committee. He admitted that the charges were true, and promised amendment for the future, but asked that as he had lost caste and influence with the people of the district, he should be removed to another school. It appeared that many promises of amendment had been made before, and that he had so completely disgraced himself that parents were disinclined to send their children to the school any more. The Board therefore, considering it would be useless to keep him in the district, and being unwilling to trust him with another school, decided to give him the usual notice of dismissal.

THE REES BEQUEST. Mr. Brandon attended, and gave some information in reference to the Bees bequest. He said he thought all litigation was now at an end ; but in answer to a question by Mr. Gisborne, expressed inability to say what amount the Board would probably receive. Originally the estimated amount had been about £3OOO, but there was interest on the one side and law costs on the other side to affect that amount. AN INTRACTABLE MASTER. The Secretary laid before the Board a letter he had received from Mr. Boss, master of the Taratahi school, containing a great many very impertinent remarks about the management of the Board, and the conduct of individual members. The fact was also put before the meeting that Mr. Corpe, Chairman of the Local Committee, had resigned his position "in consequence of the vile tongue and pen of the master." The Board expressed great regret that the Chairman, an officer elected by the parents, should have been compelled to resign in consequence of the conduct of the master ; and further considered the letter most indecorous. The Secretary said had it been the first letter of the kind he should not have brought it under the notice of the Board, but it was only a fair sample of many. Mr. Toomath said Mr. Boss was an excellent rnaster/TTut his temper was peculiar; and though he' could not defend the letter, he suspected, it was written not to insult the Secretary and the Board, but for the good of his school.. Messrs. Gisborne and Bunny said such a master might be a very able man, but nevertheless if his temper was so bad, his influence upon the children could scarcely be for good. It was mentioned that there had been complaints against him for the language used in the school. After some further discussion, the further consideration of the matter was postponed till a fuller meeting. FOXTON. It was decided to accede to the request of Mr. Liddle, that the Board would consent to his transferring to Mi\ Andrew Whyte his interest in the lease of a reserve at Eoxton. WAITOTARA. A tender for certain fencing at the school was accepted. The amount was £24. FINANCIAL RETURNS. The Secretary read statements prepared in accordance with requests from the Treasury and Justice Departments. These showed the assets and liabilities of the Board, and the revenue and expenditure for the current year to be as follows : ASSETS.

TERRACE SCHOOL. Mr. Gisborne mentioned that he had conferred with the Local Committee, and decided as to certain excavations, which were to be carried out by prison labor. The Board then adjourned.

ASSETS. Arrears of school fees Itents of reserves £143 0 20S 0 0 0 Total LIABILITIES. Overdraft at bank Contracts in progress Total .. Deficiency ESTIMATED REVEN' Twelve months rental reserves .. Arrears School fees (12 months) .. .£300 0 .. £3500 S 7254 l. r > 0 0 0 .. £10,701 3 .. 10,410 9 C7E. £333 S 20S 10 3,000 0 142 3 0 4 10 7 0 1 .. £3,0S4 2 (J

EXPENDITURE. Overdraft at bank Contracts in progress New buildings (schools and residences) Teachers' salaries Departmental expenses Sundry and incidental Estimated revenue £3,506 8 7,254 15 10,000 0 17,000 0 1,500 0 1,000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .£■10,261 3 3,684 2 0 6 £30,077 0 6