EDUCATION BOARD.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIV, Issue 14038, 22 April 1920, Page 6

EDUCATION BOARD.

W the meeting of the Education Board vesterday the following matteis of interest to this district; were dealt " 'The Ranfurlv School Committee wrote protesting against the action of the Health "Department in closnv schools during the time of the influenza enidemio in Duneuin. Mr Horn said that some of the Ota< T o Central schools were closed when there was not one case of influenza in the particular localities. I hee schools were thus handicapped as in the winter months the schools had sometimes of necessity to be closed. The school year had been unnecessarilv restricted by the action of the Health Department. . Mr Livingstone said the same state of affairs had pertained m the outlying districts about Oamaru. The Secretary said it had to ie proved whether an outbreak would not have occurred in these particulai districts if the schools had not been Cl 'it o was decided to recommend to the Health Department that Education Boards should be more fully consulted before schools were closed in future, and that they should he" given discretionary powers in future. .-,1 • , Members said that schools 111 Uiristchurch and Otago were again being closed in consequence of a recurrence of the outbreak. A report by the architect that it was impossible to construct a concrete tank at the Airedale School at present was adopted. The Board adopted the architect s recommendation that the Island CI 1 11 Committee plant a hedge instead of building a paling fence on the southwest side of the playground. . An application from the Jvafcanui Committee for the cost of painting work, etc.. was declined. It was decided to instruct the architect to draw up plans for a new residence at the Pukeuri School, and that the Department be asked for a grant and that £7 0s Gd be granted the school for certain repair work. The following • resolutions were rer c-eived from the Technical Sclnjol Teachers' Association, Invercargill, for the approval of the board:—(a) That education boards and managers of technical and secondary schools be empowered to prohibit certain children ■ from employment out of school hours, and that 110 child should be employed for more than eight hours per day inclusive of school hours; (b) that all State-controlled schools"~aiid colleges in each district be under one controlling authority; (c) that the correlation and systematisation of the_ teaching of agriculture throughout New Zealand and the holding of a conference of representatives to this end be proceeded with.

The board decided to approve of the three resolutions, provided that in clanse'"l)" the word "colleges" be deleted, and the words "primary, secondary, and technical schools, excluding the University" Tie inserted. Mr Brugh * said he was a nominal member of the Dunedin Technical College, and also a member of the High Schools' Board of Governors, and he had considered for a long time past that the Education Board, the High Schools'-. Board, and. the Dunedin Technical School should all come under the one control.