EDUCATION BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8861, 19 July 1890, Page 5 (Supplement)

EDUCATION BOARD.

Tho monthly meeting of the Education Board was held on Thursday and attended by Messrs J. Macgregor (chairman), M. Fraer, J. Green, H. Clark, J. W. Jago, Dr Eislop, Dr Stenhouae, and the Hon. T. Dick. BESIGNATIONS. Tho following resignations were accepted ;— TV. E. Bastings, third assistant, Caversham; Jane Campbell, fifth assistant, George street; Mary J. Frascr, head teacher, Luggate; Charles H. Graham, head teacher, Heriot. APPOINTMENTS. The following appointments were confirmed: — W. B. Bastings, head teacher, Coal Creek (vico Hilgendorf, transferred); Henry J. Reakes, head teacher, Ida Valley (vico Poison, promoted); Margaret Trotter, head teacher, Wangaloa (vice Thomson, left the service); Elizabeth Gellatly, head teacher, Maruimato (vice Cromb, left the service). Urf.IFOnMITT OF SCHOOL BOOKS. The following circular letter, signed by the Rev. W. J. Habens, undersecretary of the Education department, was read: — I have the honour, by direction of the Minlatar of Education, to inform you that It has been represented to him that the parentß of the children that attend the public schools are commonly required to purchase a large number of school booto, and that the payment tbuß required of them in many oases amount to the equivalent of a substantial fee, ao that the promise of free eduoatlon is praot ieally unfulfilled. After making inquiry, the Mtniafier oonsiders that there is ground for the complaint, and he bellows that excessive requirements have ariien, partly from the wide option afforded in the list of books set forth in the regulation made by Order-in-Council, and partly from the frequency of changes made or allowed by the boards with respect to the selecting of books from that list. He is also of opinion that suoh books i»s are required to be used only in class, and need not be takei" home, might reasonably be provided aa part of th-e apparatus of the aobool. Books used In this way -would last for yoars in a school undergooddiscipline. The Minister would be glad to assist in bringing abfrat a Bfatio of things in which a ohild removed from one school to another would not require a new eefc of books, and in which a book after an elder ohild has done with it could be passed on to a younger member of fcho same family, lie therefore has it iv coatempiatioti to propose a revision of the regulation, in order ±bat the number of authorised hooks may ha considerably diminished. But before taking any decisive action in this direction, ho is desirous of ascertaining the views of the 6erveral education boards on the "whole question to which this letter relates. lam therefore to ask you to be so good as to favour Mm aftaome early date with an expression of your opi'Jtion an the subject.

Dr Hislop said that members of the (board would remember tbst in August 1888—nearly two years ago—the board adopted a set of regulations dealing with the very question referred to by the Minister in the circular. The regulalations dealt most thoroughly with the question in the very direction indicated by the circular, and he apprehended that the circular waa a, general one to all boards—not directed specially to their board. He regretted to notice, although these regulations with regard to school books had been adopted by tho board aud .publicly notiSed through tho medium of the newspapers at the time, and si copy seat to every school committee in the education district, that quite recently two school committees, evidently oblivions of the faot that the board had dealt most effective ly with the matter, had resolved to ask the boa! rd to frame regulations limiting the number of books to be used. He ventured to submit the following resolution, which ought to answer tlae circular so far as the board was concerned: —

"The board having considered the Education department's circular letter of Juno 24,180Q, regulating tho school books, resolve as follows: — (1) That the secretary be directed to forward to I the Education department a copy of the boar< i's ! regulations of August 8, 1888, with a view to fihovf the Minister of Education that this boa rd • has dealt very thoroughly witts tho question of school books in tho direction indicated by the circular letter so far as the education district of Otagois concerned; (2) that this board wonM i greatly deprecate any regulation by the Education department which would necessitate the board to bring about any change of tho school books now in use in the schools of the Otago distriot, and would respectfully submit that if similar regulations to those of tho board were made by tho boards of tho several education districts, or by tho boards witkin the same provincial district, the just ground?, of complaint referred to in tho circular letter would be wholly or almost wholly removed, seeingxhat the number of school children removing i'rom one education board district or provincial district to another is very trifling." Tha motion wa3 seconded by Mr Fbabk, and carried. ACCODHTE. Accounts amounting to £5827 Is 8d were passed for payment. taieei PEsnr scHoor,. A deputation, consisting of Messrs Craigie, Mackay, and Connor, members of the Taieri Ferry School Committee, waited on the board; to protest against the resolution to remove the • school from Taieri Ferry to Henley. Mr Craigi3 explained the object of the-depu-tation, and said they really must objeo'j to the removal of tho school from the Taieri ITewy to Henley. They required tho school at Taiori Ferry now as much as they did before, -and ho could not see why they should be deprived of it. The Henley people were simply a fey? people collected by tho Henley Company for the milking of their cows, and were a shit'fciDg people— here to-day and there to-morrow. The people at the Taieri Ferry were a settled popniation, and, that being so, ho did net see why they should be deprived of their school. Dr Stenhouse : Is it not tho case that the population at Taieri Ferry is diminishing ? Mr Craigia said the population wa3 about the same, but the number of children was diminishing. In answer to the chairman, • Mr Craigie said that if tho school were removed tho children at Taieri Ferry would have to walkabout two miles. A considerable portion of tho way was through a wet swamp, and for about six months in the year the roads through the swamp were so wet that children could not go. The Chairman1: Is it not a fact that more1 children hav<s a longer distance to go to Taieri : Ferry than there would be if the school were re--moved from Taieri Ferry to Henley ? Jslr Craigie said he could not Bee that. If the nchool wero shifted to suit tha Henley children, it would not suit the children at present attending the Taieri Ferry School. • Messrß Mock.iy and Connor also addressed the board, the iatfcer stating that he spoko on behalf of 19 Natives and halfeastes who attended tha Taieri Ferry School at ike present time. After the deputation had withdrawn, Mr Feaee said he was inclined to think they should leave tho Taieri Ferry School where it was, and then it would be for the,m to consider the desirability of building a new school at Henley. Ho was satisfied that they would not give general satisfaction if they only had one school for the district. The Chairman : The danger is that a good | school at Henley might draw a large proportion ! of the children from Taieri Ferry. Mr Dick asked whether it would not be possible to p.rest a school on the main road a little neater Taieri Ferry than Henley. The Chairman replied that that would not meet the case. Mr Jago Enid there was one phase of the matter that should not be lost sight of. The removal of the present school would aSecfc permanent settlers, who wero anchored on the ground, whereas tho new school wo uld provide accommodation for the children of t'^o3e who had been represented to them as beijjg tenants afc will, and who were of a class *jhat was not as likely to have young children attending school so much as children of an o'.der growth able to assist'in the work. It waa a question whether tha convenience of what might be called the mere migratory population should be considered at tho expense of settlers of a more permanent character. Ha thought it would be a great hardship indeed if the school were removed. Affcijr some further discussion it was decided that tho Chairman, Messrs Clark, Green, and Jago should visit the district and make full inquiries iuto tha state of affairs.