ARTHUR STREET SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12607, 10 March 1903, Page 3

ARTHUR STREET SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

' PEESU^I'S,TO v ASE. The monthly meeting of the, Arthur Street School Committee, held last evening, was attended by Messrs W. Scott (chairman), J. Mollison, A. Sligo,'E. Cameron, Hi Forsyth, and A. Struthers. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs Braithwaite, Edgar, and Burt. MARKING SCHOOL ISOI.LS. The following letter was received froni the Secretary of the Department of Education, Wellington, dated Febraary 27: —" In reply to your letter of the 17th inst., I am directed to inform you that the Minister does not feel called upon to give rulings upon questions of such general nature as are submitted in your letter. If you will be good enough to state definite cases they will be fully considered." '■ After discussion, the following.res6)htion was passed, to be forwarded jo, the department:— " That as the committee.'desire to know what, under tho regulations,'is the proper method o! marking school rolls under certain clearly specified conditions—namely (1) is it lawful (a) to consider a school as opened for two and a-half days if such a school opens at 9 or 9.30 a.m., continues work till 1 p.m., and then closes for the day; (b) to dismiss the lower classes of a school after a similar period of work, and count the children of such classes as present in the afternoon, provided the work of the upper classes goes on as. usual'; (c) to close the school rolls—i.e., to cease marking the attendance of the pupils—one, two, or more days previous to tho actual closing of the school for the Christmas vacation? (2) For tho quarterly attehdinco' return should the school rolls be closed on the >last school, day ot March, June, September, and December, respectively, or on the 'last Friday of each of the said months? It is, in tho opinion of the committee, undesirable that they should be requited to give any 'definite case 3,' as such would lead to tho : creation of an undesirable and unpleasant position. It is, however', well known that different methods are.adopted in marking rolls, and tho school that adopts the more stringent course is at a disadvantage. The committee therefore consider" that the department may surely be respectfully requested to define its own regulations by answoring tho specific.questions, submitted by this committee."

ROUTINE BUSINESS. ' The Head Master reported that the attendance for the last four weeks averaged 273 boys or.d'22f girls,—total 497. The numbers on the roll were 306 boys, 278 girls,-total 584.-Leave of absence was granted the janitor (Mr Jones) for two or three weeks owing to ill-health,—Ac counts amounting to 19s were passed for payment.—Tho Head Master reported that Mr E. Lomas had finished his apprenticeship, and Miss Janet Campbell "Wilson had entered on her duties as pupil teachcr,—The opinion was expressed that thiß meant that the school staffing was now composed of nine female and four male teachers, and that it was evidont that an excessivo amount of school work outside mero teaching must, fall 011 the comparatively limited number of malo teachers; Certain nccessary repairs were reported as having been effected to the sohool buildings, and the tender of £510s for the re-erection of the giants' stride swing was accepted.