EDUCATION BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17425, 20 September 1918, Page 2

EDUCATION BOARD

Tho monthly meeting: of the Ofcago Education Board was continued yesterday. Mr J. Wallaco (chairman) presided. ACCOUNTS. Accounts amountuijr t Q £18,671 5s 4d were passed lor payment. iUr Wilkinson pointed out what he considered a i-u.tner serious .matter. Tiio amount voted by.-' tlie department for tho maintenance of schools was now, owiii" to Uio enormous increase in t,h« cost of material, totally inadequate to cover the cost ot satisfactorily maintaining tho buildings. Already, lor eight months of this year, tius x", u,, hild , Bouo beliind to the extent of iiltitl, and it was evident that, at the samo rate, thcro would be a deficit of £5000 at tho end of the year. In tho interests of tlie board it was desirable tliat the department s attention should bo drawn to this. Air Wilkinson quoted examples of tho riso in price of materiiils. Rooting iron, for instance, had risen from £18 10s per ton in pre-war. da>* to £95 at present; nails, £15 10s (basis) to £60; copper boilers, Is per lb to 4s 6d per lb; general hardware, 100 to 200 per cent, increase; painters' material, 100 to 200 per cent.; timber, fully 50 per cent. In .addition to this, an increase in wages and the granting of a war bonus meant that the cost of labour had increased to the extent of something liko 15 to 20 per cent He moved—" That the department be informed that the present grant for maintenance is totally inadequate to meet the present cost of material and labour." The Hon. D. T. Fleming seconded tho motion, which was carried.

It Was resolved to forward a copy of tho resolution to all Education Boards in tho dominion.

The secretary (Mr Park) pointed out that since the alteration in the Act separate grants were made for maintenance and rebuilding, and tho latter could not now bo used to make up any deficiency in the former.

Mr Brugh expressed the opinion that the department's method of continuing to allot money to the various centres that could not be used for any other purpose but rebuilding schools was wrong at present. The department should retain that money and use it for rebuilding when necessary.

RESIGNATIONS AND APPOINTMENTS. The following resignations were accepted: —Alice Read, soie teacner, Hoiiipapa; George Swan, sole teacner, Utokou; jYiargaxeo H. Ouicler, sole teacher, iablo Jtiiii; ■tiliz. H. Firtir, sole teacher, 'iaieri Beacn; Margaret K. C. Morrisou, first assistant, JNorcn-Jiast Harbour; Rachel S. iViilier, second assistant, neon; Amy 1. Bottin"' sixth assistant, i*.. ° Appointments were made as follow: — Jessie Gordon, sole teacner, Glenore, vice Airs M. Williamson (resigned);' Margaret ?r Morrison, sole teacher, Kokonga, vice Mrs Thomas (promoted); Rachel Milier, sole teacher, Otanomomo, vice Annie York (transferred); Eliz. E. H. Firth, sole teacher, \Y aianakarua, vice Annie R. Cameron (resigned); Alice Read,'sole teacher, Waronui, vice Doris ix. Muir (transferred); Grace K.' Marshall, sole teacher, Wharetoa, vice Olive Appleby (resigned); Margaret H. Calder, mistress,. Dunback, vice Nellie M'Kenzic (resigned); Margaret G-. Peddie, mistress, liatiimii, vice Flora M'Donald (promoted); Cecil R. Bell, fourth assistant, Kaikorai, vice Harold C. Hall (killed in action); Amy I. Bottmg, fourth assistant, Kensington, vice Irene Barth (promoted); Annie F. Smith, fifth assistant, Green Island, vice Christina Kirk (promoted); Grace H. Botting, fifth, assistant, Kaitangata, vice F. Ivernohan (resided).

TEACHEBS ON ACTIVE SERVICE. The Secretary of tho OUigo Educational Institute wrote Asking tlie board to receive a deputation to discuss tho question of the board s principle of action in connection With teachers at the front, and teachers who arc returning or have returned. It was decided to receive tho deputation, Sr™ c £ nsisted Messrs W. F. Abel and U-. W. C. Macdonald.

said that a resolution had been passed by the board which teachers who had returned from the front regarded as a reflection on them. They were of opinion that they had done their duty in going back to their work as quickly as they could. In one school, two men were doing work and attending hospital out of school hours. Therefore some of them had taken a little umbrage at the resolution the board had passed in reference to soldiers not going back readily to work. Talking tho matter over among themselves, the men thought there was only one case to which the board might take exception. That was the case of an uncertificated teacher, who had been teaching in Central Otago, and who had expressed some resentment at going back to his old appointment. The other matter was in reference to sateguardmg the promotion of men who had gone to the war. There was one man who had been away for four yeajs. When he left, he was a junior assistant in a town school. Since his absence, second assistantships in town had been filled two or three times, and his comrades considered that if. ho had been here he would have boon'equally entitled to one of those positions as the men who were put into them. Tho institute suggested that consideration be given to the men who were away. The board mifrht possibly take the course of appointing absent men to positions which it thought them competent to fill, and hold those positions for them against their return, when they could be given the opportunity of taking them. This course was being' followed in at least two other places in New Zealand— Hawke's Bay and Southland.

Mr Macdonald asked, might they not apply the military rule to teachers who were away ? If a teacher did two years' actual service at the front it ought to count as double servioe for his grading list. If he had risked his life and had served four years, the time would count as eight years. The double time would count off his superannuation, because be was not so fit to stand the strain on his return. The speaker also referred to the case of a lady teacher who went from New Zealand to Samoa to teach at the girls' school at Apia, and broke down in health. She had been lying in a hospital in Dunedin for months. She had done equal service to the men who went on service, and yet she was petting nothing—he thought she had to even pay for hospital attention. The institute had appointed a committee to -watch the case on belialf of the lady, and it was intended to wait on Colonel Logan when he visited Dunedin.

In a discussion, it was stated that the lady had resigned from the service of the board, and the suggestion was made that sho was in the employ of tho Somoan authorities rather than that of the board. The Chairman, referring to tho resolution passed by the board, said that all it asked -was that when a returned teacher was fit for work he should either resume work or resign his position. The resolution applied to two cases only, and in both the men had acted in terms of the motion. With regard to Mr Macdonald's suggestion, it seemed to him that, so far as superannuation was concerned, no injustice would be done to anyone; but as to grading, the teacher who went away would receive promotion on the list, -whereas the teacher who was not physically fit would not receive promotion, though he had been quite as willing to go as the other man. He assured the deputation that the matters brought forward would be taken into serious consideration, and on every occasion tho board would do its best for the returned men. Further consideration of the matters was held over until next meeting. In the case of the lady teacher, tho chairman was authorised to act, if necessary, before- next meeting. ORGANISING TEACIIEB. It was resolved: " That, failing legislation next session of Parliament, the board take stops to appoint, at the beginning of 1919, a male organising teacher to work mainly in the sole-teacher schools of this district. Tho salary to be the same as that of head teacher ol Grade V (£320-£360), with house allowance and actual travelling expenses." GKXEHAL. The Truant Officer reported that six convictions had been obtained during tne month. lie had visited a number of tho city and suburban schools, an<l there was a decided improvement in the attendance. However, there was a good deal of illness still prevailing. The Mornington Council asked for assistance in darkening the gymnasium windows to enable a lantern to be used for instruction of pupils, and for a grant for a cupboard for housing the' lantern. The architect reported, that the cost would be £10.— It was decided to allow half cost. The architect's recommendation to repair shelter-sheds at Pa-lmcrston, at a cost of £10, was adopted. The Pounawea Committeo asked that additional provision for seating of scholars bo made. —The Architect reported that the school would not hold any more desks and forms, and suggested that the sending of pupils above the Third Standard to tho Uwuku school should he considered.—The suggestion was made that the children might be driven to Owaka. It was also suggested that a room should be added to the Pounawea School. —It was decided to communicate with the Pounawea and Owaka Committees, to obtain a report on tho position from tho chief inspector, and to ask the architect to report on the cost of providing further accoinmffertkiß at Pounawea.

It was decided to carry out a number of small works at Lowburn, at a cost of £39 10s, and to authorise draining work at !'■■■> Hut ha. at a cost of £5 ss.

The Architect submitted plans of a new residence at Clytie.—lt was docidcd to apply to the department for a grant for tho building.

Tho application of tho Stirling Committee for new furniture, eta, at a cost of £14, was granted.

With reference to tho motion passed on the previous day regarding tho influence of had weathor on the attendance and on tho stuffs of schools, it was decided to recommend tho department not to reducc stall's in oases where the decrease in attendance occurred during the September quarter.

Mr A. R. Richardson (teacher at Galloway) notified that ho had been passed fit and had to proceed to camp on January 7. He applied for the use of tho residence for his wifo and family during his absence. — Granted.

It was decided to ask the (lepartment to provide house allowance for the teacher at Kaihiku.