OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21649, 20 May 1932, Page 2

OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the Otago Education Board, held yesterday, was attended by Messrs J. Wallace (chairman), J. Smith, J. Horn, G. Livingstone, D. T. Fleming, W. M. Cooper, P. M'Kinlay and K. H. Todd. RESIGNATION'S. The following resignations were accepted:—Airs V. B. Morrison, head teacher, Brighton; Nesta Tyndall, head teacher, Broad Bay; Maysie Henderson, sole teacher, Akatorc Coast; Isabel H. Blackwood, sole teacher, Dunrobin; George Macdonald, sole teacher, Five Forks; Marjorie Abel, sole teacher, Island Cliff; Charlotte H. M'Gradie, sole teacher, Kyebnrn Diggings; Ethel Ruston, sole teacher, Otekaikc; Margaret Murphy, sole teacher, Oturehna; Mary A. Long mistress, Green Island; Jane Robertson, mistress, Kaikorai; Ethel E. M'Kinnon, assistant, Albany Street; Agnes M. Cunningham, assistant. Benhar; James Clemens, assistant, Kaitangata; John C. Duthie, assistant, Kaitangata; Lilian C. Green, assistant, Macandrew Road; Florence E. T. M'Crone, assistant, Macandrew Road; Jessie A. Ritchie, assistant, Mornington; Ivy Sybil King, assistant, Onmaru North; Dorothy. G. Lindsay, assistant, Sawyers’ Bay. It was agreed to forward a letter of appreciation to Miss Robertson for good and faithful service to the board over many years. APPOINTMENTS. The following appointments were confirmed; —Robert G. Watson, headmaster, Kaitangata; Aileen O’Donnell, sole teacher, Airedale; Marjorie E. Abel, sole teacher, Gimmerburn; Annie 1. Adams, sole teacher, Maerewhenua; John C. Duthie, sole teacher, Otokia; Isabel H. Blackwood, third assistant, Alexandra D.H.; James Clemens, third assistant. Kensington; James H. Sargison, third assistant, Mosgiel; Mrs V. B. Morrison, fourth assistant, High Street; Dorothy G. Lindsay, fourth assistant, Kensington; Marion W. Swap, fourth assistant, Oamaru North; Lilian C. Green, fourth assistant, Macandrew Road; Florence E. T. M'Crone, sixth assistant, Macandrew Road; Doris C. Eberhardt, eighth assistant, Port Chalmers; Jessie A. Ritchie, eleventh assistant, St. Clair; Agues M. Cunningham, assistant, Ngapara; Mary A. Long, infant mistress, Cavarsham; Sarah Gillespie, infant mistress_ High Street; Nesta Tyndall, infant mistress. Mornington. Transfers. —Ethel I. Fraser, sole teacher, Inch Valley to Southbridge; Marguerite Murphy, sole teacher, Oturohua to Kelso. RAISING SCHOOL AGE. It was decided, pending definite Information from the department, to advise teachers that it would be unwise to admit children under six years of age at the beginning of next term, which begins on Tuesday. WAIPORI.

The department, in acknowledging a statement it bad asked for regarding the shifting of the school, stated that it was satisfied the board had made the best arrangements for aIL parties concerned. The letter.was noted. : ST. CLAIR.

The architect reported that the reading of the water meter disclosed that an unreasonable amount of. water had passed through, and an investigation showed a leak in the piping. It would seem to be necessary to renew a section of the piping, and this would cost £8 or £9. It was resolved to carry out the work. SEACLIFF.

The school committee desired to level the floor of one of the rooms. It would find the labour if the board would find the material. The cost of the material was £6 15s, but the committee might also find one-third of this.

It was agreed to concur in the proposal. LINDIS PASS.

The department intimated that after giving further consideration to the application for the establishment of a household school at Hindis Pass it regretted it could not approve of the proposal, but suggested that parents should be advised to enrol their children in the correspondence school and try this means of education.

The board re-affirmed its opinion that a household school should be established, a copy of the correspondence to be sent to the Minister. / STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS.

In regard to the statement of accounts for the year ended December 31, 1931, the chairman reported that the cost of administration was reduced by £764, or 14 per cent., compared with the previous year. In the architect’s branch the administration costs were lowered by £583, or 35 per cent., and plans had been made for still further economies during the current year. Mr Fleming said the position was very satisfactory. It showed that the board had anticipated the present conditions and met them, even before the department did. \

The chairman said the committees had done well in meeting the board in the matter, and had agreeably accepted the cutting down of allowances they had formerly received.

The accounts were approved, BALANCE SHEET.-

The chairman said the balance sheet for the month showed they had a credit on April 30 of £749. The committees had been exceedingly good; they had faced the situation well, and had not made undue demands on the board. It might be thought by them that the credit balance should be expended, but it was not really cash; it was represented partly by assets. They had to be careful about what they were giving away. Personally, he had set his face against giving anything unless the board backed him up. The committees should be thanked for the way in which they had met the board. There had been a big fall in the number of applications for subsidies since the position had become strained. Perhaps they knew it was useless, or that they were trying to do without. Mr Cooper: T think they are trying to meet the position. The chairman: -Yes, I think so. MAINTENANCE GRANT.

The secretary (Mr G. W. Carrington) read the following letter from the Director of Education (Mr T. B. Strong):— “ I have to inform you that Cabinet has decided to reduce by £20.000 the grant for the. maintenance of primary school buildings over the whole Dominion. The money available will probably be allocated to the various districts on the basis of the estimated requirements. I shall '' o find, therefore, if you will send the department a statement listing the buildings where maintenance work is most urgently required. The approximate cost should be added.”

A reply had been sent, authorised by thp chairman, stating that the department was asking an impossible and a ridiculous thing. All that was necessary was to apportion the reduction among the boards in the same way as was done Inst year when the grant was reduced. Each board would then do the beat it could with the reduced grant.

The chairman said it was ridiculous to ask the board what it was going to do in the way of maintenance. There were many things they were not thinking of to-day that they might decide to do in the future.

Mr Cooper: They arc asking the impossible.

The chairman: They should apportion the amount among the boards. We will do the best we can with the money at our disposal, but we cannot say “We want that much only.” The reply authorised by the chairman was approved. It was decided, after a discussion on the board’s general account, to express appreciation of the work done by the office staff under the conditions existing at the present time. The chairman: 1 see a good deal of the members of the staff; they work harmoniously, and the least we can do is to let them know that we appreciate their efforts. EARTHQUAKE RELIEF.

The New Zealand branch of the British Red Cross Society, in acknowledging the final remittance from the school children in the Otago district (making a total amount of £lls 17s Id), asked the board to convey to the children its warm appreciation of their generous and helpful support. To date the society had disbursed £5325 in meeting the immediate needs of the people, particularly in regard to clothing. medical comforts, etc. The secretary said this was the money raised under the penny-a-week scheme and other schemes, the money being paid over

to the Red Cross Society, which had spent it to good purpose. It was decided to thank the school children for the money they had contributed. SCHOOL BOUNDARIES. It was resolved that the Pukema and Matea School districts be added to Hillend. It was resolved that the Stony Creek district be added to Balclutha. In regard to the boundaries of the Tainui and Anderson’s Bay School districts, a deputation consisting of Messrs Somerville, M'Garrigal (Anderson’s Bay), Currie and M'Gregor (Tainui), waited on Hie board and asked for reconsideration of the question of boundaries. —The two parties, on the advice of the chairman, field a conference in the secretary’s office, and later it was announced that an agreement had been come to by which Tainui will receive a small portion of the Anderson’s Bay district. UNEMPLOYED TEACHERS. At the present time there are 148 unemployed teachers on the board’s books, and all but 10 have received some work during the first term. The saving during the first term through employing relievers at the ration rate of £IOO per annum has resulted in a gross saving of £632. The expenditure on additional assistants was £212, leaving a net saving of £420. Up till the last week of April the board bad 13 additional assistants, when a further six were authorised by the department, making 19 in all. The foregoing figures show an average saving of £2lO per month, which will allow of the employment of 26 additional assistants at £95 per annum. The accumulated saving of £420 to the end of April will employ an additional seven assistants from June l_to the end of the year, so that 33 additional assistants could now be employed monthly instead of 19, subject, of coui'se. to revision at the end of each month. These figures have been placed before the department by the secretary, with the request that early authorisation for employment be given. It was resolved —“ That the board endorses the action of the secretary in writing to the department, and considers that the matter of appointing additional assistants under existing conditions be left in the hands of the board and the senior inspector.” GENERAL. Accounts amounting to £16,907 were passed for payment. The Pukeuri Committee asked that the glebe be planted with trees, the work of planting to be done by unemployed labour. Mr Green estimated the cost of the trees at, say, 35s in the meantime.—Agreed to. It was decided that new elections for school committees be held at Balclutha and Hillend. The election of school committees at Oamaru North and Ravensbourne were upheld.

The department intimated that increments were now to be paid as from February 1. - The tender of William Simpson, of £5 2« 6d per annum for a seven years’ lease of the Palmerston School glebe, was accepted.