OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21828, 15 December 1932, Page 17

OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING j The monthly meeting of the Otago Education Board was held yesterday, Mr James Wallace occupying the chair. There were also present Messrs J. Smith, D. T. Fleming, W. M. Cooper, S. M‘Kinlay, D. C. Cameron, and R. H. Todd. SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS. The architect reported that to top-dress the asphalt at the Papakaio School would cost about £5, including local labour. The work should be done if the committee would find half the cost.—Approved. The Cambrian Committee’s application for a subsidy towards the cost of putting down a concrete drill square, estimated to cost £3O, was left in the hands of the chairman and architect with power to act. j The architect estimated the cost of drainage work, etc., at Owaka at £5, and asphalting at £42, but for material plus foreman’s wages only, a total of £34 10s. The committee favoured the latter method, as unemployed men were available. —The sum of £23 10s was granted. The Otekura Committee applied for asphalting work. If the board provided the material the committee would do the work. The material was estimated at £l2 10s.—Approved. The St. Leonards Committee applied for a subsidy for half the cost of material for asphalting. The total cost of material was about £lo.—Approved. The Hampden Committee applied for renovations of the lawn tennis court, which was used for school purposes only. —The architect reported that- it was so badly perished and broken that the expense would be considerable. Material, cartage, and railage only would come to £3O 14s 6d. The committee might be able to obtain labour under the No. 5 scheme. —The sum of £lO was granted. The architect recommended that interior painting at Walton School, at an estimated cost of £3O, should be done. —The matter was left in the hands of the chairman and the architect. The architect’s recommendation that three rooms at the Anderson’s Bay School should be renovated at a cost of £7 10s was approved. The Oamaru North School Committee applied for remodelling of the infant room to form an open-air class room; a porch at the south-east entrance to the infant room; top-dressing of the asphalt, and alterations to the door of the main entrance. —It was decided to ask the committee what it would pay towards the cost of remodelling the infant room; to offer £6 15s towards alterations to the entrance to the infant room; to pay half the cost of top-dressing the asphalt; and to offer £8 towards the work of altering the main entrance to the school.

The Oamaru South School Committee intimated that it had £25 available to assist in improvements, and suggest either the erection of a 105-foot concrete retaining wall along Greta street and the removal of the macrocarpa hedge; or the remodelling of the classroom at the south-west corner of the main school.— The architect considered the latter proposition more necessary, and he believed it was regarded more favourably by the committee. The total cost would be £B3, less the committee’s , contribution, £25, leaving £SB for the board.—Approved. The Papakaio Committee applied for improvements at the boys’ outhouse. The architect recommended necessary improvements, including laying of a nev drain and digging a sump at a cost of £9 10s.—Approved. The Shag Point Committee’s application for material for painting the interior of the junior class room and levelling of the floor was received. —Architect estimated the cost at £8 10s, and reported that the committee had made a very good job of the other room. —Approved. The Balclutha Committee applied for an estimate for linking up the boys’ lavatory with the septic tank system. The architect estimated the cost at £93 2s Cd. —It was decided to ask the committee to find one-third of the cost.

The Tarara Committee made application for a new school.—The architect reported having visited the school with board members. He considered that the buildings were in a fair state of preservation, and good for many years yet. Some general repairs were necessary at an estimated cost of £24.—The architect's recommendation was adopted. The Owaka Valley Committee asked the hoard to grant the whole cost of interior painting (£ll 10s) as the tender was so much below the board’s original estimate, and the committee bad difficulty in raising money.—The sum of £lO was granted. The Clinton Committee wrote referring to the unsatisfactory nature of the Sunday school building as a classroom, and renewed its application for an additional room. The board might consider calling for tenders and submitting them for the department’s consideration. —lt was decided to call for tenders. PROFICIENCY EXAM [NATIONS.

The acting senior inspector (Air A. Bain) reported that approximately 2500 children in Otago and South Canterbury had been examined for proficiency and 73.5 per cent, had passed. This represented an advance of 6 per cent, on last year’s passes. The whole of the examination work had been put through in a fortnight.—The chairman expressed appreciation of the increased efficiency and progress shown. Several head masters to whom he had spoken had expressed themselves as delighted with the results obtained.