OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21986, 22 June 1933, Page 13

OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING # The monthly meeting of the Otago Education Board was commenced yesterday, and was attended by the chairman (Mr J. Wallace), and Messrs J. Sheppard, W. M. Mathewson, D. T. Fleming, W. R. Brugh, G. Livingstone, R. H. Todd, D. C. Cameron, W. M. Cooper and P. M'Kinlay. SUBSIDIES.

The Anderson’s Bay Committee’s application for half cost of material for top-dressing asphalt was granted. The Forbury Committee applied for (a) renovation of the janitor’s residence; (b) installation of stoves in three rooms of the school; (c) repairs to asphalt; and (d) various small repairs. The architect estimated the cost of (a) £7 10s; (b) three stoves, £25 10s; (c) material for asphalt, £5; the committee to find half the cost. —The applications were granted subject to the usual conditions. The Maori Hill Committee’s application 'for renovation of the teachers’ room was granted. The Oamaru South Committee wrote asking for a contribution of £3O towards the cost of terracing the western portion of the school grounds. —It was decided to ask the architect to report. The Miller’s Flat Committee, desirous of providing one of the rooms with tables and chairs, wrote asking what portion of the cost would be required locally.—lt was decided to advise that half the cost would be required. The Green Island Committee wrote offering to find half the amount required to install gas in the headmaster’s residence, the total cost being £2 10s.—The offer was accepted. The headmaster, Wakari, applied for some renovations at the residence, the painting and papering to cost £B, and repairs to the asphalt path £3. —The application was granted. The Kensington Committee’s application for renovation of the kitchen in the caretaker’s residence was granted, the architect’s estimate of the cost being £3. The Kensington Committee’s application for a shelter porch at the north side entrance was also granted. The architect stated that a porch in brick would cost £2B, but a more effective proposition would be the erection of a partition across the corridor with a door the estimated cost being £l2. —The latter recommendation was approved. ARCHITECT’S RECOMMENDATIONS.

With regard to the Tuapeka_ Mouth Committee’s application for addition to coal shed and various repairs, the architect estimated the cost of the addition at £B. The other work would be attended to in the ordinary course of maintenance and painting.—The application was granted. With regard to the Kuri Bush Committee’s application for interior renovation of the school, the architect reported that the interior was in a particularly bad condition, and the unemployed could not do the work unless they were tradesmen. . The estimated cost with the board’s own staff would be £2O. —The architect’s recommendation was agreed to. The headmaster, Brighton, applied to have a washhouse erected at his residence. The architect reported that a lean-to room served as combined washhouse, bathroom aud scullery. The request was a reasonable one. The work could be carried out under the No. 5 scheme and the cost to the board for material and additional allowance to carpenter would be about £25. —It was decided that the work should be carried out in accordance with the architect’s report. The headmaster, Brighton, also applied for the installation of a hot-water system. The architect estimated the cost of a chip heater at £7 10s, or a high pressure system £27. It was possible that half the additional cost of the latter might be found locally.—lt was agreed to find half the cost for a high pressure system. The Brighton Committee intimated that it proposed to build a shelter shed, as the utilisation of the school hall did not satisfactorily answer the purpose. As the committee could obtain the labour under the No. 5 scheme, it would be satisfied with a subsidy of about £5 towards the cost of the material.—The subsidy was granted. The committee aud teachefs of Brighton School applied for some means of overcoming the draught which blew through the corridor during certain winds. Architect reported that the only solution he could recommend was the erection of a porch and the forming of another entrance at the other end of the corridor. The work could be done by labour under the No. 5 scheme, and the cost to the board for material -would be about £l6 It was decided to have the work carried out.

The board’s sub-committee and the architect reported having visited the Kyeburu Diggings School. The only feasible proposal was to demolish 10 feet of the building and use the material thus obtained to make good the balance of the room and erect outhouses. The estimated cost of all necessary material, including stove, was £22 ss.—Prices for labour were to be submitted for the board's consideration. —It was decided to accept a tender of £l6 for labour and to supply the necessary material. CONVEYANCE OF PUPILS. The Education Department wrote asking for further information regarding'the conveyance of children to Hinahiua and Owaka Schools, and desired to. know the effect’of the prevailing conditions on the averages of these two schools, and how many children would be eligible for conveyance. The department also asked for a sketch map of the district—The secretary reported that he had supplied the necessary information.—The chairman said that it was four months since this question had first been brought before the department, and he thought the board should protest against the delay. The local board knew more of the existing conditions than any clerk sitting in an office in Wellington.—lt was decided to forward a protest as suggested by the chairman. EDUCATIONAL BROADCASTS. The Headmasters’ Association, in reply to an inquiry from the board, wrote stating that it did not consider the time was yet opportune to do anything in the matter of educational broadcasts. —The chairman said that an inquiry made by the board last year showed that there were in the Otago district two schools using their own or borrowed wireless sets; seven in which the pupils could hear the lessons in the teachers’ residences; and two in which the pupils could hear lessons in a residence in the vicinity of the school. The matter was held over, the senior inspector (Mr W. A. Service) in the meantime to make inquiries into the system adopted in Canterbury. GENERAL. The Oamarii North Committee renewed its application for an alteration to Ihe door at the south entrance, and asked whether it would be possible to have all doors in schoolrooms hinged to open into corridors. —It was decided that the board’s original offer of £S towards the cost of the work should stand. The Miller’s Flat Committee wrote stating that it was necessary to install a copper for the purpose of providing hot water for cocoa for the children, the estimated cost being £7 10s. The board was asked whether it would find pan of the cost. —The secretary reported that a copper had .been forwarded as requested, and it was decided to inform the committee that it was not the board’s practice to bear any portion of the cost in such cases. The Department of Education wrote advising that it had noted that the

amount of the tenders, together with fencing and other work, in connection with the Albany Street Intermediate School exceeded the grant by £l9l 10s, and intimated that no additional funds could be made available. The director would discuss with the board the matter of the fitting up of the laboratory when he visited Dunedin. With regard to an application made to the department for assistance in furnishing the school with tables and chairs for the pupils, the department replied that it was not its policy to provide furniture for schools erected to replace accommodation elsewhere.—Noted.