EDUCATION BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22964, 20 August 1936, Page 6

EDUCATION BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the Education Board was commenced yesterday, and was attended by Messrs James Wallace (chairman), D. T. Fleming, U. M. Cooper, N. Colquhoun, D. C. Cameron, E. Morgan. W. R. Brugh, D. Marshall, W. D. Sutherland, and C. E. Richards. MR WALLACE RE-ELECTED CHAIR- • • MAN Mr Fleming moved the re-election of Mr Wallace as chairman for the ensuing term. He said that Mr Wallace had occupied the position for 18 years, and that he had always presided over their deliberations with the utmost impartiality and with a very great amount of ability. He had shown a great knowledge of all phases of education in Otago, and he had discharged his duties not only to the satisfaction of the board but also to school committees and the public generally. Mr Wallace had had a very strenuous time in recent years, especially in connection with Training College matters, and it was largely due to his energy and the support of the board that the college had been reopened in Dunedin. The chairman, with the sympathetic support of the board, had overcome many difficulties. Mr W. R. Brugh seconded the nomination, and said that he could not imagine the board without Mr Wallace as chairman. He endorsed Mr Fleming's remarks. Messrs Camei'on. Colquhoun. and Morgan also eulogised the very fine work Mr Wallace had done as chairman of the board and for education generally, and Mr Wallace was then unanimously re-elected chairman. Mr Wallace, in returning thanks for his re-election, and for the sentiments expressed by the speakers, said that he had only tried to do his duty, and that he could not have carried out the work had he not had the wholehearted support of members. APPLICATIONS AND GRANTS

The Waihola Committee intimated that it could not find half the cost of repairing and top-dressing the asphalt; total cost estimated at £lB. The architect stated that if half the work were done there would be sufficient asphalt, and that this would reduce the committee's contribution to £4 10s. —lt was decided to inform the committee regarding their revised contribution.

The Stirling Committee intimated that it was not prepared to contribute £3 towards the installation of a Broadway stove. (The board's offer was to provide an Eclipse stove without cost, or a local contribution of £3 if the more expensive type of stove were required.)—lt was left to the members for the district to interview the committee and make the best arrangement they could. The Macandrew Road Committee applied for blinds for darkening a room to make it suitable for a projector machine the school had acquired for filming geography and history lessons. The estimated cost of the blinds is £ll. —lt was decided that if no move was made for a new school at Macandrew road before the end of the year the work would be done.

The Sutton Committee applied for assistance in topping the trees round the school. The estimate was not yet to hand. —Held over; assistance to be granted under the usual conditions when the estimates come to hand.

The St, Clair Committee applied for half cost of filling for the grounds at the main entrance. Mr Green, agricultural tutor, approved of the scheme. The estimated total cost was £3O The application was granted. An application was received from the Waipori Falls Committee for general grounds improvements about the school. The architect estimated the cost at about £29 7s.—lt was decided to grant £lO. It was decided to ask the Mosgiel School Committee if it were prepared to contribute towards the cost of repairing and top-dressing the asphalt at the grounds. The architect estimated the cost at £4O.

The Kelso Committee applied for improved drinking facilities for the children, as the present pump was too difficult for the younger pupils to operate. The architect reported that a 200-gallon tank would probably be sufficient for the infants, and the senior pupils could use the pump. A 200gallon tank, with tap and stand, would cost £5 10s, or a 400-gallon tank, £8 15s. —It was decided to approve of the purchase of a 400-gallon tank. The head teacher of the Brighton School applied for the renovation of bathroom, kitchen, and two bedrooms at the residence. The architect reported that with the exception of one bedroom, all the rooms had been renovated in 1932. He recommended that the kitchen and the bedroom referred to be painted and papered at a cost of £8 10s. The other work asked for by the teacher would cost £l2 10s. — It was decided to approve of the expenditure of £8 10s. The architect reported that the residence at Broad Bay which had been let to a tenant for a considerable time required renovating throughout. This, with sundry repairs, would cost £39. —Authority to be asked to sell the property. , _, , The head teacher of the Clyde School applied for interior renovations at his residence. The architect reported that, with the exception of the kitchen, scullery, and bathroom, no interior work had been done since 1920. The renovations were no doubt necessary, and would cost about £3o. Work to be carried out. The head teacher of the Ettnck School applied for the renovation of the kitchen and for repairs to the chimney. The architect recommended at a cost of £6.—Granted. It was decided to carry out renovations at the Green Island School at a cost of £9. ~ . The Kensington Committee applied for the renovation of the infant room and Standard I room. The architect reported that these rooms were renovated in 1926. Standard I room was in very fair order, but the walls ot the infant room had been disfigured where posters had been gummed. To paint the infant room would cost £l7. To fit a door across a corridor next the headmaster's office, architect estimated cost at £2 ss. ■ Asphalt for approach to the school: The architect recommended that a yard of asphalt be supplied.—Work to be carried out as funds are available. The Kensington Committee applied for estimates for central heating systems and for terms for the payment of their share. The architect estimated hot-water at £450. hot-air at £250, and mechanical stoker £IOO in each case.— Held over; the department to be asked if it is true that it is giving the whole cost of such installations. It was decided to carry out improvements to the female teachers' lavatory at the Mornington School at a cost of £2, and to ask the department for a grant of £lO5, estimated cost of an office for the infant mistress and of three wash hand basins for the infants.

Tt was decided that the town members of the board should inspect the Mornington School grounds, and ascertain the position in regard to asphalting and other improvements asked for. The architect estimated that the cost of asphalting would be £123. or in concrete £195. It was decided to expend £4.> on renovations of the interior of the NorthEast Valley wooden school. Ft was decided to apply lo the department for a grant for improvements to the hot-air heating in the infant room of the Oamaru South School (estimated cost £65), and to hold over consideration of an application for hotwater heating in the main school (estimated cost £375, plus £IOO for mechanical stoker) till such time as funds are available. It was decided to grant £l2 towards the cost of a partition and door across the corridor and to provide shelving for a bench in Standard V room. If the committee desired cupboards, how much were they prepared to pay? The architect reported that on an open and exposed site such as Pine Hill, it was practically impossible to place the shelter shed in such a position that it would be protected from all weathers. Any alteration now would entail considerable expense and would expose the front of the sheds to the northerly weather. A tempor-

ary scrub breakwind and a live hedge would improve the position at no great expense. He recommended that application be made for a grant for a tool shed which had been cut out of the original plans submitted to the department.—Recommendation approved. It was decided to grant £l2 towards the cost of renovations at the headmaster's residence at Stirling. The architect reported that it would cost £BO to £BS to remove the Tahakopa cottage to Tawanui.—Department to be asked for a grant. It was decided to construct a new outhouse at Waitahuna at a cost of £3O. The architect was instructed to submit a report on the complaint by the Alexandra School Committee that the infant classroom was not large enough. It was decided to make a grant of £lO towards the cost of interior renovations at the teacher's residence at East Taieri. „ TT . . It was decided to grant the High Street School's application for wash hand basins for pupils. MAINTENANCE GRANT The Minister, in reply to a letter from the chairman stating that unless the grant for maintenance was increased the board would require to reduce its staff of workmen, stated that consideration was being given to the question of increasing the annual grant, and that he hoped to be able to advise boards early that additional funds were available. The reply was noted. LEVELLING FLOORS The department intimated that it would give further consideration to this request after the allocation of the year's grant for the maintenance of school buildings. SEPTIC TANKS The department intimated that a grant of half the total cost of converting the present out-offices at the Cromwell School and installing a septic tank system of drainage had been approved. It had been pointed out to the department that the full cost of conversions was granted where this was rendered necessary in connection with an improved borough or city drainage scheme. City and town schools coming within this category were, therefore, placed in a better position than country schools. It was.suggested that the department should pay the full cost of the conversion in all cases and half the cost of the septic tank and drainage. This would leave the board and the school committee to find equally the remaining half.—The reply was noted. ■. RADIO INSTALLATION IN SCHOOLS The department notified a grant of up to £3 per school towards the cost of installing radio sets, and that a similar amount would be available towards the cost of the necessary batteries for the operation of sets in schools where electricity was not available. It was to be understood that no part of the grant was to be devoted towards the cost of the instrument. Committees are to be notified of the offer. MANUAL TRAINING CENTRES The department intimated that the Minister had approved of the establishment of new manual training centres at Kurow and at Oamaru, which included a grant for alterations, furniture and equipment at the old Oamaru Middle School and a grant for a similar purpose for the utilisation of the old Kurow School. The appointment of two additional instructors, _ one woodwork and one domestic science, had also been approved. Arrangements would be made to convey country pupils to th- centres, subject to the department's approval of cost, etc. The department to be thanked. HEALTH CAMP ORGANISATIONS The Director-general of Health forwarded copies of report and conclusions of the recent conference. Four central councils are to be set up and included in the foundation constitution there is to be a representative of Education Boards.. He asked to be advised of the name of the board's nominee. Mr Brugh was nominated. NEW INFANT BUILDINGS The chairman reported that, as the lowest tender for the new infant buildings at the Caversham School had exceeded the amount of the Government grant, application had been made to the department for an increase. HONOURABLE SERVICE The Minister, -in acknowledging intimation of the appointment of Dr R. Gardner through the resignation of Mr T. Scott to the Board of Managers of the Dunedin Technical College, asked the board to convey to M: Scott his personal congratulations on his long and honourable service to the cause of technical education. The chairman said that the board was the controlling authority, and that the Minister's thanks wquld be forwarded to Mr Scott. BOARD'S REPRESENTATIVES Mr L. Sanderson was reappointed the board's representative on the Dunedin Technical School Board. =. Mr J. L. Gormack was appointed the board's representative on the South Otago High School Board (in place of Mr P. M'Kinlay. resigned). RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION The clerk of the Oamaru Presbytery wrote expressing the presbytery's appreciation of the opportunity offered under the new regulations, and intimating that all the ministers would heartily co-operate with teachers who voluntarily offered their services in conducting opening devotional exerThe honorary organiser for Otago of the Bible-in-schools League intimated that 15 schools were known to be undertaking the five minutes' opening devotional exercises daily and that others were preparing to undertake them. The schools using the exercises were Mosgiel, Concord, Wakari, Arthur Street, Musselburgh, North-East Harbour, Tomahawk, Highcliff, Lower Harbour, Palmerston and five others in the Oamaru district. . The chairman said he desired to make it perfectly clear that the teachers were not required to take any active part in the movement, it they did not wish to do so. The services of those who did take part were voluntary. The services lasted about five minutes and a-half, according to the information given him. Mr Cameron said he thought it could be claimed that the movement was going to work very well. SCHOOL ANNIVERSARIES

The chairman and Mr Richards were appointed to represent the board at the Miller's Flat School jubilee, and the chairman and members of the southern district to attend the sixtyfifth anniversary celebrations of the Southbridge School.