BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 317, 26 December 1857, Page 5

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

A Meeting of this Board was held on Wednesday, the 23rd inst. Present — Messrs. M'Glashan, Cutten, Will, Hephurn, Lindsay, Chapman, Reid, M'Diarmid, Tayler, Lewis, Petchell, Doig, and Johnstone. Mr. Cutten in the chair.

Mr. M'Glashan reported that the following persons had been returned as representatives to the Board : — From the East Taieri district, Messrs. Will and Somerville ; Green Island, Messrs. Doig and Johnstone : West Taieri, Messrs. M'Diarmid and Reid ; Clutha, Messrs. Kettle and Petchell ; Poit Chalmers, Messrs. Tayler and Lewis; Halfway Bush, Messrs. Hepburn and Chalmers ; Northeast Valley, Messrs. Lindsay and Chapman.

Messrs. Buchanan and Reid appeared at the Board as representatives of the new school committee in the North-east Valley district, and the question arose, as to whether the members from the old school committee, or those from the new, should be legally considered members of the Board.

His Honor the Superintendent here entered the room, and stated that it >as v not his intention to take'the chair at that _of'&ny other meeting of the Board, until tht Education Ordinance was amended. A ,gewf6rdinance was in preparation/ which tHe Council .might' probably be called together specially to consider j and' he /recommended^ the Boardnot to -enter into; 1 any} 'new "money engage-

ments until the bill was amended. His Honor then I retired."

With reference to the disputed election of the school committee in the North-east Valley, Mr. M'Glashan read the 14th clause of the Ordinance, and explained that the word " annually" must be taken and held to be for 12 months. That was, in his' opinion, the proper construction to put upon the clause. It was quite clear to his mind, and he was borne out by the opinion of the Resident Magistrate, from whom he had just received .a communication, that the original committee should have been allowed to remain in office for the period of one year. The settlers in the Halfway Bush had pursued the proper course in their election of l-a school committee.

Some discussion next arose as to whether the report from the new school committee of the Northeast Valley should be heard at that stage of the proceedings. It was ultimately agreed that the report be read.

Messrs. Chapman and Lindsay said the statements in the report read by Mr. Buchanan were incorrect, and contended that they were the proper members of the Board, and were there on behalf of the committee, whose term of office had not expired ; at least according to their reading of the Ordinance.

The Chairman said they were getting into an endless discussion upon the matter. He read the 14th and 26th clauses of the Ordinance, and stated it as his opinion, that as the law read, the original committee were entitled to hold oifice for the 12 months.

After some further discussion upon this question, it was ultimately resolved and carried, on the motion of Mr. M'Glashan — " That the original school committee having been in office for only six months, a new school committee should not have been elected."

Mr. Chapman, who was elected by the original committee in room of Mr. R. Christie, thereupon took his seat at the Board.

The minutes of previous meeting were read and confirmed.

Mr. M'Glashan read a note from Mrs. Edwards, the female teacher at Port Chalmers, asking an explanation of the words " during the pleasure of the Board," contained in her appointment.

The Chairman said the clause had been put into the minutes in such a way as the Board might have the power to remove the teachers of side schools when fully equipped schools might be required.

Mr. Will thought the placing of side schools upon the same footing as regular schools ought to be guarded against, as it might hereafter involve considerable difficulty.

The Chairman thought that the best and most candid' way w"buld be, to inform Mrs. Edwaids that she could not be appointed on the same terms as the other teachers, they being appointed for life. He moved — " That Mrs. Edwards be informed that the clause in question was placed in the resolution because the other teachers have been appointed for life, which would be inconvenient in her case as the nature of the school may be altered."

Mr. M'Glashan read a communication from his Honor, transmitting resolutions of the Provincial Council relative to the salaries of the teachers, and moved, seconded by Mr. Will, that the Secretary be instructed to return the fees to Messrs. Hislop, Ayson, and Allan,

Mr. Tayler objected to appropriating any part of the fees to the teachers ; he thought such an apportionment of the fees was unfair. For instance in some of the country districts where the scholars were few, the fees would be small ; and in larger districts the fees of course would be greater ; and it might happen that in the former district the teacher might be possessed of greater talent than the one in the latter. As for the port, it was a town, and who could say what the fees would be^in five years hence. If the present salaries of the teachers were not sufficient, let the Government give them more ; but he thought they were very well paid ; they had got a free passage, a house to live in, and £iOO a year; they only worked some 25 hours a week, exclusive of holidays. He moved, as an amendment — " That the fees be not returned."

Mr. Doig wished to know why the Green Island teacher was exempted fiom having the fees returned to him. Why, he asked, should there be any distinction. The settlers at the Green Island had shown every respect and loyalty to the law and the carrying out of the Ordinance, and he thought it was not treating them fair. They had built a school-housß, and subscribed liberally towards education in that district ; their teacher had cost the Government nothing for passage- money or hotel expenses ; and looking at these facts, he hoped the Board would take the matter into consideration, and place the teacher of the Green Island school upon the same footing, with respect to the fees,' as the other teachers.

Mr. Will wished to call the attention of the Board to the fact, that the fees returned to the teachers were only for the past year, <and did not settle the principle for the future.

Mr. Hepburn said the question of fees was settled at last Council; Messts. Hislop, Aysou, and Allan were to have the school fees (not exceeding £50) returned to them.

The Chairman said he disapproved of giving the whole of the fees, and opposed it in Council. Mr. M'Glashan said, that .with respect to giving the fees to the teachers, the Board must keep in view that that was a resolution passed by. the Council. He understood that the sums voted were" to encourage the teachers to a further stimulus, and he thouglitthey were deserving of it. . No one could expect that such good teachers as were here, would have come out without some prospeet}.ofvW-| ceiving an .increase to their- salary -in 'some fshap,e;l Another pbiritftd- consider wwars r the - labour.- >\lf a M

teacher had 100 scholars, of course his labour would be greater, and should be rewarded accordingly ; in fact, he thought there should be 'a sliding amount to the amount of labour.

The Chairman did not see that they had any. power to interfere with the fees ; it was a vote' of the Council, and he was quite willing that at'least a portion of the fees be given to the teachers as a stimulus.

Mr. -Will said it was clear to his mind that the Board had no power to nieddle with the matter, and believed it had,only been sent to the Boardfor its concurrence. The remitting of the school fees was the Council's doing. - - Mr. Tayler said, that having heard Mr. Will's explanation that it was not to settle the principle for the future, he would not press his amendment. Mr. Doig moved— " That the school fees received by Mr, Adam Wright and paid to the Secretary to the Board during the past year, be returned to Mr. Wiight."

Mr. Johnstone seconded the motion, and thought that in justice to Mr. Wright, he ought to have the school fees returned to him, the same as the other teachers.

Mr. Doig read a resolution passed at a recent meeting of the school committee of the Green Island district, approving of Mr. Wright as a teacher. The motion was put and lost.

It was resolved — " That the Secretary be instructed to forward copies of the Superintendent's communication relative to the increase of the teachers' salaries, to the school committees, with a request that they severally take the subject into consideration, and report thereon to the Board, who defer consideration of the subject until next meeting."

A report and minutes of meeting of the Clutha School Committee were read.

Mr. Petchell moved for the following sums, viz., £300 to erect school buildings at Inch Clutha ; and £200 for a like purpose at Warepa.

Mr. Johnstone thought the Warepa school ought to be made a district scliool, instead of a side school.

Mr. Hepburn understood they had good buildings already erected in these districts which were used as churches, and did not see why they could not be used for school purposes during the week, the same as was done in Dunedin.

The granting of the above sums was agreed to,

• Mr. Petchell moved for £200 for the erection of school buildings at South Clutha, the consideration of which was deferred till next meeting of the Board.

Mr. Will moved, and Mr. Petchell seconded —

" That the salary for the teacher at Warepa be paid in equal proportions by the Board and the people themselves, provided the sum required from the Board shall not exceed £50."

" That the teacher at South Clutha be on the same footiug."

It was resolved — " That his Honor the Superintendent be requested to reserve 10 acres of land for a site for school buildings at Inch Clutha, section No. 9, block X."

Mr. M'Glashan read the following communication from his Honor the Superintendent : — - " Bth December 1557. " Dear Sir, — I think nothing could be more illadvised — I may say reckless — than the hasty building of a High School, in the face of a pledged modification by amended Ordinance, of the education scheme, which will certainly embrace a proper constitution for the High School. Overlooking also the necessity of a proper house for the Rector, along with the new building, his present house was built in the view of having kitchen, pantry, and servants' rooms added at the back, either of wood or stone, and ought to be done, whoever may hereafter be the occupant, for the enhancement of the property. Mr. L., and school, could in this way be accommodated to his mind, until things be ripe for building, and far cheaper than in any other.

" The revenues, in my opinion, are already too deeply pledged, considering the instability of the scheme, until placed on a proper footing. " Your's truly, " W. Cargill.

" John M'Glashan, Esq." It was necessary for the Board to decide upon the premises for the Dunedin school. The year for which the present buildings had been taken had expired, and several alterations were considered necessary, which would involve an expense equal to 2 years' rent. It was desirable that this sum. (£160) should be voted. The Deacons' Court had no funds at their command for the purpose, and if the Board did not authorise the expenditure, the necessaiy work could not be executed. Mr. Livingstone had stated that if the improvements were not made in the house he could not remain in it. Mr. Hepburn had been present when the building was examined, and ths improvements called for were absolutely necessary. Mr. Will wished to know if the buildings would be legally secured to the Board for two years if the proposal were agreed to. This was answered in the affirmative. Mr. M'Glashan moved, seconded by Mr, Will — " That it is desirable that a lease of the school buildings presently occupied by the Dunedin school and the Rector be secured for two years at the rent of £80 per annum, and that & sura not exceeding ' the two years' rent be authorised to be paid for any additions and repairs which said buildings require, provided the same be executed without undue delay." Mr. M'Glashan presented a memorial from the West Taieri Educational District, praying that the sum of £250 already voted, be supplemented by a further grant of £100, to complete the school buildings. After some discussion, it was resolved- that an additional sum of £50 be granted. It was also resolved that £15 be granted as half of the teacher's salary for the first six months. It was resolved that the Superintendent be requested to reserve 10 acres of section 17, irregular block IV., in the West Taieri, as a site for school buildings. v - Mr. Lambert presented a memorial from certain* settlers residing on the east side of <the" ' harbour, , . calling attention to the educational wants of that '" locality," and praying thattit'be' erected ■*intoV,mi»/ educational district. " Upon, whioh. it; was-" re¥olv|dlK i to annex.that district with the; ; Portipehalme|p^i's^ trict, and to refer'the.roemorialists ( to'.the'-^poa?|{^^^ I tee of that' distriot,*£the '"Board^expressjuiglfia^^g^P jHngness, to'pay one-Kklf^rt^e^acli'e^ilß^tb^pc^p Kfo\vate^£j3o;,towards^^^^