EDUCATION BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 978, 27 August 1870, Page 8

EDUCATION BOARD.

The half-yearly meeting of this Board, which was to have taken place on the 28th ult., was held at the Superintendent's Office on the 18th inst. There were present— His Honour the Deputy-Super-intendent, who occupied the chair, and Messrs Duncan aiid Reid.

The Secretary (Mr Hislop) reported the following appointments to the respective district schools during the past six ;months :— James Milner, assistant-master, North Dunedin ; Amelia Jago, pupil teacher, North Dunedin ; M. Miller, pupil ■teacher, North Dunedin ; Margaret Lang.muir, pupil teacher, Caversham; H. P. Machin, schoolmaster, Kaikorai ; Mrs Machin, schoolmistress, Kaikorai ; Andrew Hislop, pupil teacher, East Taieri ; Andrew Fleming, second master, Oamaru ; Henry M'Coll, side school teacher, Hillend ; Gertrude M'Farland, pupil teacher, Port Chalmers ; T. H. Meeking, schoolmaster, "ft arepa ; James Oliver, sideschool teacher, Waireka; J.Robertson, sideschool teacher, Awamoko ; A. Y. Smith, schoolmaster, Waihola Gorge ; Gertrude Calcutt, schoolmistress, Mornington ; Dora Fraser, schoolmistress, Alexandra ;_ "Walter Ure, side school teacher, Hamilton ; William Yorston, side school teacher, St. Bathans; Wm. Anderson, side school teacher, Lower Harbour ; Miss Russell, schoolmistress, Waikouaiti; John Brown, schoolmaster, Lower Shotover ; Alexander Kyle, side school teacher, Upper^Harbour ; Henry Dixon, do, Blacks ; James Neame, do, Kuri Bush ; Andrew Blanc, do, Kakanui; A. B. Matthews, do, Tuapeka Mouth; Donald Murray, do, Sawyer's Bay ; John Rogers, do, Adam s Flat; T. D. Thompson, do, Catlin's River. A letter was read from Mrs Burns, accepting the office of Lady Principal to the proposed High School, on the terms offered by the Board. Miss M'Dougall wrote, accepting the office of Governess of the same school. Mr John Gow, at present the commer- : cial master in Mr Stephen's grammar school, Sydney, was appointed commercial master to the Dunedin High School, hiß duties to commence from Ist January.' Applications from the district committees of the following schools, for twothirds of the costs of repairs to schoolbuildings, were referred to the Executive: — Dunedin, Waitahuna, Hillend, Macetown, Blue Spur, St. Bathans, Portobello, Saddle Hill, Caversham, West Taieri, East Clutha, Mount Ida. Memorials for new schools from Papakaio, Nokomai, Tuakitoto, were referred to the Executive. An application from Otago Heads was declined, the number of educable children being too small to warrant the opening of a school there. A memorial was read asking for the opening of a school at Eight Mile, Blueskin Road District. Mr Hislop stated that as he had received the memorial but early that morning, he had had but little time for making enquiry, but he thought that a school was required in that part of the district. Mr Gbeen, in support of the memorial, said that the majority of the residents of Eight Mile had but lately settled there. They wished that a school could be opened there, in order that their

children could be educated. Taa most convenient Bohool at present wr & that in the North-east Valley, and so? ae of the children actually travelled a distance of seven miles to that school. ' The nearest school was that at Sawyer's Bay, but that and the one at Bluesk in were less easy for the children to trav< jl to, owißg to the nature of the country. £ 1 section had been reserved for the erection of a school, and they were anxious that 0 ne should be erected thereon, and the res {dents would render all the assistance they could to have it erected. The Rev. Mr Johnston said it was absolutely impossible for the children in that district to attend any of the neighbouring schools, ;»nd he considered that in the meantime a side school should be opened there. H.e hoped the Board would take into cons ideration the fact that there was a working population resident in that district who could not afford to send their children to any school utside the district. If they could not ant sufficient for tha erection of a 001-house, he might mention thai there a building suitable for that purpose

\ could bo leased.

tV' was resolved that the Secretary *hmi)A reP ort u P on the «*attersnouia plication was itiade for a school * at^ 'i©l> an<^ <waa Kientioaed in at • ALO8& o{ &c application, that that support v ag a mile three-quarters township the nearest sc hool, and that distant iron '

„ , . efrween were unformed and the roads b Before £urtlier action WQuld very bad. > vag resolved to remit the be taken, it \ immittees o{ the two dia . matter to the ci would bQ ftffe(jtßd , rprt-^^^^toxepo^ upon

t *;««««. •s made from Waikari, An application^ fo » asking for the full A . cad of sum o£ mistress's salarr,Xß»\ the salary of L3O previously aUo^e, f atated a sewing »»*»• the school roll, there were 111 names os > and the committee *i* f schoolmistress who couk the whole of her time to teachm ,• Mr Hepbuk* mentioned th. * »« school was never before in so floumhv * Btat «> and the parents of 10 or 12 oh. Wren , at present not attending school, ad Pr°misedtosend them next quarter when the roads would improve Lately the the school. The matt er was referred to the Government. . , Mr Chisholm, in ask, 't« for -the , ere<j tion of a new school at th c and for the services of a scho, * aa f»* ™t that there were 111 name, \ the ro , and that the average attenc lance of c^; dren was 87, and there had b as 108 present. A schoolm W {™"l?J required, as the teacher could m lI PW instruct the number of childi en a W attending the school. With rega. ™ to >™ erection of a new schoolhouse, t» fill' sent one was not in a suitable Io cau^j and could not properly accommodate 9 ta f number of children who attended it. vote was passed last session for the ex >ec " tion of a school there, and he asked th. at the work be carried out without delay, av H more could attend school when the fine weather set in, and as many families kept their children at home, as there was not sufficient accommodation at the school. The younger children had lately to be kept at the master's house. If a new building were not erected, the attendance would fall off. The matter was referred to the Government, and His Honour the Deputy-Superintendent was understood t«D say that it was merely a question as to the time which it would take to fcrect a, school. The Secrbtaby read the following tetter, which had been sent him by Mr W. Elder, Honorary Secretary to the Port Chalmers Grammar School :—

Sir — At a meeting of the Port Chalmers Grammar School Committee, held in the schoolhouae on Friday evening last, the follownag resolution was passed, "That the Secretary be instructed to write the Education. Board, urging upon them the necessity I of appointing a aenior and junior pupil [ teai :b>er to assist in the school." I a support of this I -would, through you, diri set the attention of the Education Board to 1 ;he following simple statement of a few fac ta in reference to our sohool since it has bee ome a grammar school. Just four months ag< ), the school waß opened under the new au spices with an attendance of about 150, an d has gone on steadily progressing until th ere are now 228 on the roll, with an actual dr ily attendance in the meantime of 216. T he success, however, has by no meanß been Cf >nfined to an increase in the number of sr jholars, hut; the children show most nnd lifltakeably that they are daily increasing in I jiowledge, and the parents express theme ,elves as being highly aatißfied with the state <jf affairs. When the number on. the toll was 180, I applied for the aer vices of an advanced \ pupil teacher, and we, as a committee, have to express our thanks foT the very prompt and liberal way in which the Board at once

granted our request, and appointed Miflß Fraser to assist the Rector and second master. Miss Annie Robertson was at same time placed on the list of amateur teachers to assist the schoolmistress. Miss Fraser has, however, now been appointed schoolmistress in the Alexandra school, and in consequence has sent in her resignation. By this we are compelled to address the Board a second time, and now crave that a successor be appointed holding the same position that Miss fraser did, and also that Miss Ansie Robertson be duly installed as a pupil teacher of the first year. The Reccor has began a Latin class, and intends beginning a geometry one next month, but will not be able to do so, or in fact continue the Latin one, unless he is assisted by a second master. This the second master cannot do unless he in tarn is relieved in his own room. I do trust the Board may see that the usefulness of the aohool really demands the appointments I have been deputed to request, and that they will meet the committee's wishes in the same liberal manner they have formally done. It would be a thousand pities were the progress of the school retarded by an inefficient staff of teachers.

Feeling sure that you will be able to Bpeak on behalf of our request from personal knowledge, and again crusting that therequest may meet with the favourable consideration of the Board. — I am, &c, Mr Hislop stated that he examined the School for two days lately, and found it in a most satisfactory state, but owing to the rapid increase of pupils, the place was becoming crowded. The application was referred to the Government.

A deputation from Green Island, applied on behalf of the School Committee of that district, for permission ta diapease with the services of the schoolmaster there. The Secretary read a large quantity of correspondence between the Schoolmaster and the District School Committee, with memoranda of various meetings, as well as correspondence between them and himself. After a long discussion, Mr Reid moved, " Having considered communication submitted in reference to the application from the Green Island School Committee, and having heard the p w ties to the cause, resolved to defer further & of the Committee's application until the half-yearly meeting in January next, and to instruct tha Ins jpector to report to said meeting on the f jtate and conduct of the school during the interval." The motion was carried.

An application was made for a sohool at the Sowburn, where there were nine educable children, and eleven under four years of age. Mr Hislop said he might mention, in connection with this application, that he had learned from, the annual Report of the Victorian Education Board that an effort was being made in Victoria to supply the wants of thinly settled districts by what was known as the half-time system, which was, that -where two localities within a short distance of each other had not, when taken separately, as many children as would form a school, an arrangement was made by which the teacher gave half of hia time to the pupils in the one locality, and the half to> the pupils in the other locality, teaching in the morning at one school, and in tl" ie afternoon at the other, or on each alter nate day. By this means, the children ir i each locality could be taught by one teacher, who would receive the usual salary, and a slight allowance for travelling expenses. The teaoher already appoh? ited to the school at t Hamilton, might thu s, besides teaching thi© children attendi ng the Bchool at Hamilton teach those of Sowburn. The matter was referred t o the School Committee at Hamilton, to. report if the plan could be carried out tl lere.

It was agreed tha t applications from Tuakitoto and LoveJil's Flat should be dealt with in like mai mer to the last.

An application foe a school in the township of Havelook was declined for the present. The district committees at Mount Ida and Wetherstones wrote asking for sohoolmistresßea for their respective schools. ■The applications wure referred to the «jto•wernment.

A number of applications from school committees for new school buildings or a .dditions were referred to the Executive. The Board deferred consideration of applications from lessees of Education B leserves, and agreed to several applications for transfer of leases. i A teacher of a private sohool within i the city applied for a subsidy, but the I Bo ard had no power to grant the request. x The Committee of the Waipori Public Liht ary applied for a subsidy of £ for £ onih c a um of L - Tne matter waa re " f erred to the Government. The Rules of the Library, Kaihiku, were sai" lc^ one(^ 1 The fo. lowing letter from Mr S. Hawthorne, Lector of the High School, to the Secrete T of the Board, was read :—

Sir— l hai c respectfully to request that you will infon * me if the proposal contained in the sixth paragraph of my report -that the study o{ >^ and of one modern language should, be made compulsory on all

pupils attending the High Sohool, except in certain specified caßes, whilst Gieek should be left optional — meets with the approval of the Education Board.

As I have stated in my report the reasons which induced me to make this proposal, I need not enumerate them here. Of course the making of the study of Greek optional would not apply to Provincial Scholars, who ought to be entirely under the control of the i Education Board. Mr Hawthorne's suggestion was agreed to. The Board then adjourned.