EDUCATION BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 1875, 28 October 1887, Page 16

EDUCATION BOARD.

The ordinary meeting of the Education Board was held on the 20th inst., and attended by Dr Brown (chairman), Dr Hislop, Hon. Thos. Dick» J. M'Kenzie, M.H.R., Jas. Fultou, M.H.R., J. F. M. Frasi^r, M. Fraer, H. Clark, and Jns. Green. MOSUIF.L. A deputation from tho Moagiel School Committee waited on the board to urge the appointment of a head master and the enlargement of one of the class-rooms. The Chairman of the Co.mnittee (Mr Hodges) said the attendance at the school was quite sufficient to justify the appointment of au assistant master. The number of scholars on the roll was 309. The attendance, however, for the last quarter was not up to the^ number required to entitle the school to an assistant master. Tho Chairman pointed out to the deputation that the Mosgiel school was ono. of the best in the province and fitted up with all the recent improvements. As to the additional teacher, the school would be entitled to one as soon as the requisite average attendance was maintained for a quarter.

It was resolved to refer the matter to Inspectors Petrie and Taylor for a report and recommendation.

hoopkh's inlet.

Messrs Youug and Clark waited on the board to urge that a new school bo built at Hooper's Inlet. The dt putation having given information regarding the advisability of building a new school,

The board resolved to give tho matter duo consideration, after receiving report from the architect.

FLAG SWAMP.

Mr Jeff eris and two others formed a deputation to the board from the Flag Swamp School Committee with reference to the flooding of the school glebe.

It was stated that the matter was one of five years' standing and that the outlet for the water had on more than one occasion been blocked up by Mr Soutter. The channel, however, had been lately opened, and remained open at the present

time. It was resolved that the board take the necessary steps to keep the course open ; but that any reasonable suggestions from Mr Souter be entertained prior to legal proceedings being instituted. GEORGE STREET.

Messrs Cohen and Jago waited on the board to ask for assistance in providing increased accommodation for the technical class at the George street school.

Mr Jago said the accommodation now was not sufficient for the number of boys at work. If the board allowed the committes £12 worth of material they would get the work done, the boys doing most of it themselves. The value of the improvements would be about £20. Mr Cohen said there were 17 boys at the class, and there was only room for 10. It w»s resolved to give a grant of £12, as asked fop.

VINANCE KEPOUT.

The Finance Committee reported recommending inter alia that a schoolmistress, at £JQ per annum, be granted to Blacks school and Miller's Flat respectively. That the application for a pupil teacher at Naseby be declined. That the matter of the Tapanui schoolhouse's roof be referred to the architect. That in compliance with the Arthur street School Committee's request the board defer till the end of the school year taking any action in the matter of the reduction of the staff. That the following sums be granted for the completion of buildings .— High street, £4 ; Purekeriki, £2 10s. That certain alterations to the outhouses at Port Chalmers school be carried out ; also, the enclosing and draining of the grounds. That the removal of the janitor's residence be not carried out.— Adopted. RESIGNATIONS ACCEPTED. Jane White, teacher, Adam's Flat ; Grace J. Thomson, second assistant, Oamaru North ; Maggie M'Dougal), mistress, Wakari; Jessie Cairns, mistress, Naseby ; Agues Chalmer, third assistant, Oamaru South ; Barbara Mwuro Ross, pupil teacher, High street ; Mary J. Hay, mistress, Kawarau Gorge. APPOINTMENTS MADE. Edwin T. Earl, head master, Oamaru Middle School ; Jessie Cairns, second assistant, Oatnaru North ; Mary J. Wilding, third assistant, Oamaru Middle; Harriet Dartou, mistress, Kakanui; W. J. Wright, teacher, Bendigo ; Bella Cooper, pupil teacher, High street. SOOTH OAMAEU. A petition for the establishment of a separate school district at Oamaru South was considered, aud it was agreed to divide Oamaru into three districts— North, Middle, and South. IDA VALLEY. A letter from the Ida Valley Committee, complaining of the removal of school property, was received. ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £6038 10s 8d were passed for payment. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Leave of absence during the Parliamentary session was granted to Mr Fulton and Mr M'Kenzie. APPLICATION FOB TESTIMONIAL. Mr J. R. Wilkinson, formally a teacher at the Normal School, wrote asking the board to give him a testimonial as to his manner of carrying out his duties. ' : It was resolved that, the board not being in the habit of giving testimonials, the application must be declined.SCHOOL BOOKS. Dr Hislop submitted the following draft of a circular that it was proposed to send to school teachers: — ' " tfhe Otago Education Board deaires to bring under the notice of- head 'teachers the circumstance that considerable dissatisfaction preVailsanfiongat parents generally regarding the' great expense thfey are put to in providing their 'children with school reading books and text bodks, arising 1 partly-from the fre- ! quenfc changes of tjooks that aremade by the teacher in the same school, and partly from the want of a uniform set of books for the use of the pupila of the schools throughout the board district. * The board has every reason to believe that the feeling referred to is in many instances well founded ; but it is of opinion that the ability to remove or greatly reduce the hardship complained of rests mainly with the head teachers of the several schools.

The board would therefore strongly urge upon teachers the propriety of doing all In their power, consistently with the efficient carrying on of the school work, to reduce to the lowest possible degree tfje cost to parents of the books prescribed for school

use ; and it would also suggest to the teachers withi» the board district the advisability of their takln united action with the object of agreeing as far » j practicable upon a uniform series of school readin boohs and text books for the use of their pupH« « as to do away with the necessity which at preaen? exists to a large extent of parents having to purcba«l other and different books on removal from n « locality to another. oa « The circular was approved. RETRENCHMENT. Mr Fraser, after the conclusion of the or. dietary business, said he had a motion which he intended to move in the direction of anticipating the retrenchment that undoubtedly would be necessary in this as well as all other depart, mentis of the State. He did not wish for a tno* ment to do what might be termed wantonly committing a happy despatch, but he fancied they could effect very considerable retrenchment in this educational district without in any way impairing the efficiency of the service, p ro . vided always that their proposition was general throughout the colony. He would be sorry if one educational district should resort to retrenchment in the matter of salaries and an. other district adjoining not be on the same Ipvpl. That was a very important element in coimoo.tiou wU.h tho question of retrenchment Sn far as the Education Board was conournwl' he might say without egotism that there waj no other body so well qualified to under inki> the work of retrenchment-, because the members were brought into direct contact with the a<j. ministration, and members had personal know, ledge of all requirements, so that they could go into details. With regard to the Otago Board he might say that they had always acted loyally tin the cause of education and that they had brought about during the last few years a great many reforms— some of them most advantageous as far as education was concerned. Undoubtedly there would be retrenchment in the education vote throughout the colony, and he felt certain that the colony as a whole would expect that retrenchment to be in a direction that would not impair the utility of the service. He had read the reports of tho mover and seconder of the Address-in-reply in the Legislative Council, and though they both touched on this matter he did not think either of them had any practical knowledge on the subject, or that they had an accurate touch on tho pulse of public opinion. With regard to the saving, let them take tho question of bonus alone. These bonuses were instituted in 187S or 1879, when the amount spent was in round figures £1000, Since that time there had been higher classifiestions, till at the present time the expenditure in bonuses was £6700 a year. These figures were rather startling. The last classification cost the board exactly £1200. It was his intention to purposely refrain from going jn any sense into indicating the direction in which he thought retrenchment should take place, as that should evolve from the board itself. It was his nitontion to move that a committee be appointed to bring up a report, and he felt justified in shadowing out that very material retvenchment could be effected without in any way impairing the efficiency of the service or lessening its utility. He believed that in the matter of ad« ministration over £10,000 a year might be saved, though he was aware it would be a thankless task for them to set about. His motion was— " That a committee, to consist of the chairman, Dr .Hislop, and Messrs Fraer and Clark and the mover, be appointed to bring down a report as to what retrenchment could bo effected in the expenditure of the educational vote of this district without impairing the efficiency of the service." Mr Green seconded the motion. Mr Fulton said he did not see any great ad. vantage in anticipating this retrenchment. They did not yet know in what direction it might go. It might take the shape of doing away with the education boards altogether. Supposing it did, what was the use of their doing anything in the matter? _ It seemed to him that they were anticipating this before there was any necessity for it, though he did not object to what Mt Fraser had said. ■• Dr Hislop said he quite agreed with Mr Fraser, and believed that they should at once set about this duty. With regard to what Mr Fulton had said, the. committee before reporting to the board would probably have the advantage of knowing exactly what was proposed in Parliament in the direction of retrenchment in the Education department. He could not see that Mr Fulton's remarks had any force as regarded the present appointment of the committee. He thoroughly approved of the motion and of what Mr Fraser had said in his speech. Mr M'Kenzie said he intended to support the motion. The figures with regard to the bonusi'B were something startling. They had increased from £1000 to over £6000 in about eight or nine years. It might be said that they were only doing this because the Government were going in for retrenchment ; but that was not the case, because Mr Fraser and himself had wanted it done before. Auyhow, the work this committee would do would be of great service even to the Government in their retrenchment scheme. He therefore supported the motion. The Chairman said that the idea of doing away with the education boards found favour only in two places. One was in Wellington, where they naturally wished to centralise everything, and the other^place was the Upper House, who were possibly anticipating a similar fate for themselves. Perhaps it should be said that there was a third source of objection to the boards— viz., that represented by some disappointed candidates and some men who had quarelled with the board. He rather taought, however, that public opinion in the colony was not quite dead to the necessity of keeping up local administration in such matters as education. The motion was carried.