EDUCATION BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2295, 24 February 1898, Page 21

EDUCATION BOARD.

, ( The Education Board held i(,s menthly meeti \ ing on the 16fch inst. Present : Meaem D. j Borrie (chairman), J. M. Galiaway, J. F. M. j Fraser, H. Clark, W. Snow, the Rev. P. B. Fraeer, &nd the Hon. J. MacGrcgor. LEITH VAILET. Mr W. I-Ifeiulerson waited cm tbe board and j a&ked for a rearrangement of the outhGuses at j a further dis l aace from the school than the3 r } were now. j Tfce bemrf* cfrcided to grant the request. ! voip;s tor impaovesit-nts. I The following claims for half cost of i tie prove.' meets wera granted :—lceholaie,: — Iceholaie, £5 11 s *. I'or painting-, &f , inside *choo! ; Waita'auna We°t, ; £6, for iv pairs to outhouses ; Ba!cluth-.. £9 ]s3d, ■ far piping, &?.. residence ; AVftitat), £3 6*, tor j distempsriDg school ; Lowburn, £4, for repairI i?)g residence ; Ashley Downe, £5, ior playj fahed. I The Ctinton Conimittep asked for £10 to ; form a garden fot- the children, and £5 was i granted. ! The Union street Committee applied for £20 for asphalting work. — Granted. The Alexandra Csiiitutitae applied for £12 4s for organ, prizes, advcrti&n-g, &s. — Tha requfcst was declined. REPAIRS. j It was decided to repair the resiclerice afc Clark's Flat at a cost o? £14, to make rejv^s , at the Kaibika residence, to <;rect .i vi.i&nca in front of the Green Island ivssdene". to & r acfc j some furniture to tfee Ksitabgatu Comnrtust ani to do fencing work, aud to erect a covcretfc protecting wall at Lovell'ii Fl»r. The request of the Oaroaiu M'rfdlp Couimittee fcr new fencv* for their grounds was referred r.-j the architect for a repor'. j 1 The Dunrobin Committee's requeao ior add* ] lion to the residence was dtclmer], acso Sue- j j architect was instructed to report on the application to repair the residtnc?. The Catliifs River Coinmiitpc asicicl for the erection of buildiugs, &c. — is whs decided to adhere V- tte regulations. The Owaka Valley Comtiiltt'e applied for a sum of money for a playground. — The request was decliued. GENERAL. The Taieri Fe«y Committee asked thab a male teacher bo appointed. — It was resol'/ed to adhere to the reguiation*. The Waiwera Committee wished permission to lease residence end grounds. — Granted, if -the teacher consents, on condition that the residence be kept in repair to the satisfaction of the board's architect. j Tne Oamaru Sou'ih Committee requested | permission to sell old cottages, proceeds to be j devoted to fitting up gymnasium. — This was granted. The request for an additional class room was declined. The Secretary reported that he had made arrangements with the Bank of New Zealand nob to charge for keeping committees' accounts. Mrs Smith, of Dalvey, was granted payment for driving children to school. A VACANT SCHOLARSHIP. Dr Heinemann wrote as follows :—": — " I beg to.inform you that I hive dec ded not to take advantage of the senior scholarship which my i son gained at the examination held last December, as I wish him to follow a commercial j I career. If tfie High Bchooi gave a good modem j j education I should gladly leb him have two or j \ three years' more schooling, but as, in my r opinion, modern languages do not receive the j necessary attention, while other subjects neees- [ sary to success in business are not taught at all, I feel it would not bo to his advantage to continue his educ*tion there. I inform You of I my decision so that the scholarship may be I awarded to the boy next on the list." It was decided to give the scholarship to Gerald Hutton, tbe next highest of the seniors. "pater's chats" Mr J. R Kemp, of Bald Hill Flat, wrote recommending that " Pater's Cha^s with the Boys " in the Ob*go Witness should be read in schools by the advanced pupils. Tha •• Chats" would enlarge the ideas of ths children on many subjects. The letter was received. WAIAREKA. The Secretary reported that the Waiareka Committee, who hud resigned, wrote recently asking for a voting paper for the election of members ci the board. A reply was sent that as the committee had resigned th a y were not entitled to a paper, and Mr John M'Dowell, on behalf of the- committee, now wrote asfollows ;—; — In reply to yours of the 10th inst., spying that there is no conwaittte for Waiareka district, I have to direct your attention to section 16 of the School Committee Election Act, which declaies that every committee continues in office until its successor is appointed. No committee having, owing ta the neglect or indifference of the board, been appointed for the Waiareka, we are advised tint notwithstanding our resignation we still hold office and are entitled, to discharge all the functions of office. lam therefore instructed to make demand for tho issue of a voting paper for the election of members of the board. lam also directed to say that the district is entitled to the exercise of a voice in the choice of members of the board, ancl that it would be an unjust as well as an illegal thing for the district to be disfranchised. That it should fill to be exercised by a committee ! who have desired to be relieved from offioe is eu- j tirely due to the board not having taken the necessary steps to have a new committee elected. On the motion of Mr P. B. Fraser, it was decided to apply to the board's solicitors for an opinion on the question, the secretary to act thereon. St. Matthew's parish school. The Rev. W. Curzon-Siggers wrote asking the board's inspector to examine Sfc. Matthew's day school. — Ib was decided to comply with the request. THE JUBILEE. The Schools' Conference wrote recommending the board to ask committees to give a week's holiday to their schools in Jubilee wrek. — The request was declined. The board then weut into committee. At a meeting on the 17th Messrs D. Borne (chairman), H. Clark, W. Snow, J. F. M. Fraser, J. M. Gallaway, the Rev. P. B. Fraser, and the Hon. J, MacQregor were present. JUBII.FE I^TJSTEIAL EXHIBITION. A depufcerirn fr'>m the Jubileo Industrial Exhibition Ccv iri^fe, consisting of Meflsrs J. Reid, J. K-izlelt, A. Taoinson, J. M. Ritchie, i and B. A. Cogan (secretary), waited on the board and asked if the board would grant the committee the use of the new Education Board Building for 10 days or more for the accommodation of old identities, and other purposes i during the exhibition season. The deputation also desired to know if the bourd would fit up : the Education court in the exhibition, and : what space would be required by the board. : It was decided to grant the committee the i use of the building for 10 days, and the chairman was authorised to fib up the Education court in the exhibition. ACCOUNTS. Accounts aniouiitiug to £6702 4-g 9d were passed for payment. ; TVAIFOTII. Three parent of children in attendance ct tbe Waipori School wiofca calling attention to the f&cb that the Ler,d teacher, Mr C. K»rr, hed

absolutely refused to advancft to Standard 111 the pupils who at the last rx&minatfon bad parsed Standard 11, alleging that toey were too • young. This, the wiilera sistsd, v.-ag nob the c»sb, ng n".ost of the childie n wr.re 10 fe^rs of age and cld'ir ; anil Mr Kerr had children of th<i same age in Standard IV. The matter bsd been brought uudt-r ILe no',ic« of the committee, but they hsd cojie to the conclusion i Ihht it was beyond the'r potrpr ta act. , • A latter was read trom Inspector Goy? a, who pt&ted tbat th« inepeeiors h<*'d no control over ths individual pawcH in Standards I and 11. They examined tbe pupils' to serf whether they had been v/p!) taught in the snbj<-cta prescribed for them. With respect to the Waipori iSohool j the ir specter K-porr,(d : •"T.hi pupils failed by j j Mr Kerr in Standard II paEsed my examination, I and I am of opinion that Ihsy ate fib to pocsed | to Standard II J." 1 A letter from Mr Kerr to Mrs Oc^-on, a pirout of one of the children attending the Waipcri School, was r.!«o road. h\v Kerr <-:<;eiineri to advance a child intenied (,o be a, | caadidate for a peholarsbio on the ground that iho was tjo young. lie further «t.Vted v ,h»t he did not intend iv fuhi-a to pr.-ij&ra more scholarship cand-d^t-o. Anu-her rttrudard c'ass had bfen s-clded !.o fitie ej'iiAijUs i^tely, *nd lie ordinary work cf tr-3 *cb.ojl vciid t«ke up all hia time. If. vshs tphoWlil, oa r.c .vi.tiun of Jilt- P. B. 1 Fh-.t.'w, second. ••'! oy Mr Mnotv — "Tbat the corrfppnnd^pcfi l >2 jre'rjrml -o vhn insiectcrs to report o». to 'he or.ai>»i;;>fe«, tnA lo the head teacher, saeeiiuiy urawii g his art<jut\oa to his letter to M-a Cotton, in *f svieh ne says he does not intend hi future to prepare any more scholarship candidates, aud requesting an expl&naaon." ' A CHATtGE AGAINST A TEACHER. 1 Tlie HtforckAry of the Forbury School Com- : Uiifctee wrote fcfwardicg a resolution passed by ' tne c^tninutee **ii.h regard to Mrs Burgess's corapJsifiti as to i..be excessive punishment of her boy by a teachfr-in the school. Mrs Annie Burgess wrote stating that the Forbury School Committee, having refused to allow her to ba represented at the inquiry in question, she was compelled to refuse to proceed with the inquiry on the terms laid down by the committee, and had no alternative but to ask the board to inquire into the matter. The Hon. J. MacGregor moved — " That a committee, consisting of the chairman, Messrs P. B. Fraser, and J. MacGregor, be appointed to hold an inquiry into the whole matter " Mr Snow seconded the motion, whicb was carried. EESIGNATTONS. I The following resignations were accepted :—: — j Catherine Cameron, head teacher, Tarras ; j Mabel A. Green, head teacher, Circle Hill ; Violet Rutherford, first female assistant, Miller's Flat ; Agnes Ross, mistress, Maheno ; Annabella Broom, mistress, Waikoikoi ; Andrew Spence, fourth assistant, Albany street ; Lottie M. Turner, mistress, Upper Junction. APPOINTMENTS. The following appointments were confirmed : Beaumont, head teachpr, Catherine C Cameron, vice Bircb, resigned ; Ashlpy Downs, head teacher, Helen MaoGregor, vice Reid ; Roxburgh, first female assistant, Mrs Little, vice Sutherland, left the service ; Albany street, j second male assistant, Andrew Spencp, vice j M'Nickle, left the ssrvice ; O*maru North, j flecond female assistant, E. S. Bevin, vice Thomson, promoted ; Outram, junior female assistant, Annabella Broome, vice Williams, left the service. PUPIL TEACHERS. The following pupil teachers were appointed : — Franci3 V. Fraser, Norbh-East Valley, vice Begg, apprenticeship expired ; Amy Colfcon, Lawrence, vice Cameron, left the service ; Henrietta Nicol, Lawrenoe, vice Stenhouse. apprenticeship expired ; Isabella Hay, Lawrence, vice Pope, apprenticeship expired ; John Lomas, High street, vice Saunders, apprenticeship expired ; Olive M. Dare, High btreefc, vice Cameron, apprenticeship expired ; Elizabeth M'Neill s Caversham, vice Ciulee, apprenticeship expired ; , Marion New'ands, Caverßhana, vice Mitchell,' apprenticeship erexpired ; William Munro, Caversham, vice Moreiand, apprenticeship exp'red ; Arthur Co f trell, Oamaru South, vice Cockcof r, transferred ; Minnie M'Gregor, Oamaru South, vice Brownlee, apprenticeship expired ; Maud Singleton, Oam»ru South, vice Tempero, apprenticeship expired ; John Murray, Port Chalmers, vice Hunter, apprenticeship expired ; William Thomnson, Morningfcon, vice Jeffreys, resigned ; Malcolm M'Cullocb, Kaikorai, vice Hunter, apprenticeship expired ; Robert Bringans, Mosg'el, vice | Kennedy, apprenticeship expired ; Dinah Wili son, Tokomairiro, vice Taylor, apprenticeship j expired ; Agnes Anderson, Kaitangata, vice | Simpson, apprenticeship expired ; France 3D. Ross, Palmerston, vice Barclay, transferred ; Charles Trownson, Bast Taieri. vice Davis, transferred ; Lucy B'ckingsale, Otepooo, vice Lothian, transferred ; Walter Blackie, Ravenßbourne, vice Rodger, transferred ; Agnes G. Galloway, Ravensbourne, vice Hoffman, apprenticeship expired ; Kate Faulks, Balclufcha, vice Graham, transferred. TRANSFERS. The following transfers were made for the purpose of bringing the pupil teachers as near .as possible to their homes : — Jane B. Graham, from Balclufcha to Green Island ; George W. Cockroft, from Oamaru South to Balclufcha ; Annie F. Tomlinson, from Green Island to Albany street ; Margaret S. Walton, from Wyllie Crossing to Kensington ; Helen T. Barclay, from Palmerston to Kensington ; Alice Davies, from Bast Taieri to Port Chalmprs ; William H. Johnston, from Balclutha to Kaitangata ; Jane M. Lothian, from Otepopn to Forbury ; William Rodger, from Ravensbourne to Union street. teachers' qualifications for district high SCHOOLS. The Hon. J. MacGregob rose to move fche following motion of which he had given notice — "That regulation No. 12 of the regulations of July 15, 1896, be amended by altering the minimum qualification of head teacher* of district high schools from Al, 81, or CI to A 2, 82, or C 2." GENERAL. Necessary repairs ro the inferior of the schoolmaster's residence at Dunrobin were authorised to be effected. HYDE. ■ A letter was received from the Hyde School Committee expressing dissatisfaction with the board's report, and asking for copies of the confidental report on Mr Burnard's work. A petition was also received from the heads of families on the same subject, asking fcr the removal of the teacher. A letter wan aho received from Messrß Duff and Ramsay, repregenticg a minority of the committee, forwarcisg their views of the case. The matter was considered in committee, and on resuming in public it was decided — " Thnt the application of the Hyde School Committee for copies of the reports be refused, R8 the board has recently held an inquiry into the efficiency of the head "master as,teacher of Iho school," and with regard to the other two msrfcbers it was decided to receive the petition stud the latter. I

ELECTION OP MEMBERS. It was decided that the board should rcsefc afc 2 p.m. on thu 2od March to ascertain the results of the voting for the elestiou of thre» members. IN COMMITTEE. As the result of an inquiry in c~!mniittee H teacher was dismissed from the service for irregularities in tha keeping of the school registers ; and in the case of another teacher against whom a similar charge was laid it was decided to forward copies of all documents connected with the case to the board in whose service tbe teacher now ie.