EDUCATION BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2368, 20 July 1899, Page 30

EDUCATION BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Education Board of Otago was held yesterday, and attended by Dr Brown (chairman), Messrs Borrie, Harraway, Ramsay, Gallaway, Mitchell, Snow, and Sim.

COMPLIMENTARY.

Mr Snow said that if he were in order he wished to refer to a paper delivered at the Educational Institute by Mr Garrow with regarcl to the abolition of passes. He had read the paper with a great deal of pleasure, and ha was only sorry that more of their teachers did not occasionally express their opinions on educational matters. He would move that the board thank Mr Garrow, and hope that other teachers will follow his example.

The Chairman seconded the motion, and added that it was a very admirable paper.

Mr Gallaway said, with reference to Mr Snow's wish that other teachers would follow Mr Garrow.'s example, that in the past teachers reoeived no great encouragement to announce their views on educational matters. He would support Mr Snow's motion in the 'hope that teachers would recognisfe that members were willing to listen and learn upon subjects which were, peculiarly within the province of teachers. The motion was carried. CLAIMS FOR* HALF COST OF IMPHOVESIENTS.

Tho following claims for half-cost of improvements were granted : — Clyde, repairs to fences, £2 10s ; Hyde, new range, £2 17s 6d ; Livingstone, playsheds, £6 ; Merton, range, £2 17s 6d ; Sutton, fencing, and tree planting, £4- ; Wangaloa, repairing fences, x etc. , £2 ; . Waiareka, fencing, £6 10s ; Teaneraki, asphalting, £5.

The application of Kaitangata for half-cost for a gymnasium was declined. The application of Port Chalmers for infants' desks was postponed, and the application of Maungatua, for a washhouse, to be .used as a bathroom, at a cost of £10, was granted. ' • It was decided to grant Pukeuri half-cost for a new range (£5 lOs), a new scullery (£7 10s), a.nd to grant £6 10s for a new spouting, Tho application for £18 for a new washftouse was postponed. J?ho Architect reported on the application of Evans's Flat Committee for repairs to residence. — The application was declined. The application of tho Agricultural Hall directors for permission to fix an electric light on tho corner of the board's offices was granted, subject to the architect's approval. The Architect Teporled— on the Tokarahi Committee's application for fencing and draining. — It was decided to grant half-cost of the fencing, and to deoline the question of the draining.

COKBE3PONDENCE

A letter was received from Mr Jopp. Moutere, asking for rent of building used as a school. — It was decided to reply that the £5 already sent was understood to be for the year's rent. Mr J. Grant wrote as to tho validity of tho election of Mr Morgan to the Glenledi School Committee on the grounds that he had only been a fhort time in the district. — Referred to the chairman of the committee for an expla-. nation. ■. The application of the Macandrew Road Committee for permission to establish a savings bank was granted. The Educational Institute wrote asking for a room in the board's building. — It was decided to reply that a room had been set apart for the institute when the new building was erected.

DECREASE IN ATTENDANCES.

The Secretary submitted a list of the schools which had staffs in excess of the scale, and asked for instructions. Ho showed that the Salaries were in excess of the scale to the extent of £1270 per annum. Mr Gallaway : What is the cause? Are the families growing less, or are their numbers diminishing? The Secretary : Without doubt the families are growing less. Nearly all the committees and teachers say that there is n6 chance of the schools increasing for some years, because there are no young children in the districts. One or twe who act as registrars of births, deaths, and marriages say that they have registered very few births lately. Mr Mitchell : No young parents? The Chairman observed that the decreasing number of births was more marked in New Zealand than in any other place he knew of. It was alarming to peruse the statistics. Mr Harraway : It is as bad as France. The Chairman : Nearly as bad.

It was resolved, after considering the list presented, to send three months' notice to the following teachers, dispensing with their services: — Albany street, junior, female assistant ; Henley, mistress ; Kensington, assistant; Kaitangata, junior female assistant; Lovell's Flat, mistress; Oarnaru North, junior male assistant; Otepopo, pupil teacher ; Tokomairiro, junior male assistant ; Waikouaiti, junior • female assistant ; Waikoikoi, mistress; Waipahi, mistress. Tho above are schools in which the attendance has been down for two quarters.. It was further resolved to notify Awamoko, Bal-' clutha, Dunrobin, Lawrence, Matakanui, St. Bathans, and Waiwera — schools in which the attendance has been down for one quarter — in the usual way that if the attendance is not up by the 30th September the assistants will be withdrawn.

The Secretary for Education wrote acknowledging the receipt of tho board's letter of the 22nd May, in which attention was called to the loss of revenue sustained by the board through decreased school attendance, and asking that the department should afford some relief. It, appeared to tho Minister that, quite irrespective of the irregular attendance caused by the epidemic of measles, the average attendance in Otago has been steadily falling for some tirno past, the principal causes appearing to be migration of the population to other parts of the colony and diminishing birth rate, and at the same time it "appeared to be a problem for the board to discover the way by which .such altered cir-, cuin&tauces are to bo met.

The matter was referred lo a committee consisting of Mr Gallaway and tho chairman to lepovt.

INDIVIDUAL I'ASS SYSTEM.

A letter was received from the Secretary for Education stating that the question of the abolition of individual passes is engaging the attention of the Minister at present, but that the abolition or modification of standards will be a question for further consideration. The Secretary lo the North Olago Schools Conference wrote forwarding o copy of the following resolution, passed at the conference: — "That this conference approves of the resolution pas&ed at the laat meeting of the Education Board in favour of abolition of the standards and the pas? examinations, and hopes the Minister will give effect thereto ; that this conference urges the Minister Cor, Education to again introduce the bill of ltthii session to alter the node of electing

members of the education boards, and tor endeavour to have it passed into law." The Secretary to the Education Board of North Canterbury wrote that the question of the abolition of standards would be discussed at the conference in "Wellington, and the board's delegate would have a free hand in the matter. The correspondence was received.

APPOINTMENTS.

The following appointments were made: — > Mary J. Barclay, head teacher, Hamilton, vice Cusack, left the service; Silias A. Taylor, head teacher, Eweburn, vice Macarthurv promoted; Anna Bella Broom, head teacher, Incholme, vice Gillies, left the service ; John A. Robertson, first assistant, High street, vice Tennant, left the service; G. \V. O. Macdonald, head teacher, Rayensbourne, vice Reid, transferred; John Reid, head teacher, Otepopo, vice Macclonald, promoted. This concluded the business of the meeting.