EDUCATION BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2437, 28 November 1900, Page 70

EDUCATION BOARD.

The monthlyi meeting of the Education -Board,! on the 21st inst., was attended byMessrs Harraway (chairman), Sim, fjnow, Mitchell, Borrie, Eraser, Kyle, Nicholson, and. Mackenzie. The following applications for half-cost of improvements were granted : —Alexandra, painting inside of school, £6 ; High street, .painting and renovating, etc., £27 ; Macraes, painting inside of residence, £8 ; Port Chalmers, painting residence, £8 ; Waipori, fencing glebe, £6 ; Waihemo, repairs to residence, £4- 10s; Kensington, distempering, £12 10s ;■ Wharekuri, fencing, '£3. The Macandrew road School Committee applied for £150, half the cost of erecting a gymnasium. Mr Fraser moved — "That the board- regret that they are not in funds to meet the application." He said that, in view of the requirements throughout the district, and also the fact that the board were behind in their accounts, in this respect he could not see how they could spend more money on gymnasiums for the town. » It was a hardship, to Maeandrew road, but a hardship was not an injustice. The revenue of the board had fallen, and they had spent a very large sum on gymnasiums, which were erected wholly for thetown. He protested against this sort of thing some time ago, as the expense was solely in the interest of the town, while the country schools got nothing out of it. ■'"'*. Mr Nicholson seconded the motion. - Mr Mackenzie said that if what he heard was true with regard to the wretched condition of the ,school buildings in the country, the board certainly co\ilcl not at the '.present lime afford money f or v the erection of gymnasiums. The Chairman said he knew that the Macandrew road people felt that they were suffering a hardship, for they expected that a largo gymnasium would be erected for them in that part of the town. They now felt that they were being shut-out, and they said that in consequence the school attendance was suffering. _ _ , . The motion on being put was carried. A similar application by the Kaikorai School Committee was refused on the same ground. Mr George Fenwick, managing director of the Otago Daily Times and Witness -Company, wrote offering, on behalf of the company, to present the board with a Union Jack of suitable dimensions for the Normal School. — The offer was accepted with thanks, and the board expressed their high appreciation of the patriotic offer made by the company. / An application by the Arthur street School Committee for an additional class room was declined. The Alexandra School Committee applied to have a new class room erected in connection with the school.— The application was referred to the architect to report as to the need of additions and the cost thereof, and the inspector was also instructed to report on the application. - The Kelso School Committee wrote asking the board to reconsider their application for an addition of two rooms to the teacher's residence. — It was resolved thafone room be added to the hoftse at once. A petition was received from householders at Ranfurly asking tha,t the school at Eweburn be removed to a more" central site. — Mr Sim and the chairman were appointed to visit the district and report. " ? The- Inspector reported, with to a memorial from the residents of Inch Valley, for the of a there, stating that he did not think it /was advisable to erect a school' at 'present. — The' report was adopted. The Secretary for. Education wrote forwarding a copy of a circular letter to inspectors of schools conveying an invitation to them to hold a conference next January for the consideration of subjects connected with, the public school system of education. Mr Mitchell asked for information as to whether the letters to. the inspectors had been sent through the board or direct to the inspec-. tors themselves. * He inferred from the tenor of the letter from the Education, department that the inspectors had been approached direct, and he considered this an invasion of the rights of the board ; in so far as they had convened a meeting of inspectors, including the board's servants, without ascertaining -the board's views upon the subject. ■ The department was practically assuming the control of the inspectors, and consequently invading the board's rights. He was not going into the