HIGH SCHOOLS BOARD OF GOVERNORS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2451, 6 March 1901, Page 14

HIGH SCHOOLS BOARD OF GOVERNORS.

The ordinary" meeting of the Otago High Schools Board was held on Monday, and attended by Dr Brown (chairman), Messrs J« R. Sinclair, and T. Mackenzie, M H R.

Accounts amounting to £467 0s lOd were passed for payment. The bank book showed a balance in hand of £114- 0s lOd.

Mr G. M. Thomson, acting principal of the Girls' High School, reported that he took over charge of the school on Friday, Ist mat., from the principal, Miss Marchant. The number of pupib on the roll at the end of last year was 127. Of these, 84- had returned and 43 had left. The number of new pupils enrolled this term was 34-. The total number on the roll at present was therefore 118. Of pupils attending special classes there appeared to have entered last year 17. None of these had come back as yet. — Received.

Mr A. Wil=on, rector of the Boys' School, wrote drawing attention to the regulations in reference to junior '"governors' scholars." There were this year 98 competitors for the Education Board scholars-hips. Thirteen, made 60 per cent, or over of possible marks. Of these. 11 received scholarships, leaving two, a boy and a girl, entitled to free education at the High Schools. He could not think that the Beard of Governors, in raising the qualification, intended to exclude so many from the benefit of free education at the schools. — After consideration it was resolved: to grant the privilege of free education to 10 pupils, inclusive of those enrolled, next following the winners of scholarships in Education Board junior scholarship examination of 1900. — It was resolved to award scholarships to the 10 students next in order of merit to those who had gained the scholarships. This means that the following pupils will be entitled to free education at the schools : — Archibald Thomson, Strath-Taieri ; Valentine Duff, Dunrobm ; Eric M. Edgar, TTnion street ; Ann Steel. Olenkenich ; Mary Da^, Tapanui ; Douglas Hodson, Forbury; Alfred E. Ferguson, Forbury; T. A. R. Dennison, Oamaru.

The Principal of the Boys' School wrote that he had deemed it advisable to discontinue.the -class of applied mechanics, the number of pupils presenting themselves this year being too small.* There could be no doubt that the school was behind other schools of the same status in the colony in the matter of manual training. It could not be said that there was at present any manual training at all in the school, whereas in the High Schools of other large centres instruction was given in carpentry, joinery, metal work, Sloyd work, etc., to say nothing of rleoi^ninn and of drawing from the round. He believed that a carnontrv and joinery oln«s could be established at the Fchool at little cost. With a view to encouraging those boys who had a tastp for photography he had in view to provide them on the school grounds with a dark room. He had organised this term a swimming class in connection with the school. Mr Hanna. with his usual readiness to give up his own time to the instruction of the boys, had offered to give the cltss the necessary instruction at Morgan's Baths after school on Friday afternoons Seventy boys had joined the classr The Rector forwarded a memo, from Colonel Webb re the unsuitabihty of the uniforms of the cadets, and what he (Mr Wilson) purposed was to provide one company with new khaki uniforms, such as Colonel "Webb might deem suitable. In this way the old uniforms as they were worn out would be replaced by the new. — Consideration of the letter was deferred till next meeting

The application of Mr N. Moloney for a yearly lease of plantation reserve adjoining section 13, block 11, Strath-Taieri, at Is per acre, was granted.

New Goods just opened at T. Ross's: — Pretty ruffles in Lisse and washing net, from, 4s lid ; new lace ties, 9d, lid, Is 6d, and Is lid ; real point lace ties, 4s Od to 10s 9d ; new sailor hats, from Is 6d ; ladies' stylish, blouses in muslin, cambric, and silk, from Is lid to 21s ; new silk ties, every conceivable shade, Is 3d, Is 6d, Is 9d, 2s 6d, and 3s 6d., Lovely sunshades in black, black and white, and shot silk ; also. 1500 new umbrellas, ex Waimate, price Is lid to 21s.— At jj> Ross's, dingt importer, 130 FriuQe§ •U«t<^»