EDUCATION BOAED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2571, 24 June 1903, Page 13

EDUCATION BOAED.

The monthly meeting of *ihe Otago Education Board, held on Wednesday afternoon, was attended by Messrs W. Snow (chairman), D. Borrie, W. Nicolson, J. Sim, T. Mackenzie, M.H.R., J. Mitchell, the Hey. P. B. Fraser, R, Peattie, and A. Marshall. Messrs J. Clark and W. M'lndoe waited on the board as a deputation, urging the removal of the Wairuna School. Messrs J. Taylor and D. H'Kenzie appeared as a. counter deputation to urge that it be retained on ate present site. In stating the case from his fiide, Mr Clark said eveiy member of the newly-elected committee was in favour of the removal. Mr Taylor, in urging the board to adhere to their previous decision and retain the present site, said the school had suited the district very ■well for 30 years. Its removal would only create a new difficulty. He believed the only proper settlement of the difficulty would be the erection of a new school. — Having considered the matter in committse, the board decided to remove the «.>hool to the site proposed, subject to the inspector's approval. • The Mosgiel School Commi see n ;.de application for the half-cost of erecting a , gymnasium up to £150. — Mr Marshall moved and Mr Mitchell seconded, and it was agreed to that ihe application be granted. • The Coal Creek School Committee appjied to the board to clear noxious weeds -from the school glebe at a cost of £30. — Mr Mackenzie said of the glebe -were cleared it would be just as bad again in a year or two, and the board, if they had no use for the glebe, had better dispose of it. — Resolved that the board take steps to (secure the necessary authortiy to dispose of portion of ihe glebe. The Chairman of the Green Island School Committee waited on the board and urged that the eehoo] be supplied with a bell, or , that the board at least pay half-cost.—Con-sideration was deferred. The offer of Chin Poy, gardener, to lease the old school site at Drybread was accepted. An application for the establishment of a household school at Mount Pisa was granted. The Head Master, Palmerston, wrote applying for increased household accommodation. — Resolved that the architect should visit and report. The Architect reported that the suggested central hall for Arthur Street School was impracticable-, and suggested another site. — Tho committee wrote that they w*r© of the opinion that it would be more satisfactory to build a hall on the site recommended by the board's architect, and offered' to' pay half-cost. — The architect's estimate was £500. — It was resolved to subsidise the oommittee up to the board's usual limit. Application was received for repairs and alterations to the Forbury School residence, tho committee offering £17 towards an. estimated cost of £48. — Resolved to pay half the cost. With regard to the High Street School residence it wa9 resolved that steps be taken to secure rent allowance for the head master. Applications from Chaalands and Tokorahi Schools for outhouses were ganted. The Maerewhenua School Committee wrote applying for a site for a residence. — Reeolved that steps be taken to secure the game. The Forbury School Committee wrote protesting against the proposed establishment of * school at Musaelburgh. — The Chairman stated that there was no intention of establishing a school there at present. — The letter was received, and consideration deferred. The Nelson Education. Board wrote with reference to the hardship inflicted on committees of small schools by the bank charge of 10s a year, and inviting the co-operation of the board in approaching Parliament with a view to securing an alteration of section 61 of " The. Education Act, 1877." Resolved that the board cordially support the recommendation, and forward the resolution to the Minister of Education. The Education Department wrote that the department quite saw the necessity of tho Maungawera settlers in regard to the education of their children, but considered it out of the way to -pay £120 a year for the conveyance of children to the Hawea Flat School. If a room could be found at Maungawera. the cost of a small school there would be about £68 for 'Salary and £10 for other expenses. Tho department suggested that the board proceed in this direction. — Resolved that the board regrets the nature of the reply received from the department regarding extending education to back districts, and urges the Government to place a sum on the- Estimates for the purpose of { securing teachers for schools of from 10 to 14 pupils which have been closed down j iv Otago by the action of " The Public School Teachers' Staff and Salaries Act, 1901." It was also resolved to give effect ; to the> suggestion of the department. STANDARD VI AND THE HIGH SCHOOLS. Inspector Goyen reported that on the 6th inst. tho principals of the High Schools and the inspectors nnet to consider the question of the examination of Standard VI at such timo aiS would be favourable to the organisation of tho High Schools and practicable. After di9cu=eion it was found impossible under present regulations to propose ati arrangement tliat would be favourable to all concerned. They therefore, iveolvcd that further consideration b9 deferred till after issue of tho amended regulations ; also, that tho age qualifies tioai be removed, or, this failing, that the pupil bo not more than 14 years of age at the date on which he passes the examination, and that evrry D"" ' who complies with this condition have the privilege of two years' free i-ecendary education from the begiranimr of the school year next after that in which he paossed the standard. Tho Rev. P. B. Fra=er moved, Mr Peatiie seconded, and it wjis carried — " That the inspector's re-rjort be received, a.n'l that <v further appeal be marie to the Government to abolish the a^e limit for entrance to the secondary schools, and that tho trrt fcr entrance be a purely educational one." THE TAPAKCt DISPUTE. The Secretary of the Tapanui School Committee forwarded a resolution passed at • meeting of householders held to corsider the advisability of attempting to upset the appointment of extra assistant. The resolution, was to the effect that the secretary of the School Comitnittee be asked to write to trie Education Board inquiring how they arrived at the conclusion that Miss Howat ,tras the only candidate qualified at the time !of the appointment, seeing that Miss Newlands attained her B.A. degree on April 11 On tho motion of the Rev. P. B. Fraser, it was resolved that a copy of Miss ISew-

i lands' 9 application as laid before the board in March be forwarded: to the Tapanui School Committee. DUNEDIN TECHNICAL SCHOOL. Mr A. Marshall wrote, on behaif of the ma.nagers of the Dunedin Technical School, to the effect that the completion of the Technical School was urgently required in order to provide) adequate accommodation for the requirements of the various classes. Extra premises had had _to be rented to accommodate* a ekes about to be established for electrical science. It was sugigested that the board's airchiteot be deputed to prepare the necessary plans for forwarding to the Minister of Education, with a request for a ■grant of the funds required to carry out the work of extension. Action as early a? possible was desirable, so that the institution might have an opportunity of participating in the allocation of funds for technical echool buildings. Mi^ Mitchell said he thought the proper thing to do was to go to work upon a scheme for a new building, to combine in one Training College, Technical School, and School .of Art. He believed it possible to sell the present Normal School site and also the present Technical .School building, and with the funds they had a right to ask from Parliament they would bo able to erect a first-class building ; and for this tfhey had a very good site iv the reserve in York place. He would move — " That the question of making provision for the proper housing of the Training College, School of Art, an-l Technical School be taken into consideration by a. committee of the wiiole board at its next meeting, and that tho managers of the Teclimical School be asked- to report as to the possibility of obtaining euch temporary additional accommodation as may ba necessary." Mr Fra»er seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. The board then went into committee. Tho Education Board met again on Thursday morning ; present — Messrs W. Snow (chairman), D. Borrie, W. Nicolson, A. Marshall, T. Mackenzie, M.H.R., J. Mitchell, J. Sim, and the Rev. P. B. Fraser. Accounts amounting to £8788 Is 3d were passed for payment. APPOINTMENTS. The following appointments were confirmed: — R. Blair, head teacher, Waitahuna Gully, vice A. M. Barnett (promoted) ; W. J. Rogers, head teacher, Sandymourit, vice George Bakille (transferred) ; Agnes Anderson, head teacher, Kuri Bush, vice Dickie (transferred); C. S. Yorston, mistrew, North-East A* alley, vie© R. Gordon, (promoted) ; M. S. S. Newlands, mistress, Duntroon, vice C. Livingstone (promoted) ; G. P. Graham, first assistant, Mcsgiel, vice William Crou (promoted) ; E. M. Gunn, third assistant, Oamaru South, vice Irwin (promoted) ; D. J. "Wilkinson, fourth assistant, Oamaru South, vice M. Thompson (left service) ; "W. Rodger, fourth assistant, Albany Street, vioe G. H. Uttley (left service) ; L. Evans, sixth assistant, Albany street, vice Hopcraft (left service) ; L. M. Will, extra assistant, Naseby. vice J. S. Lomas (left service). RESIGNATIONS. The following resignations were accepted : G. P. Graham, head teacher, Gimmerburn ; Agnes Anderson, head teacher, Clark's Flat; L. Evans, head teacher, Broad Bay; Mary Loudon, mistress, Higholiff ; Dorothea J. Wilkinson, mistress, Pukeuri ; E. M. Gunn, mistress, Heriot ; M. E. Matthewson, mistress, Miller'a Flat ; Jane Jing, mistress, Totara ; C. S. Yorston, third assistant, Cavereham ; William Rodger, second assistant, Ravensbourne ; Mary D. Alexander, second assistant, Alexandra. DEPUTATION FROM MAORI HILL. A deputation consisting of Messrs P. Pilkington, P. Duncan, O. Grater, and S. N. Brown waited on the board with reference to tho cetablishment of a school at Maori Hill. Mr Pilkington said they had been trying for the last 25 years to get a school at Maori Hill, without success, and the district was always growing. At the pre&rmt time very good sites could bo got at a very reasonable price. The Maori Hill Borough Council was willing to grant tho temporary ucc of tho Council Chambers, but he thought a fite should be looked for at once. I Mr Grater said that a petition signed by residents of Maori Hill, representing over 100 childre-n, was presented about 12 months ago, and referred by tho board to Inspector Goyen to report, and in his report he Beemed to confine himself to tho question of what relief a school at Maori Hill would give the Kaikorai School. Ho did not apparently consider what the future of the district was likely to be. Since the petition was presented a considerable number of buildings had been erected and occupied in Maori Hill, a number were- in course of erection, and others were about to be started. Tho children of the north end of Rotlyn, adjoining Maori Hil', would, in all probability, bo sent to a school at Maori Hill in preference to Kailccrai Not morn than 10 per cent of the children at Mann Hill went to George, Street Schcol. The parents not only objected to sending their children up and down the hill, but, in th" case of girls, objected to sending th^m through the Town Belt bush. At r-rreer.U over 80 per cent, of tho Maori Hill children hail to pa?.s the site suggested for a school, and' that was fully a mile away from Kaikcrai. It was a cold, exposed road which parents did not like sending young children along, and they could not get home to lunch. Tho other rp«mbers of ilie deputation 6poko in similar term*, and tho board promised to consider thr> oueetion. Mr Mackenzie, M.H.R.. «aid lie tvrn.sidercd tho needs of the Maori Hill d'ftrwt should bi properly attended to. As to accommodation, ihe Kaikorai School was one. of the smallest, relatively. After d ; scus°ion, thp. Rev. P. B. Tracer moved, and it was carried—" That conMdern tion rf tbo. matter be deferred until the boa-d i-c-ro thp chief inspector's report re making movision fcr overcrowding at tho TCaikorai S^ool, in pnr=uanco of tho )C3olution pa.'spd at the pK\ious m^etin<?. nmh. in the lreamtime the board y.^it Ihe district with a view to a^crtaininc: the general requirements in the district in thematter of school accommodation." PTUDENTh' BAtUWAT CONCESSIONS. The Rev. P B. Fraser moved— " That th» boaa-d respectfully ask the Go\e-nmmt to reconsider itj determination to withdraw tho railway oonec^ions at present cr^nt-ed to students from the country attending c'rtam privato ola* s*'}5 *'} in town, and that the members of Parliament for Otago be written to seeking their co-operation and support." Tho movdr said he must ray that the Government had within rrcnit timc^ awakened to the n^ces^ity of helping the country district?, axxl had given considerable

' concessions to pupils of all kinds attending town for educational purposes, which made it harder to understand their preeenfc action. He was sure it was to the advantage of the country as a whole that ©very reasonable facility should bo given for the intellectual improvement of the young people of the community, and as all thpe educational advantages were gathered into the towns it seemed to him that the firct duty of Government should be to do everything possible to give facilities to country people to come to town and get educational benefits ; otherwise the inducement was for these people to throw up the-ir occupation in the country and com* iuto town (where they would probably get less income), because their qhildren required education. He found that pupils caiin-e from all parts of the province to' town for d'ffcrent bubj-ect?, instruction in which th Q y could not get in the country or at any of th^ classes caa-ried on by the Go\e~nm«it, these being held, perhaps, at night. Mr Mackenzie seconded Hie mot'on. Hefound that in the country ki?nn interest v.?s txkf-n in this matter, ajid there «as real anxiety about it among people who sent their children to town. He could not understand why this privilege was being withdrawn, the Ices to considering what America and other countr.e? ucro. doing in tho direction of settling people on the land ajid endeavouring to keep them th-cre. He had aio doubt that, if approached on the subject, members of Parliament would rr.a'ce a strong stand against the proposed withdrawal. The motion was put and carried unanimously. OWAKA COiniITTEE ELECTION. Mr Henry Tobin, chainnaa of Owaka. householders' meeting, wrote stating that at the meeting on April 27 ho was not in pos-s-ossion of a copy of the plan of thei Owaka school district boundaries, but, having obtakred. one, ho found that Mr Thomas Baxr, who was present and voted, did not reside in the school district, and 1-ad no family. With referc'iics to one of the committee elected not being eligible, he reported that Mr Sharp, the member in question, previously resided at Balchitha. On. or about January 13, 1903, he purchased a house at Owaka, which was occupied by his son and a main in his employ. Mr Sharp and the remainder of his family resided in the house as from February 11. The Secretary pointed out that, according to the regulations, it was not necessary for the board to upset an election unless grave irregularities calculated to affect the result of the election were proved. After somo discussion ami a division, it was decided to uphold the election of tho committee. NOTICE OF MOTION. The Rev. P. B. Fraeer gave not'ee of motion— " That the scholarship regulations bo amended with a view of offering for competition annually two scholarships for pupi-ltf attending schools of only one teacher, and that the sanction of the Minister of Education b» sought for altering the regulations accordingly." This concluded the busineee.