OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD

Otago Witness, Issue 2902, 27 October 1909, Page 16

OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD

The monthly meeting of the Otago Education Board waa commenced on the 20th ; present — tfoa Hon. Thomas Fergus (chairman), Messrs D. Borne, A. M'Kcrrow, W. Scott, G. C. Israel, James Mitchell. T. Fleming, W Snow, and the Rev. P. B. Fraser WOEKS COMMITTEE. The Works Committee that the following claims for half-cost of improvements to buildings be granted : — Romahapa, asphalting, etc. (£ll 3s GdJ i; - Taieri Beach, renewing, fencing, etc. (£2 10s). That the architect be instructed to carry out the repairs to the following school buildings recommended by him: — Glanomara, Maheno, Totara, Pukeiwitahi, Stirling, Oamaru South, Oamaru North. Matau. Bald Hill. Warepa, Roxburgh, Ettriek, Balclutha, Lawrence. Kaikorai, ahd Training College That the present Waifcapeka School b» taken down and reerectod according to approved plans, and that as much of the old material as is good be used in the re-erection of the buildings. That application be made lo the department for the sum of money necessary for providing a new residence at Soutlibridge. That application be made to the department for a grant for an addition to the Tuapeka Mouth residence, as it is nowoccupied by a married man. That con- - aide-ration of the application for the erection of a play-shed at Evan's Flat be post.That consideration of the Rae's Junction application for an addition to the - residence be deferred That application for repairs to the Reomoana residence be deferred. That the old Fairfield School building be granted to the committee on , oondition that the proceeds, if it is cold, *be spent on improvements to th« school property; if the buildings are retained by the committee, that they ai« to be fitted up for the purpose intended without any assistance from th« board. That the Leith Valley application for the supply of water fromNichol's Creek, at a cost of £10 10s, be referred to the architect . for report. That tho Waipori Committee be authorised to cell the old fencing material round the glebe, the proceeds to b<? spent in improving the school ground In connection with the applications for additional infant accommodation at th« NirtV'-'East Va!l#v, Forbury, and Caversham PpVsoo!", thp c<^7r>mittee recommcd^H rh?t tho j.^.--i 'i- information be obtr.irod .-,:.il 'h '• n •• ••< formation aid npr>'!<~3 f i-'T •-■ -.i.'i'. i <\ th« deportment F'> uh»'t '>r .iii.--' * » < ' i> ii-, were: That apu 1 !' _' ir>" 1> ■ -.v • • > i I ! •= Minister for acMit'onnl •>' .'ii.'n'ii-.ii ii t Patearoa School Tl-: ; > l-'.w-.n of Messrs M'PJiT'^n .«iai ■ ••>"•!- ••> i r •) jrrant of £S for thp rt'-.r;. - ' f,f <>^<ninir the rieht-of-wov *>t Poii I h ■[,<<*<- o<-!>oolo <-!>ool ba declined Tint th*» Wo=t T^ arbour Borough Council be aerain anuroac-h^d in connection with thp drainaere- of tho euhort at tbe St. Leonards Pr-hool. and t.har it hs asked to jrive the necessary outlet for the drainage from tho board's property. That the Fairfax Scliool CommiLtee be supplied with a copy of the architect's rej^ort in connection with the d rains «r>? of the school That Mr Wilson's offer of £2 per annum for lease of old Tahakopa School site b>3 accepted. The report was adopted. HILLE.VD APPLICATION. A d<iput?rion from t.he ««t«-l«>r3 of H!"end district (Messrs J. Corrisran and J. ■ Little, which steted. inter pi«. tlv<* i> was the fourth on the same subi3ct, a^ked the board to shift th» Adam's Flat School to a more central ooeition ; or, thov pointed out. tb<» case would be met by shifting the J-Till^nd School two miles and the Stony Creek Pcbool the same distance, central :=- intr them boMi. At, prpc.">nf th<>rp wmv» 22 rhildren at tha Hillsnd School. 11 of whom had ■" d:«tance of four miles aid "-half to travel ovor very b*>d roads, wh'le th n oth^r 11 had only a mile to ti*av»?l over good roads. FORB^nY PfHOOr. A deputation from thp Forbury Pr-hool Corr-niitr^e broug-ht hofore tiia bra r 'l an application for additional nceoinmodatioii for infants at the school. The Chairman (Mr A. Harvey) soid thot the district was growintr very raiiifllv. anil so waf> ih^ 1 scb^ol — >°spociaHv the infant d»partrn«»nt. The infant roll on OctoK-r T) 1908, was ? 7 «. Rnd on October 15, 1109. it was 306. ISiffhty-onp of those pupils were in a room SOft by 23ft. and the remninina 225 nupils in three rooms, one of which «is 39ft by 22ft, and the other two each 16ft by 15ft. This nwant nn air (space of six square feet, instead <^f 10 sqiinre feet, as nrepcribed. The Hon. Mr Fergus sa;d .that the board had received similar applications fraui Cavcsham and North-East Vailev. and was obtaining information. The increasing- of school accommodation rested wftl> the department, not with tho board. The svmnathieH of t.he board w-er* with the ohildron. " but ' the deDart-nent objected to schools over a certain size. OEXKP * t The Tapanui Conunittee" a-pplied to the

board for the full cost of carrying out draina.ge works at the school. The work was urgent, and the committee was unable to raisj half its co^t, a-3 usually required in such plasas. — The Chairman, explaining the position, said that an article h^ad appeared in a newspaper slating the board for not attending to this matser of drainage. As a matter of fac> the watercourse or drain complained of carried a portion of the sd wage of the township, and h© was not sure that tbe school drained into it to anj' extent at all. He read an opinion from the board's solictor on the subject. As. practically, only the soakpge from the urinals reached the creek, he was going to suggest that they should endeavour to 00-cp.rate with the Borough Council and the school committee with a view to remedying matters further up the creek. As for th-e newspaper's statements they -w-jre a long: l>asxde the question, an<l -w^eire l not born out by the facts at all. — Messrs M'Kerrow, Fraser, and Fleming were appointed a comiiiitice to visit Tapanui and m.ik-e the bent arrangements possible with the Borough Council and School Committee. The Geoi-^e Street School Committee asked that tfo board pay rates on t-ha gymnasium. — Declined? The Reserves Conservation Society wrote asking- that something- be done to improve , th«s appearance of the old school site in Stuart street. —A commifctos (Messrs Scott, \ Israel, MiroheU, and Fraser) was set up ! to inquire into the position of this site, and see whether it could not ba put to a better purpose than at present. Mrs Parsons, who drives the Waikerikeri children to school at C!v*te. wrote asking that 6he be paid a fixed sum — the present system, of tain? paid aocordinig to thenumber of children carried was very unsatisfactory. — It was agreed that fthe beard had no power to do as l-equ^sted. Three applications frcm three places in Wa.ita.ki County within a. short distance of P'aci) other— Tapui. Kauroo, and Balri»ddery — for tho ostablishrnenit of a school, wvm-a referral to the Inspector for report. Tfoa Inspectors reported as follow* on the rpcomm^nflation of Mia Farmerrs* Union that poiipiks of Standard VI be examined in tih<»ir own schools: "We have nothing to arVl fco what we have more than once rcnortfld to the boa.rd on this question. We or>D<jsed t.h-» mowinent for oantr^l oxnminarions at the er-d of the year, anji w^» are 'till of opinion that t.be sv.-iem fr»af« cirenm-sitai.oe'! tbpt are unfavourable to tha examinees. esneciaJlv to examinees from country schools." — The report was aipprovod of. Thp Education Department wrote sfat- ••■>•'• ihitf +he board lv as authorised *-o i-fis-r-o<er-o<e of t!'? teache'-'s rosidencf at Waitahurm to tho be«t advantn^e. Thp leacher would be srranf-pd hcus? allownnc from tV"> on which he vacates th<* hons°. — Mr Frasor oiijor-teri to <h" pronosal. and it was aaie-Kl that tbe whole matter be referred to a commit t«v» to forsid'"' th« matter and remrt to th" bi-ird the follov-ino- dnv A number of matters r^quirins: nrivile <l!f>u«-=ion w<"-p r^alt with in c-o mnr.it tee, and t'le board adjourned. ,♦ — — — SECOND DAT. The monthK nwpiing- th<» Education Board wa.s cr-ntmu<vl on Thursday, and was attended bj (he Hon. Thcs Fergus Mes-=.-s D. P.orrie. A. MK^now. W. Poott. G C) T^iae!. .7*? Mik-heM. D. T. Fleming, XV. Snow, ami tho Rev P. B. Fr.i^or W^ITAIIUKA RESIDENCE Th-e committee v*t up tho jirevious day to report on the i>o<=ition of the Waifcihuna po«id<>nce. made the following recommendations :— That VfhUe apnrovinc: of the principle of making a bouse allowance in li^u of a residence for h-eod mn=t/>r.s of city schools, tha board stronsK" disapproves of inakliis: the princii'l" applicable to counfry discricrs, where it is impcs-rbl« for country teachers to command a i<~>i^n"<> for th--? amount "ranted for lioufo allowance. The board i<= stronsrlv of opinion that it i^ ahsolulely essential to nrovios a permanent school re»id<Micp for Waitaliuna, and since tin* Minister has ordered tho sal? of the present r^vdep.ce, as uspIo?? f»'r its purpose, the board renews its application for funds for a now rosidenoe, or for th<» jiurrhase of tho residence und?v offer lo the board. The Roy. Mr Fraspr sjioke slron^y -iq^iin.st tho practice of married country teachers beinsr foroed' to accept, a house allowance of £30 in liou of a re«klenc<». It meant a distinct ticcreasa in the emoluments of th<« teacher, who wa.s much better off with a hou<w. jrlob?, parden, fte., than with a. house wherever he could ret it. It meant that fceachors would be di9oourncred from poinpr into the country. A residence was very neoessary at Waitahuna. Tho i>eoomm<>ndations were adopted. PI'.FE SOItOOL-BOOKS In accordance with notice of motion {riven. Mr Friiser moved, ond it was re6olved—" That in view of the introduction

of the system of the supply of free schorl books by the department, it be referred to the inspectors to report to the board as to whether any or what changes shoulrl b? made in the books at present in use, arid that the Teach-ars' Institute also bo given an opportunity to express irs opinion on the question." ATPOINTMEXTS AND EESIGNATIONS. The following resignations were accepted: — Margaret Newlands, sole teacher. Kartigi; Isa M. M'Kenzie. sole teacher. Hindon Railway; Janet H. FarquharsonT sole teacher, Broad Bay; Christina Campbell, sole teacher. Maruimato; Marion S. Loan, mistress, Tapanui ; J. W. Loclcart, second assistant, Kaitangara ; Thos. G, Robertson, second assistant. Naseby. Th'i following appointments were confirmed: — J." W. Loekart. head master, Matakanui; Caroline S. Marshall, sole teacher, Tahatika ; Christina Campbell, sole teacher, Merton ; Jessie J. M. M'lntosh. sole teacher, Saddle Hill; Margaret Newlands. mistress. Fiagswamp : Lily M Cornish, mistress. Miller's Flat; Janet H. Farquharson. sixth assistant, Macandrew Road; Thos. G. Robertson, second assistant, Balclutha; Edwin Howard, sole teacher, Waipori.