EDUCATION BOARD

Otago Witness, Issue 3250, 28 June 1916, Page 3

EDUCATION BOARD

I The meeting of the Otago Education ■ Eduoation Board, held on the 21st, was attended by Messrs D. T. Fleming (chairmrfh), Borric, Livingstone, Brugh, Wallace, Smith, Mitchell, and M'&inlay. j DEPUTATIONS. A deputation of four settlers from Clifton Tails (Balruddery district), waited on the : board to urge the necessity of the cstablishj ment of a school at Maruakoa instead oi at I Five Forks, as at present proposed. Messrs j Cowie and Pearce acted as spokesmen. Mr I Cowie said the number on the roil at the ! present household school at Maruakoa was j 12, and the recent average attendance was I over 10. The settlers Were willing to erect | a small school at a cost of £l4O, or to give pound for pound up fo £275, for the building of a school at Maruakoa, and io do thij carting for it. and to have it regarded as a household school. The number of children of school ago, or under it, affected by the Five Forks School was 25, and the number of children of school age-, or under it, available for the Maruakoa .School was 37. Mr Poarco stated that the Five Forks School would be quite out of reach for him, and for others, aa it was 7j or eight miles distant. —After discussion, Air Mitchell moved that the settlers be asked to put their offer of £l4O and carting for a seiiool at Maruakoa in writing, on receipt of this the department to be requested to sanction the grant for the remainder of the cost. —Mr M'Kinlaj moved aa an amendment that consideration of the mutter be held over for a month, and this was carried on the casting vote of the chairman. It was further decided to request the Maruakoa settlers to put their offer in writing in tho meantime. MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS. I The claim for a subsidy of half cost of ' asphalting at Concord was granted. i Tho application from tho Moa Flat Committee for additions to the teacher's residence was declined.

The architect wa« instructed to report on the teacher's application for renovation to tho residence at Clark's Flat. Tho application a; the Tapanui School Committee for the cost of repairs to the piayshed was granted. With reference to the Pukotiro Committee's application for a new chimney, the architect's recommendation that tho neces sary material be supplied was approved. ; The application of the Ratauui Committee : for repairs to buildings and improvements to ground wag granted. ! The teacher's application for repairs to 1 pipes and drainage at Kelso was granted. Tho application for an asphalt path at tho . Oamaru Middle ißehool was declined. i Proposed repairs to playshed and channelling at Ravensbourne were approved. i The application for renovation at teachers j residence at Purekireki was granted. I It was decided to refer the Nugget Point : Committee's application for a porch and : chimney to the Marine Department. ! Tho application of the Wakari Committee J for the installation of a septic tank system ' at the school was declined. ! The architect was instructed to report, later : on the installation of electric light in the teacher's residence at St. Leonards. The renewed request of the Bannockburn Committee for a piece of land to be secured j as an extension of the playground was left in the hands of the chairman with power to act. The renewed application from Kin Ora for increased accommodation was declined. Tho architect was instructed to report on tho application from Glenomaru for the removal of a bridge, piping of a creek, and | repairs to outhouses. j The Clutha Timber Company, Knhuika, I was granted the right to lay a tramway : through the school reserve and to fell timber ; on it on certain conditions, but the board ; declined to lease the re.-'.erve to tho company. COMMITTEE ELECTIONS CHALLENGED Tho Chairman reported on the protest of I Mr I. Hurring against the legality of the j election of the Tautuku Committee, lie i stated that tho meeting was held in camera, ; and was not a public meeting at all. It was decided to declare tho election void and to 1 call a meeting to elect a. fresh committee. 1 A protest wns received from 35 lioiiscI holders of tho Tokoiti district against the proi ceodings at tho recent school committee election held on Juno 12. Tho grounds of objection were that tho chairman had not been ' properly appointed, and that his rulings had been unjust and irregular. After further

correspondence on the matter had been considered it was decided to uphold the election and to appoint Mr Milburn to fill tho vacancy on tho committee.

SECOND DAY. The meeting of the Otago Education Board, continued on Thursday, was attended by Messrs U. T. Fleming (chairman), Borrie, Livingstone, Brugh, Wallace, Smith, Mitchell, and M'Kinlay. GENERAL. The tender of Mr Alexander Craig for £7 10s for tho leaso of the Goodwood School glebo was accepted. The agricultural instructors reported the result of school gardening competitions as follows: —Potatoes, Benhar 1 and 2, Beaumont 3 and 4. The silver cup for most points in pansy, carrot, parsnip, onion, and potato competitions was awarded to Benhar School, which also won Messrs M'Skimming and Son's prizo (garden vases) for the best kept garden. It was notified that Mr James Hendry (chief inspector for tho Southland Education Board) had been sent by the department to take over the work of Mr Robertson until tho end of the year. Mr Hendry, who was present, was formally welcomed and introduced to members of the beard. RESIGNATIONS AND APPOINTMENTS. The following resignations were accepted: Isabella J. Eskdale, sole teacher, Inehoime; Mary H. C. Foster, sole teacher, Lowburn; Florence Blaney, sole teacher, Pukema; Frances M. Fegans, solo teacher, Pukepito; Mrs Helen 0. Debcnham, sole teacher, Whare Flat; Martin Cowan, first assistant, Tokomairiro District High School; Alice A. Wood, first assistant, Tokarahi; Reba R. G. M. Espie, se'eond assistant, Waitahuna; Sarah J. Hogg, third assistant, Mosgiel; William 11. Spiers, third assistant, Kaitangata; Ellen E. Eraser, fifth assistant, Kaitangata; Mary 11. E. Gordon, junior assistant, Mornington; Olive A. Halligan, pupil teacher, Musselburgh. The following appointments were made: Reba R. G. M. Espie, sole teacher, Kakapuaka, vice W. C. Pottinger, resigned; Isabella J. Eskdale, sole teacher, Crookston, vice J. H. Farquharson, transferred; Geo. 1.5. Couch, sole teacher, Purekireki, vice I. F. Elliott, transferred; Margaret J. C. Aitkin, sole teacher, Morton, vice Sophia Ross, promoted; Florence Blaney, sole teacher, Pukcti, vice Elizabeth D. Smith, resigned; Isabella F. Elliott solo teacher, Hooper's Inlet, vice 11. M. Hunter, resigned ; Bedford P. Moodie, third assistant, Albany Street, vice Wm. Phillips, promoted; Ellen F. Eraser, first assistant, Owaka, vice Bertha J. Woodhouse, resigned; Ada M R. Willocks, second assistant, Owaka, vice Mary J. Viokers, resigned; Arthur J. Deaker, pupil teacher, Musselburgh, vice Olive A. Halligan, resigned; Leiiy M. Lynn, pupil teacher, Concord, new appointment. EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE MATTERS. A deputation consisting of Messrs W. Davidson and J. Jeffcry, from the Educational Instil ute, waited on tho board to ask that the board, through its. officials, should collect the annual subscriptions due to the institute.—The request was agreed to. SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS. The following commissioners wero appointed in districts which failed to elect school committees:—Chatto Creek, Messrs D Kinney and G. Aemiith; Dunrobin, Messrs W.'Caffel and J. Edgar; Glenkenich, Messrs A. Stuari and J. Black; Goodwood, Messrs A Craig and J. 11. Cunningham; Efartigi, Messrs D. J. Ross and W. S. D. Trotter; Maungatua, Messrs A. M'Diarmid and T. Gordon 1 ; Moeraki, Messrs J. C. Edmonstcn and .T. Munro; Wanaka, Messrs R J Halliday and C. J. Morris; Pukema, Messrs k. Wiison and H. J. Cuttancc. At Matau 'lie committee was one short, and Mr R. Knox was appointed.