EDUCATION BOARD

Otago Witness, Issue 3333, 30 January 1918, Page 25

EDUCATION BOARD

The monthly meeting of the Otago Education Board was opened on Wednesday, and was attended by Messrs D. T. Fleming (chairman), J. iioru, J. (Smith, J. Wallace, Vv. R. Brugh, D. Borne, R. H. Todd, G. Livingstone, 3. H. Wilkinson, and r. M'Kiniay. The board passed a resolution expressing its sympatny with Inspector Bossence in the loss he had sustained in the death ot his wife, and a similar resolution regarding Inspector Lynskey, whose lather had recently passed away. The committee of the Moa Creek School reported that 'the untenced area of the school glebe was eight acres. It had received a tender for leasing the same at £4 10s per annum, and asked the board to erect the fencing. —The. Moa Creek Committee to forward a report of the estimated cost of fencing the area. The Canterbury Education Board wrote asking the board to support it in urging the Education Department to prepare standardised plans ot school buildings suitable for each education district.—After discussion, a resolution was parsed to the effect that the board Could not see its way clear to agree with the Canterbury, board's views. The tenant of the school residence at Mosgiel wrote asking . permission to .continue occupancy of the same. —Agreed to. Robert M'Gettigan, Bald Hill Flat, wrote asking permission to graze a few sheep on the school glebe.—The application was granted. The teacher at Inch Valley wrote askingpermission to let the school glebe for a year.—Permission granted. The Education Department forwarded copies of the War. Bursary regulations, and asked that information regarding them be widely circulated. —It was decided that a copy be sent to all head masters. The head master .of the Middle School, Oamaru, was grantexl permission to let his residence for a few weeks on the usual conditions. The Education Department wrote intimating that it was of opinion that the attendance of primary school pupils should not be materially interfered with in order to enable the pupils to engage in harvesting work. —The letter was received. The Education Department forwarded a memorandum regarding the regulations under the Statute Law Amendment Act, also, regulations respecting grade O schools and the status of temporary teachers.— After discussion a committee, consisting of Messrs Brugh, M'Kiniay, and Horn, was appointed to draft a report in regard to the regulations. The Christchurch Navy League wrote stating that an art union was being held for two copies of the " Navy Book of Fairy Tales," in aid of the Royal Naval Orphan Homes in Britain. The league asked the board's approval for sending books of tickets to head masters of schools in Otago for disposal. It was explained that the two books had been sent to hie Excellency the Governor from England, to bo disposed of in aid of the homes mentioned.—lt was resolved that the Christchurch League bo informed that the board could not seo its way to support the proposal. It was pointed out that it would be bad policy to allow art union tickets to be sent to schools to be disposed of. The Education Department forwarded the results of the junior and senior sections of the national sohokrships. The result showed that 46 junior scholarships had been gained this year, as against 33 in the previous year, and 22 senior scholarships, as against 16 in the previous year. The percentage for junior scholarships had this year been increased from 62£ per cent, to 63£ per cent., and the percentage for seniors had been lowered from .65 per cent, to 63. The report was received, and the scholarships awarded in accordance therewith. KITCHENJSB MEMOBIAL SCHOLARSHIP. The following communication Was received from Dr Anderson, Director of Education: — "Through the generosity of Colonel the Hon. R. Hcaton Rhodes, M.P., who has given the sum of £lO<X) as a nucleus for the purpose, scholarships to be ■ known as Kitchener Memorial Scholarships have been established, open to the competition of the sons of New Zealand soldiers who have been on active service during the present war. "It was at first intended that the scholarships should bo devoted to the purpose of training naval or military cadets, but after exhaustive inquiry this view had to be abandoned on account of the excessive cost of such training and for other reasons. MiRhodes subsequently decided that the scholarships should be essentially agricultural in character, and should provide for the poetical and scientific training of young men, the sons of soldiers, in agriculture or dairy science. It is hoped to award the

first scholarship this year, and to arrange for the successful candidate (if any) to enter early in 1918 on a course of training at Lincoln College or one of the State agricultural farms. " The scholarships are to be offered in the first place to those young men between the ages of 16 and 20 who have completed a course in agriculture or dairy science at recognised technical classes and have been engaged for at least a year in practical farming or dairying; but if there is no candidate with these qualifications then the scholarships will be offered to boys who have completed a two years' agricultural course at a secondary school, district high school, or technical high school. " The scholarships are of the annual value of £SO, and are tenable for two or three years at an agricultural college or a Government experimental farm such as Weraroa. In the selection of candidates special -'stress is to be laid on the results of examination in agriculture or dairy science and other subjects usually deemed essential to an agricultural course suitable for pupils of secondary school age. " The purposes of the scholarships will doubtless commend themselves to all. They are established to the memory of the late Lord Kitchener, who probably did _ more than any other man for the Empire in the early stages of the present struggle, and the intention ia to provide a training of a very practical kind for the sons of soldiers who have done their part in defence of their country. It has, therefore, been decided to appeal to the public for subscriptions to augment the sum of £IOOO given by Colonel Rhodes. Already a further sum •of £260 has been promised, and as the Government has undertaken to subsidise these further gifts at the rate of pound for pound up to a maximum of £IOOO. it is confidently hoped that the public, and more particularly those interested in agricultural and pastoral pursuits,, will respond generously. The Director of Education. "Wellington, who, with Colonel Rhodes, is a trustee of the scholarship fund, will be glad to receive and acknowledge subscriptions for the purpose." The letter was received, and the board decided to express its satisfaction with the proposed conditions and commend the scheme to school committees and the general public.

SECOND DAY. Tho meeting of the Otago Education Board was continued on Thursday morning; present—Messrs D. T. Fleming (in the chair), P. M'Kinlay, J. H. Wilkinson, R. H. Todd, D. Rorrie, W. R. Btugh, J. Wallace, J. Smith, and J. Horn. On the motion of the chairman a vote of sympathy was carried with the relatives of Oswald James Smith (Wylie's Crossing), a late student of .the Training College, who had been killed in action. Mr Fleming added 'that this was the second son of the family to be killed. RESIGNATIONS AND APPOINTMENTS. The following resignations were accepted : Francis W. Foote, sole teacher, Blue Spur ; Lily D. Robertson, sole teacher, Greenfield ; G. F. O'ulds, sole teacher, Tahakopa; Susannah Hunter, sole teacher, Tuapeka Flat; Flora Greer, sole teacher, Waipori ; Isabella T. Currie, first assistant, Seacliff; Alice .Blair, . second assistant, Naseby; Louisa F. Cameron, fourth assistant, Musselburgh ; Jano B. Coutts, pupil teacher, Palmerston. The following appointments were confirmed :—John M'N.' Nicolson, head master, Balclutha; Francis W. Foote, head master, Blue Spur (new appointment); Winifred M. George, sole teacher, Bald Hill (new appointment) • Jane L. W. Thompson, sole teacher, Kyeburn (new appointment); Fannie M. Haigh, solo teacher, Tahatika (vice Minnie Eason, transferred); Beryl Steven, first assistant, Totara (vice Isabella Noone, promoted); Mary Jane Aitchison, pupil teacher, Morning'ton; Alice May Naismith, pupil teacher, Mornington; Hazel Maban Bell, pupil teacher, Owaka; Norman Moore Tyrrell, pupil teacher, Mornington REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS. In 1 regard to the Kartigi School, the Architect recommended the removal of the unused room from the Hampden School and the erection of a new residence. —Adopted. The Otekaiko School Committee wrote asking that the committee itself be allowed to purchase material for fencing, and that the money granted by the board bo handed to the committee. —Tho Architect said he could not make any recommendation in favour of these proposals.—lt was decided that the board should supply the material. With regard to the repairing of the boundary fence at the Waitahuna West School, it was decided that the board would carry out the fencing, but the work might be left till after the harvest. THE TAHAKOPA SCHOOL. A demitation representing the petitioners for tho* removal of the lahakopa School to the vicinity of the railway station waited on the board. Dr S. Allen, who acted as the principal speaker, reviewed tho whole position in regard to the agitation that has taken place regarding the removal of this school, and stated that party feeling was running fairly high. The new site on which the deputation desired to have the school built had been presented by Dr King, and, apart from its suitability as a building site, it occupied a most central position. It was a rather remarkable thing that no fewer than nine of the children of the petitioners against the shifting of the school would benefit by its removal, while 22 children out of a total of 30 would bo brought nearer tho school. Forty-two children were represented by the deputation, and of that number 24 were above the ago of five vears, and would have to go to school in the near future. On the other hand, the new school would be further away for only seven children. The speaker added that the public hall, which was close to the proposed new site, would probably bo available for school purposes for a time, and it had tho advantage of being a much larger building than the old school: Mr H. J. Mullen (secretary of the school committee) was the other member of the deputation, and ho also spoke strongly in favour of the removal of the school. The deputation then retired. In connection with this matter the board also had before it a largely-signed protest against the prooosal to shift the school. < "The board decided to defer consideration until next meeting. GENERAL. Mr Horn moved that a committee, consisting of the chairman, the mover, the senior inspector, and tho principal of the Training College, bo nppointed to bring up a report regarding the practice of teachers and tho feasibility of providing additional training for uncertificated teachers in the country.—The mover said the matter had been brought under his notice by .a

clause in tho Train ing College report. What he desired was to bring tho country teachers into closer touch with city methods, with a view to placing them in a better position in regard to tho carrying on of their schools.—The motion was "carried. It was decided to ask for the authority of the Minister to distribute tho supplementary grant for committees' incidentals on the same basis as that on which the board's recent bonus was distributed. The Secretary reported that Messrs Forrester (Pukouri) and N. Y. Smith /fourth assistant. Caversham) woidd leave for cuiid on April 30 and February 1" respectively. Mr A. G. Melville was appointed auditor of the school committees' accounts for the year 1917.