HIGH SCHOOL CONTROL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19044, 18 June 1936, Page 11

HIGH SCHOOL CONTROL

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

.MONTHLY MEETING!

The monthly meeting of the Gisborne High School Board of Governors was held last evening, when there were present Messrs. W. G. Sherratt, in the chair, J, 11. Sunderland, H. 11. Baker, H. E. Bright, T. Todd, 11. 11. De Costa, F. W. Nolan, and Or. A. L. Singer. A letter was received from Mr. J. R. Kirk, Wellington, advising tho board that lie had forwarded a framed copy of a portrait of His late Majesty King George V as a gift to the school.—The secretary, Mr. C. 11. Bull, Mas instructed to thank -Mr. Kirk. Tho Director of Education, Mr. N. T. Lainboiinio, advised that the Governor-General, Lord Galway, upon the recommendation of the Minister of Education, the lion. P. Eraser, had reappointed Dr. A. L. Singer as a member of the Board of Governors, —The let lor was received.

Miss E. M. McCarthy was appointed to take charge of A.vton House, in place of Miss E. E. Stephens, who recently resigned. In reply to a suggest ion that the staff committee's appointments should be confirmed by the board before being announced in the press, Mr. Nolan pointed out that the board had appointed the committee to facilitate matters and members had placed full confidence in the ability of the committee to act on the board's behalf. It was pointed out also that a considerable period might elapse between the time of the appoint merit and the board's next meeting. If was agreed thai each member should be posted with the staff committee's report immediately any .future appointments were made.

4U-IIOUR WEEK On the motion of Mr. Nolan, it was decided to write to the Department of Education inquiring what the position was With regard to the board's employees, such as caretakers and others, in view of the recently-passed 10-hour week regulations. Stating that complaints had been voiced with regard lo the bullying practices of some boys at the school, Mr. Baker' said he raised the subject so that he would be in a position to make a reply.—The rector, Mr. J. Hutton, said he knew of nothing of that nature at the .school; ho far as a recent incident in which a boy suffered a broken leg was coneerneu, it was simply a play-ground accident. Boys were inclined to be thoughtless at times, but any bullying that, the, masters or himself came across would bo severely dealt with.

The following was the statement of receipts and payments for the month: —Bank balance sit May 20, credit £llß2 12s 2d. Receipts: Government grants, £O7O 13s Id; rent, ,Cfi6 14s Sd; evening technical classes, £7l; fees, £42 its 3d; sundries. £7 His :id; total receipts, £BSB Lis ."id. Total credit, £2041 5s fid. Payments: School, salaries and wages, £(vs Bs, sundries, £12,1 (is 2d; evening technical classes, £ls; rectory, £144 9s sd; Ayton House, £B6 lis; total payments," £lO4l 17s lid. Bank balance at June 17, credit, £!)!((! 7s (id.—The report was adopted. Accounts amounting to £l4.'} 15s Id were passed for payment, while confirmation was given for payments totalling £S42 10s 2d. GROUNDS AND BUILDINGS Tho grounds and buildings committee, Messrs. Nolan and Todd, which visited flic school and Rectory on June 10, reported: —"The alterations to the public rooms of Iho school which are at present being carried out when completed will prove a great convenience. Tho committee recommended that Representations for a grant for additional accommodation which the department has agreed is necessary should be made to the district member. The rector suggested that it would be of interest to the board members if a visit could be paid to tho school at a time when the cooking and other workshop rooms were in use. i:i view of the fact that certain fur nishiiigs at Ayton House arc the property of the teachers who are now leaving, tho committee recommended approval of an expenditure of about £lO towards furnishing tho sittingrooms for the incoming teachers." —. The recommendations were adopted.

RECTOR'S REPORT. The rector reported for the period ending dune 14:— "The school roll is 505, made up of 280 boys and 2.11 girls. We are in process of settling down to our new oiganisation of diverse courses. The distribution of pupils over the various courses has not been such as to make for simple time-table arrangements, and has been heavy in its demands upon stalling. In a secondary school the sixth form, requiring as it does the services of a teacher for very few pupils, subtracts a good deal of teaching power from the other forms; in a technical high school the small groups constituting less than a full .class in some departments have the same effect. In n combined school such as ours is becoming, the strain comes from both directions and is very wasteful of stalling, besides making some classes, large and difficult. "Varied types of facility will provo of great advantage in the long run, but the transition period is decidedly arduous. These difficulties will De minimised when a distribution of! pupils over the various courses is secured, which approximates to that existing in a largo centre of population where varied types of courses have been available over a long period, "It is to be hoped that our pro gross will not be impeded by any unduly long delay in granting tho further building extensions we are seeking. Any further increase in roll number for next year will create very serious difficulties if no rooms nro available, apart from the restrictions upon development in science and agriculture, which our present laboratory accommodation imposes. The need of ':.i new typing room, too, will be acutely felt when new machines begin lo arrive.

"While considering our own development it is interesting to noto that the liberalising and broadening of the curriculum of the secondary school was accorded a most prominent place among the present-day needs by the, Secondary Schools Association Conference this year. Concurrently the need for a better training for citzenship in a very complicated world was enm'-asised, and the great importance of libraries as a means of supple-

ir.ontiug and assisting teaching was .stressed.

"Our seating problem has been solved by the provision of new desks, while our library and staff room accommodation will bo much better when the present changes are complete."