BOARD OF EDUCATION.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 8133, 17 January 1895, Page 3

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

The ordinary meeting of the Board of Education for the month was held to-day. Present—Mr S, W. Goldsmith (chairman) Revs. G. Barclay and J. White, Messrs M. Gray, W. B. Howell, J. Talbot, J. Jackson. chairman’s statement. The chairman reported the resignation of Miss I. Miller, of Wai-iti, and a serious indisposition of Mr Ross. Ashwick Flat, several appointments of pupil teachers and of Mrs Wilson as sewing mistress at Hakateramea. Mr V. Graham has been sent to Pakihi as locum tenens. Tenders for several building works would be presented to-day. waimate high school. Mr Talbot moved, pursuant to notice, “ That the Waimate High School Board of Governors be asked to increase the amount of their contribution in aid of the teaching staff of the Waimate District High School to an amount equal to the extra cost involved in maintaining the school as a district high school over and above that of a primary one of a similar status as to attendance.” Mr Talbot described the constitution of the school, and stated that it costs this Board on an average about £l3O a yearabove what it would as an ordinary primary school. Without questioning at present the policy of establishing district high schools, he was prepared to show that they should not maintain one at Waimate, as there was an endowed high school board there, empowered to make an arrangement with this Board instead of establishing a school of their own. This arrangement had been made, but the High School Board were only paying a portion of the cost of the secondary education, and were accumulating funds, instead of expending their revenues as they ought to do, in supporting the secondary teacher. If they prefer to erect a school of their own well and good, but the board being in existence and having sufficient revenue of their own, it was unfair that they should save their funds at the expense of the primary system. Mr Barclay pointed out that the motion only asked a question, and the discussion of the general policy was premature. That should come after the reply. Mr Talbot explained that the motion was intended to show that an affirmative answer was looked for. Mr Howell seconded the motion, on the ground that the Waimate Board ought to support the secondary school, as they have the funds. Mr White supported the motion, considering it unfair to other schools, as Geraldine and Pleasant Point, which had a better claim as there was no local provision for secondary education. Mr Barclay had no objection to asking

the question, but there should be no foregone conclusion as to what they would do if the request was refused. Their discussion was premature. Mr M. Gray also supported the motion on the ground that the governors ought to contribute the extra cost instead of accumulating funds. The motion was carried. It was stated that the extra cost averages about £l3O per annum and the governors contribute £75. architect’s report. Mr E. M. Blake reported on visits to certain schools where building works were to be carried out. He had observed that the custom of the building trade here would require some departures from the specifications, but these would not affect the amount of tenders before the board. TRUANCY. Mr Barclay presented the report of the committee appointed to look into the matter of appointing truant officers, and explained what steps could be taken in different cases. The report was as follows“ The Act is intended for the administration solely of the school committees. Ample maehineiy is provided and adequate authority is conferred on committees to enforce the attendance at school of all children, subject to certain exemptions affecting age, distance, instruction elsewhere, etc. The board nave authority, if they choose to exercise it, to appoint persons to act instead of the ‘ clerks’ of committees, or any ‘ members’ thereof, in giving notices, instituting prosecutions, etc. Such officers are called ‘ truant officers,’ but while appointed by the boards they are to be the servants, apparently, of the committee, and to receive all.instruetion from them. Nothing was said as to how, or by whom, such truant officers are to be paid, whether on the basis of any results, or whether by committees or boards, but all penalties recovered are to go to the school committees. With respect to the particular case of Timaru and surrounding districts we recommend that the board accede to the request of the Timaru Main School Committee, and to appoint a truant officer or officers whose duties shall extend to all schools within a certain district (the police trooper’s district) and including the schools at Timaru, Washdyke, Fail-view, Kingsdown, Wai-iti, and Pareora. The committee of the of the Main School, Timaru, we are informed, is prepared to- hand over to the board all the penalties recovered by it. Should the board appoint a truant officer, we are prepared from enquiries made to make a recommendation as to person and salary, both satisfactory in our opinion. We further recommend that at the end of twelve months the expediency or otherwise of continuing a truant officer in the above district be reconsidered on the basis of reports and statistics, (to be supplied by the truant officers and the various committees) as to the result arrived at. As to truant officers elsewhere we recommend the Board to await representations from the various committees and to decide on each case as it comes up. It addition to the penalty in the old Act for non-atten-dance, there is a new and stringent penalty in the new Act, for irregularity of attendance, 2s per week for every failure to attend six times out of ten.”

Mr Barclay remarked that the offer of the Timaru Committee to hand over to the Board all fines recovered, to go towards the expense of paying an officer or officers for their district, was a very liberal one. In case any police officer was he should be asked to lodge in the office a written permission from his superior to his accepting the post, and the committees affected by any appointment should be requested to cooperate. The report was unanimously adopted, and Constables Crawford and Hallet were appointed truant officers. BUILDINGS AND REPAIRS. Mr Barclay presented a report from the building committee on tenders received for works. There had been good competition for the works, and the result was that the sum of the lowest tenders, £230, was only £5 over the amount allocated for these works, and by an accident a work was included for which there had been no allocation. The report was adopted. The tenders accepted were -.—Timaru Main School, Waterhouse and Cameron, £SO 18s 6d ; Side school, W. Wood, £l6 ; Temuka, J. Cooper, £lll6s 6d ; Arundel, E. Foden, £59 10s 6d; Pleasant Point, Baird and Andrews, £75 ; Woodbury, J. H. Dean, £l7 6s. THE SCHOLARSHIPS. Mi Barclay presented an interim report on the scholarship examination, giving the numerical results. The allotment of scholarships could not yet be made, as scholars have to be consulted to ascertain the amounts required for each, as town or rural scholars. The number of candidates examined was 42 (senior, ‘33 junior 9) from 12 schools. Last year there were 39 (28 senior and 11 juniors). Six of the seniors and 16 of the juniors qualified. The following are the names of those who qualified : Senior (possible marks 950), B Stone, age 13.1, Timaru High School, 629; Emma Cooper, 13.8, Temuka, 624; Harriette McKibbin, 14, Timaru High School, 619; T. G, Gilbert, 13.6, Waimate, 604: Jessie Strachan 14.11, Timaru High School, 572; R. Clarke, 14.9, do, 426. (Gilbert is a candidate for the Waimate High School board’s scholarship as well as for the Education Board’s scholarseip.) Junior. — (Possible marks 800) J. McDonald, age 12.6, Timaru, 568; W. Moody, 12.11, do, 559; Lily Stewart, 12.2. Woodbury, 515; W. Turner, 12.10, Waimate, 507; Bella Jones, 12.9, Pleasant Point, 491; Lizzie Ritchie, 12.7, Fairview, 475; W. H. Walton, Geraldine, 464; D. Meyer, 12.10, Timaru,46o ; Edith Hassall, 12.4, Waimataitai, 455; Jinnie Stachmann, 11.11, do, 454; A. G. Shrimpton, 12.5, Timaru, 451; Agnes Lyle, 12.9, Pleasant Point, 445; Mabel Kay, 12, do, 411; M. O’Brien, 12.9, Adair, 407; H. O. Tennent, 11.2, Upper Waitohi, 402; H. J. Mayo, 12.7, Waimataitai, 400. (W. Turner was a candidate for the Waimate Governors’ scholarship. Sixteen failed to obtain 50 per cent, of marks, and one who obtained 50 per cent, failed in arithmetic. [Left Sitting.]