Southland Education Board.

Southland Times, Issue 4492, 2 December 1882, Page 4

Southland Education Board.

An ordinary meeting of the Education Board was held ibis 1 morning. r Present — Messra Maddtftiald- (chairman), Luinadenii Baldey, Morison, MoAfdell, Melieod, and -Feldwick.^ n^°e-'^' :;! " After announcing that Meissra Mackintosh, Denniaton, and himßelf would be the retiring members ion the 31st ofMarchj the chairman asked the^ Board to fix the . txm* and for ; the annual meetings for the election «Dhpol; n cpin^ aaitteoeo lses«rn?eetiDgß Jfor the fourth Monday in January. The chairi man pointed ou£ jthat-the/ tinieij|^nerally fixed was 7.30 p^m., and tHis was agreed|o ljy ta^B^rtl^^e^fm^f^ , the'^o^n^ol?:^; {that; the: first meetin^r^js'fion^ immediately after thew ■■'election. V /^ ■A u ■J^^ s :J^ss^is^|^; ! l■JnßpTO.tQr; Gammel), calling the attenticni;fio|;t;tne! Board to'the;approaching examinations for scholarships, which wereito beheld in, the; present month, and suggesting that Messrs fcnitti~atfd' > Bißthime''be "appointed to superTise ine !^ammatt6nß-^{th the Inepeeitori^ The^chairmim^^served "that ;last ; y;ear Messrs ,Smitti and, HamUtonKJiatd ; bee£ ap-, poin^^bui^a^e Jatter gentleman '•tpre^n^«us)p4^e:^sWct./r::.; : '; : - ;^ .;' Ad^iulibn : eml|pdying thet BUggestion J was then pnt and carried. The GhairmWtheii'read a lengthy report on th» f »yllabus«by, Inspector- Grammell, ,in whidh a .'the i advocated ; < very v strongly the retainingof history in the cur- : ricnlum, and criticißed in detail the sugg estionj t for,;its amendment. The, report wiil^e^pVb^Bhe3, lik^extewd. V, The^-Qhairman;') pointed out i.tbat there were*' several courses open tp, the , Board. They might either consider the report at once or adjournv the consideration; of it till the next meeting, and have it printed in the meantime: ■ ?- ' : ! Mr Lumaden considered the document a rery-'miportant one ; and written- in a} masterly' manner. He ithought the merabersr'should^ be I ' made 1 acquainted with the document before passing a decided opinion on itliandttiatit should 'be 'pliiced in the hands.ttf; tb!e; public. He would therefore moy^tha^?the report be printed, and that it be.considered^at the next meeting of the Boarci.^. -V ;• ■•■,••■ „ Mr^McLeod seconded the motion. He considered! the report a very able one. The Chairman agreed with the two last speakers' 'as to -the merits of the report. The subject had evidently been vary thoughtfully considered by Mr Gsramell, andit was qns which deserved full consideration not only at the hands of the members but of teachers, and of the public as \yelU He considered the arguments in support of history being retained were very ! convincing if not conclusive. Thefliotibn, was then carried. Mr Jpyce waited on the Board, and introduced Mr Kirkton, chairman of the School .Committee ; at Orepuki, who complained^hat %the .. committee were short of funds, and were desirous that the Board should help them with regard to certain urgent sknitary matters. The application was, referred to the Executive Committee, with power to act. A-fra-f prroer meeting of the Board letters were read from the chairman of the Riverton School Gdmmittee, and from the head teacher, of the Kiverton District High Schoor' asking' the Board to consider its resolution, fixing the fees for higher branches,, taught in said school, on the groriha that' it! would diminish to a consideralile "extent the income of the head teachers. . Mr,Feldwick on that occasion gave hptice of a motion to the effect that the.Veisolution of the Board passed at its October meeting in reference to the fees to bp'f'charged be ; rescinded, and that the fees to be charged for such branches be the; same ag those formerly in force at the late District High School, Invercargill, namely : 10a a quarter for one subject, andr'Ssa qaarter for each additional subject^and' that the head teacher be empowered rto collect according to the amended 'scale, as from the beginning of the' current quarter. The motion was carried.. . Mr Baldey moved, in the absence of Mr Dennißton, a. motion which stood in the name of the latter, requesting the Postmaster G-eneral to accord to this Board the privilege of receiving all communications free of charge. ' Mr Lumsden hardly thought it was worth " while to ask a favor for such a •mall amount of correspondence as this Board had. The Chairman said the favor would be not so much, to the Board as to the teachers, and, especially to the committees. The Secretary pointed out that the privilege was a common one throughout the colony. He afterwards made more minute' inquiries on the matter from the Post office, and was informed that the chairmen of all the Boards had the privilege of receiving the documfints with the single exception of Auckland, where the secretary was so empowered. The Board thereupon resolved that a circular sjhould be sent to the school committees informing them that all correspondence should in future be addressed to the chairman, in which case no stamp would be required. Gbrrespondence was read between Mr Orf, of the North School, lavercargill, and the-kchool committee at Otautau, copies of which were forwarded to the Board. Mr • Orr explained that he bad accepted the position of head teacher of the Otautau School, in September, on the strength of representations made by a deputation. He had 'since' found on visiting the spot that the average attendance was only 45, instead of nearly double that number as he had "' pVe'nj T lgd to believe, and that the decrease in the numbers was caused not by the incapacity of the former teacher, as had been stated, but by the migration of the parents of t>ie scholars. He.piEered, liowever, to keep to his agreement on .condition that the committee would guarantee an average attendance of 80, and a. prospective increase of 25 per annum for the next three years. The committee wrote in reply, justifying the statements made by the deputation, so far as the 1 probable increase that would result from a change of teachers, but refusing to make the suggested, and expressing astonishment that Bny euch suggestion, sh'.ould . have been made. The committee pqinted out that Mr Orr could resign, and this course was adopted. The chairman observed that Mr Orr should , have i made bis enquiries before and not after accepting the appointment. The Board resolved that the usual steps be taken to fill the vacancy. Accounts amonating to JSISoO h»"iag been passed, the Board went into commit • tee, arid ultimately adjourned.