Southland Education Board.

Southland Times, Issue 11298, 2 November 1889, Page 2

Southland Education Board.

Friday, Ist November. The monthly meeting of the Board was attended by the Chairman (Mr A. Baliey), and Messrs McLeod, Mackintosh, Froggatt, Bain, and Dr Hodgkinson. The Chairman announced that the Bibles which had been ordered by authority of the Board some time ago had been received and were ready for distribution.— On the motion of Mr Bain it was resolved to have a circular printed embodying the resolution previously adopted by the Board, a copy to be forwarded with the Bibles to the various schools. The Education Department forwarded a copy of the first of Mr and Mrs Fenton's Art Album of the Flora of New Zealand.— On the motion of Mr Bain it was decided that the volume should lie on the table of the Board room and be open for the inspection of all interested. The Department intimated that a distribution of the greater part of this year's vote of L 20,000 for school buildings would take place in November. The grants would be at the rate of 9d a head according to the last census and would amount to L 21,485 ss, and the Southland Board's share would be L 1468 2s 6d. The balance of the vote was to be reserved for .future distribution and would probably be used principally in affording special aid to the districts in which the growth of population had been most rapid and the demand for new schools therefore more urgent. The Chairman said that the . Board was already liable for L 964 3s 9d out of the building fund besides LSO for small works. Adding these together and deducting the total from the amount of the grant, left only L 453 • 18s 9d. Against this there were probable liabilities of LBB4 10s», of which L 398 10s had already been granted. Deducting the latter amount only, the amount actually granted, from the L 453 l*s 9d there remained only L 55 8s 9d to meet all the other probable liabilities. Thus it would be seen that^the Board would have practically no building fund unless it ! gofc a "share of the L 3500 which had been reserved. He might mention that a number of new schools would be wanted in various parts of the district. He moved:—" That application be made to the Government for a portion of the unallotted balance of L 3515 voted by Parliament for school buildings throughout the colony, and that the following reasons be urged as the basis on which the claim is made : This Board's building fund is at present very considerably overdrawn, and when actual liabilities are paid the year's building grant will be entirely absorbed, thus leaving the Board altogether without means to cany on the work of erecting schools in several newly constituted districts, providing additional accommodation and executing repairs to existing buildings throughout the Southland education district, all of which works the Board will be unable to execute without an addiaonal grant." Mr Bain seconded the motion. He said the position was not a very serious one, but" it was as well to let the public understand the Board's position. There was a disposition on the part of the people of the district to make frequent application to the Board for new schools, &c, but from the chairman's figures it would be'seen that however anxious the Board might be to grant their request 'it was not in a position to do so.but was in "duty bound to sift the applications and. grant only those which, bad toe moat

urgent claims. With that end in view he hoped the figures quoted would be made PU ilr McLeod said the position of the Board did not vary much from that of former years as the Board had been in the habit of anticipating its revenue. There was really nothing to be alarmed about. Mr Bain agreed, but repeated that it would be well to let the public know how matters stood. The Chairman said it should be borne in mind that the calls on the Board were yearly increasing. „. .lt Dr Hodgkinson said it appeared that the building grant had decreased by about onehalf within the last few years. • The secretary remarked that such was the case ; the Board uaecl to get L3OOO. The motion was then put and carried. A circular was""received from the Department asking the Board if it had any suggestions to make relative to alterations in. the syllabus, and Mr J. G. Wilson, M.H.R., forwarded a communication pointing out that this was an opportunity of securing much needed amendments, and suggesting various alterations and additions which he thought should be made. Mr Bain moved that the Inspector be requested to report on the circulars and that a special cemmittee consisting of the chairman, Dr Hodgkinson, and Messrs McLeod, Morison, and the mover be appointed to take the matter fully into consideration and report to the next meeting of the Board. — Seconded by Dr Hodgkinson. Mr Mackintosh hoped the mover would add a little to the motion. He thought the consideration of this subject would afford an excellent opportunity of introducing a system of engaging the services of a professor of phrenology for the purpose of having the children properly classified. He thought that one-half of the school work would be saved if the pupils were classified, according to phrenological indications, and not according to the present system as if they were all of the same capacity. Dr Hodgkinson suggested that Mr Mackintosh might include the three * c P's "— phrenology, physiognomy, and palmistry. Mr McLeod could hardly think that Mr Mackintosh was serious in making such a proposal. All the professors of phrenology he (Mr McLeod) had seen were of the mountebank class. (Mr Mackintosh : You have been very unfortunate.) That might be. At anyrate, phrenology was scarcely yet a recognised science, and the teachers were best able to judge as to how the children should be classified. Mr Froggatt thought the question of amending the syllabus could be dealt with better by the Executive Committee than by a special committee, and he moved as an amendment that the matter be referred to that body. — Lapsed for want of a seconder. Mr Mackintosh thought a special committee of five was too large, as it would comprise a majority of the Board, and moved as an amendment that the committee consist of three, namely, the chairman, Mr Bain, and Dr Hodgkinson. The amendment was seconded by Mr Froggatt, and on being put was carried. The Railway Commissioners wrote stating that the concession to teachers of tickets at Saturday fares to attend classes for training had been abused and instanced a case which had been brought before a northern Resident Magistrate. They intimated that if further abuses occurred, the concession would be withdrawn. — It was decided to forward the communication to the Educational Institute for the information of teachers. A deputation from the Wendon district, consisting of Messrs Graham and White, waited on the Board to ask that ?block 3 should nob be included in the new Wendon school district and to ask that a subsidy should be granted towards the maintenance of a small school on that block. Ihey said that the settlers would be willing to contribute towards the erection of the building if the Board would grant £ for £.— The deputation were requested to send in a written application, stating fully what the settlers were prepared to do. A. W. Campbell waited on the Board with reference to some faults found with work for which he bad been the contractor, and in regard to the refusal of a progresspayment to which he was entitled. — He was requested to make his representations and prefer his complaint in writing. The Executive Committee reported as follows — (1) That the following appointments had been made:— Hedgehope: J. S. Andrews, head teacher ; Dipton : Charlotte Jag* gers, junior mistress ; Gore : D. McNeil, assistant ; Invercargill Middle i Agnes Pratt, pupil teacher ; Fortrose : Eliza M. Cameron, pupil teacher. (2) That owing to the decreased attendanceat the Kennington school the sewing mistress had received three months' notice, the pupil teacher having been requested to take charge of the sewing at the expiration of that period. (3) That the pupil teacher at Arrow had received three months' notice in consequence of the decreased attendance, the committed being informed, however, that should the average attendance increase to such a num» ber as to warrant the retention of their pupil teacher the notice might be cancelled* (4) That the Invercargill South, Makarewa, and Woodlands School Committees had been requested jto furnish the Board with explana* tions as to the decreased attendances at their schools. (5) That the explanations of the Wallacetown and Invercargill Middle head teachers relative to reduced average attend* ances had been accepted as satisfactory. . (6) That the Riverton Committee had been informed that the average attendance at their school would have to be maintained for two successive quarters before their application for a second assistant teacher could be con* sidered. (7) That the Lumsden committee had been informed that the Board's policy for some time past had been to encourage the employment of teachers trained in its own district, that at least two of the candidates whose names were forwarded to them possess qualifications equal to those of the person recommended by the committee, and that under these circumstances the Board could not deparc from its previous decision limiting the choice of the committee to the names sent to them by the Board. The Inspector was instructed to report (1) on the Cardrona Committee's application for an addition to the school and a special grant of LlO to defray the cost of repairs ; (2) oil the Wairekiki Committee's application for a full time school ; (3) on the Macetown Com* mittee's application for a new school build* ing ; (4) on a petition for the removal of the Dipton school from its present site to East Dipton ; and (5) on the Wreys Bush Committee's application for an addition to the school. Tenders were ordered to be called for painting the residence at Pukerau, repairs to the residence at North Forest Hill, and repairs to school and residence and new school furniture at Queenstown. The carpenter was authorised to arrange for repairs to the Arrow residence. The application of the Orepuki committee for two weeks' additional rent of hall at 15a per week, and that of the Heddon Bush committee for L 2 as half the cost of additional repairs were granted. The Wenclonside committee having applied for an addition to their school, it was de* cided to inform them that according to the measurement the school had ample aecoin> modation for 35 pupils. It was resolved to inform the Dipton committee that the Board could not consider a letter couched in such terms as theirs of the 29th October, applying for the removal of outbuildings and the cost of sinking a well, &c. The carpenter was instructed to submit a monthly report concerning the progress of works throughout the district. The Inspectors reported that they had examined the following schools with the re« suits specified : — Waikana (half time) : per centage of passes 32, per centage of failures 50 ; Waikaka Valley : passes 54, failures 21} Waikaka : passes 28, failures 44 ; Grove Bush: passes 34, failures 46; Oteramika (half time) : passes 29, failures 33 ; Croydon: passes 37, failures 19; Longbush : passes 42, failures 19 ; Spar Bush : passes . 70, failures 4 ; Clifton : passes 54, failures 6 ; Bluff : passes 58, failures 0 ; Gore : passes 50, failures 16. The Chairman intimated that the special committee appointed for the purpose had had the matter of establishing a new school between Thornbury and Limestone Plains under consideration but were not yet ready _ to report. It was their intention to personally visit the district. On the motion of Mr Bain the matter [of obtaining special railway facilities for pupil teachers and caodidfttes coming to toe.

annual examinations was referred to the Executive Committed "with, power to act. Accounts and salaries amounting to L 2653 10s 8d were passed for payment and the Board adjourned.