EDUCATION BOARD

Southland Times, Issue 22490, 26 January 1935, Page 8

EDUCATION BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING.

At the monthly meeting of the Education Board, held in the board’s rooms yesterday morning, the chairman (Mr S. Rice), presided over Messrs W. Bell, J. Campbell, W. Excell, H. Smith and F. G. Stevenson. Mr John Johnston and Mr Day waited upon the board as a deputation from the residents of Coal Pit road concerning the conveyance of children to the Wyndham School from that district. Mr Johnston stressed the inadequacy of the present, system, wherby. children were transported to school by a horsedrawn vehicle. He stated that already several accidents of a serious nature had arisen and that parents in the district would not be satisfied until,a regular motor system was instituted, thus ensuring the safety of the children. Mr Williamson, a taxi-driver, had submitted a tender offering to transport the children for £2 a week and residents had agreed that this sum was very reasonable; ~ , ■ - ,f .

Mr Day also spoke briefly, reiterating Mr Johnston’s statements. The board decided to give the. matter its deepest consideration and to forward a remit to the Education Department urging the advisability -of such a service being inaugurated. A reguest from the Invercargill and Suburban Schools’ Association that a holiday be granted those schools sending in competitors accompanied by their teachers on the day of the association’s annual sports, was agreed to. . The following remit regarding the conveyance of school children' to and from school, was received from the Education Department:—“Cases ■ have been brought to the Department’s notice where patents convey their own children to school in the family car and, in addition, carry a neighbour’s child, receiving the usual capitation payments of 6d. or Bd. per return trip. It might be advisable to inform these parents that no cover exists in so far as their own children are concerned (vide Sec, 6 (4) (a) of the Motor-vehicles Insurance (Third-party Risks) Act, 1928) even if they have correctly nominated the vehicle under class BD., i.e., as a 'contract motor-vehicle.’ The cover would extend only to the neighbour’s child. The Department is of opinion that, in' cases where private cars are used for the purpose of conveying children for capitation payments other than those falling within Sec. 6 (4) (a) of the Motor-vehicles Insurance (Third-party Risks) Act, 1928, the owners should be informed by the board or its agent, as the case may be, of the obligation to pay the premium decided upon for “contract motor-vehicles,”, viz.*, £2 5/per annum. In no case should conveyance payments be made' to a person, of this class covering a period prior to the date on which the arrangement to carry the children has been made-by the board or its agent. This is desirable to provide definite evidence of the date from which the status of the vehicle changed from a ‘private motorcar’ to a ‘contract motor-vehicle.’”—On the motion of the chairman it was decided to advise the secretary (Mr H. T. Thompson) to notify those people interested in the matter.

Word was received from Wellington that the Minister had approved of the re-opening of the Skippers’ Point School from February 1, provided there was the usual guarantee towards the teacher’s salary. ; The agricultural inspector submitted the following, report for the month ending December 19:—“Every effort has been made to visit as many schools as possible in order to advise teachers with regard to the new scheme of agriculture. It is expected that the • teachers’ schemes at all schools visited will be available for inspection at the commencement of the school year. The school gardens generally are in good order, but suffering somewhat as a result of the dry spell of weather. At the Winton and Wyndham district high schools, examinations in wool-classing were held during the month and a satisfactory standard of attainment has been reached by the students taking this course.”—The report was adopted.