EDUCATION BOARD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 36, 27 September 1911, Page 5

EDUCATION BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary monthly meeting of tho Taranaki Education Board was held last night. There were present: Messrs. H. Trimble (chairman), G. A. Adlanr, J. Young, W. C. Cargill; G. W. Rogers, and A. Morton and Rev J. McArthur. Messrs. Kennedy and Halcombe were granted leave of absence. Chairman’s Report. The Chairman reported as follows on matters dealt nun since last meeting : \ jt'ohokura.—Miss Townsend having declined to take up the position as teacher, Mr. Ritchie was requested to remain in charge until further notice. Ukoke.—The committee forwarded copies of letters from parents of children attending the sciiool, complaining of excessive punishment of their children by tho teacher. The committee was informed that as the teacher Was leaving, no good purpose would be served by an enquiry. Douglas.—As you will remember, it was agreed to purchase three acres of land from Mr. Rae at Douglas for the school site, and Mr. Robinson was instructed accordingly, but when he completed the survey tho site was found to contain four and a half acres. Mr. Robinson and Mr. Kennedy wore communicated with, and after full investigation, I was satisfied that owing to the configuration of the land the Board would jiavo to take tne four and a half acres. Application has been made to the Department for a grant for tho school and residence, and for half the cost of the site.. Hillsborough.—Tho committee having made an application for hedge plants, and as tlio season was so far advanced, 1 granted permission for their purchase. Huiakama—Application having been received from the committee for grass ;eed for tho purpose of sowing down a portion of tne school site that had boon broken up, I requested Mr. Kennedy to supply the seed, knowing .that it was time it was sown. Dominion Day.—A circular memorandum having been received from the Department requesting that Monday, the 25 th inst., should be observed by tho schools, 1 directed that a circular bo forwarded to all head teachers. And the Department \yas notified that owing to the schools being closed from tho :22nd inst., to the 2nd October, for the spring holidays, only a very few of them would bo able to comply with the request.

Stratford—The school being the first one in Taranaki to bo erected in •rick, the committee wrote, expressing a wish that the foundation stono should bo laid with a ceremony. I granted this permission, and accepted the committee’s offer to make all arrangements.

Denbigh, Puniho, Hillsborough, Pembroke, Rahotu.—The committees having written stating that owing to their schools having been closed so long on account of epidemics in their districts, and requesting permission to keep their schools open during the time set apart for the spring holidays, permission has been granted, subject to the consent of the teachers interested.

. The following temporary appointnents have been made:—Okoke, Mr. li. Buckler; Opua, ISliss I. Jones; Mohakau, Miss A. Smith. Stratford.—Owing to representations from the 'Stratford School Committee and headmaster with regard to die, average attendance, I granted permission for the school to be kept open to the end of this month, and for the week’s holiday to bo taken at the beginning of October. Technical;’School. -1 have accepted a tender from the Now Plymouth Sash and Door 'Company to supply pedestals for the art models that have just come to hand.—Adopted. Fitzroy.—Mr. A. Cathro, secretary to the Fitzroy Committee, wrote Owing to the extra irdinary condition which exists at our school, we respectfully urge upon y- ur Board the necessity of substituting an assistant for die two pupil teachers engaged here. At present a second year pupil teach;r Jias charge of Standard 11. (seventeen pupils) in a room by herself. The aeadmaster’s room, built to accommoJate fifty pupils, has in it Standards III;, IV., V., and VI., consisting of seventy-five scholars, in otir opinion, far too many to he taught efficiently. In the infant room, built to accommodate fifty pupils, there are seventythree scholars. Although we have another pupil teacher, she has had no experience of teaching, and so cannot be expected to take charge of a class unless under the direct supervision of '■nc of the adult teachers. If an assistant be appointed, arrangements can be made to relieve the congestion of the two rooms referred to.—The committee to be informed that the Board will endeavour to comply with the request when making appointments of pupil teachers at the beginning of tlio year. Kaimiro Schoolgronnd.—Messrs. Triii hie and Morton reported having visited Kaimiro in connection with tu? suggested additions to the srhcolgronnds, and had made enquiries into the matter. Two gentlemen owning property adjoining or in close proximity to the school had been interviewed, hut neither was willing to sell any land to the Board. Outsr.le of these properties there was no lard that the members thought would he i r. 01 v way suitable for tl. > purpose required by the committee. They had, therefore, no recommendation to make.—A copy of the report is to lie forwarded to the committee. Technical Education. Mr. W. A. Ballantyno, director of technical education, reported :—“The antique statuary, the classic orders of architecture, etc., ordered some months ago in connection with the art classes, have come to hand, and the art room is now fairly wmll equipped and up to date. With the Chairman’s consent/ I have also given an order for seven stands for the fullsize models. The cost of these latter will be about £B. The sum of £2 10s lias been received from the Department as the initial grant in aid ot the agricultural classes carried < u at the Taiata School. Some time ago application was made to the Department for the erection at the New Plymouth Technical School of a room that could he used for woodwork, n>.< tal-w ork, and'engineering classes, and a nply bus been received that the matter lias been deferred pending a report on the school from Mr. Isaac, Inspector of Technical Education. Mr. F. J. Heatley, technical organiser, reported on technical instruction for the past month as "follows:- v Stratford.—The dressmaking class at Stratford is closing, but a class at Tariki lias been organised, and promises to lie successful. The drawing class is going on. Inglewood.— I 'There are no night classes, sufficient students not having come forward to form classes in i ookkeeping or dressmaking for a second term. One would think that there •should bo at least a minimum number for a dressmaking class in logicwood. Mr. F. Gordon is to lect n*o in Inglewood with the object if funning a class in poultry farming. Now Plymouth.—The second term

of tie classes is drawing to a :'l- se, most of the classes finishing this month. The number of students in attendance has shown an improvement, there being some ten more entered than in the first session. A desire has been evinced on the part of the dressmaking students to carry on a third term. This will be done if sufficient join. A class for instruction in the care, etc., of poultry for profit, has been organised under Mr. F. Gordon, of Waitara, and lias proved very popular, some eighteen having joined. Rending the grant for equipment the mechanical engineering class has not been gone on with, but it is hoped to have it on a good footing for next session. I have been- invited to deliver lectures on matters of interest to dairy Farmers at Okato and York Road. During the month I have visited the schools at Toko, Raupuha, Huiakama, Midhirst, Tuna, York Road, Norfolk Road, Inglewood, and Lincoln Road. With regard to the agriculture taken up in the primary school at Stratford and New Plymouth, it may be worth while to go into the matter of rural or agricultural scholarships, where one of the subjects for examination would be agriculture. With regard to the further agricultural instruction of pupils it might be well to consider tiie possibility of a small model farm in the district, where a number of senior boys (sixteen to eighteen years) who had put in a two or three veins’ Cfurse in tho rural .divisions of our secondary schools, might, under a practical agriculturist (who should be also competent in teaching), receive instruction in farming on a sufficient scale to be of use when they go back to the land. Tho brighter of the students might, after two or three years on the model farm, go to Lincoln college, where they might qualify as instructors. The report was adopted. Mr. Heatley will ho asked to supply details of tiie working of the proposed model farm school. Now Schools. ThV'Chief Inspector reported, with regard to the application of tho settlers for the establishment of a school on tho Ihaia Road, that there- wore at present fourteen children of school ago in the district. Four of these lived over three miles, four over four mile;;, one over live miles, and five over six miles from the Opunako School. Some of the children concerned could, however, in fine weather, travel across country to the school on the Opua Road, but in bad weather tho crocks were impassable. The inspector understood that, at a very small cost, a footbridge could lie erected across the worst streams, and that the school on tho Ihaia .Road could 1)0 worked as a half-time school in conjuction. with Opua. He therefore recommended that the offer of the settiers on the Ihaia Road to erect a building be accepted, and that a halftime school be established. —Adopted. Tho Chief Inspector reported that on September 5 he visited the Muni district, and met a deputation of settiers with regard to tJieir request for the establishment of a school at the Mimi. After fully explaining the position he left with the understanding that the forms of application winch had been received by tiro'settlers prior to his visit wore to be filled in and nested in a day or two to the Board s Secretary. As those forms had not as yet reached the office lie recommended'that tho question of the establishment of a school, be deterred pending their, receipt.—Adopted. ■ : V General. In answer to the letter from the Waihi School Committee, a copy ot tho teacher’s reply to the Board mil 1,0 forwarded to the committee. Mr. 1 Yoiffig reported on the matter of the 000 School site, arid the Boaid decided to endeavour to obtain a transfer' of the present site at Geo from the owner to the Board. Messrs. Sanderson and Griffiths, the Board’s architects, reported that sufficient of the material for tho rebuilding of the Stratford District High Sciiool wus on the ground to, enable the contractor to make a start this week. , xi Mr. Morton reported regarding the orotost lagainst the election of Mr. Locke to "the Hillsborough School Committee, and tho Board decided that Mr. Locke was a householder, and qualified for election. The action of the various , committees in closing the schools, on account of epidemics, was confirmed. The following appointments on school committees were confirmed— Lincoln, Mr. Metcalf, vice Mr. A. Nisbet, resigned; Rahotu, Mr, J. 1. Phillips, vice Mr. Cooper, resigned; Uruti, Mr. Rea, vice Mr. Musker, resigned ; and Ratapiko, Mr. J. Ashtin, vice Mr. J. Roguski, resigned. Miss Rogers’ resignation as sewing teacher of the Punino School vis accepted. Leave of absence, on account of illness, was granted to teachers as under Mohakau, Miss Watkins; Oep, Mrs. Br ere ton; Fitzroy, M ■ ;.-s Luton ; Inglewood, Mr. Gow. A letter was received from Messrs. Govett and Quilliam, the Board’s solicitors, in reference to the acquisition of a new school, at Waihi, and a formal resolution was carried authorising that tho necessary steps bo taken in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Act, 1908. The application of tbc settlors on the Radnor Road for tho establishment of a new school was referred to the Chief Inspector for his report.— “Nows.”