EDUCATION BOARD

Stratford Evening Post, Volume LIV, Issue 66, 15 January 1925, Page 2

EDUCATION BOARD

The Taranaki Education Board met at New Plymouth yesterday. Present: Messrs S. G. Smith, M.P. (chairman), P J. H. White, A. Lees, F. H. Sim, H. J. Eaves, R. J. Deare, H. Demp- , sey and Rev. J. L. A. Kayll. Before the' commencement of formal business, the chairman took the opportunity of welcoming to the board table the Rev. J. L. A. Kayll, the newly-elected member for the Central Ward. Mr. Smith referred to the previous experince of the Rev. Kayll, and wished him a happy time during his service on the board, the Rev Kayll suitably replying. On the 1 motion of the chairman, the latter was appointed to the finance and building committee and the manual instruction committee.

' The following resignations were received, all dating from January 31: —Mr W. H. Howard, Piopiotea West; Mr James Jack, head master, Tikorangi; Miss E. B. Smith, assistant, Hawera;«Miss M. G. Morgan, sole teacher, Ackland; Miss A. Shelton, cookery instructress, Stratford centre. Mr s E. Orsbourn, Matemateaonga. | The following teachers were accepted for training college :—Miss Kathleen Grant/pupil teacher, Stratford; Miss Bertha Millar, pupil teacher, Stratford; Miss Alice R. Sheat, probationer, Hawera; Miss Mary B. Kilpatrick, probationer, Midhirst; Miss Marjori'e Leighton, probationer, 'Hawera; Mfss Marjorie Curd, assistant, Matapu; Miss A*. Lilian Burton, J pupil teacher, Central; Mr R. E. Wells, pupil teacher, Tawhiti; Mr G. Gernhoefer, probationer, Inglewood; Mr Alfred 0. Edwards, probationer, Eltham; Miss Myrtle Noble, pupil teacher, Vogeltown; Mis s Beatrice A. Francis, probationer, Hawera. The following appointments were viiOe: —Ackland, sole teacher, Mr C H Paine. Otaraoa, sole teacher, Mr R I Harrison; Piopiotea West, sole; teacher, Miss Eileen '. Long; Waite-j whena, sole teacher, Miss .Phyllis Thompson; Fitzroy, assistant, Mr F. A. Bruce; > Matapu, assistant, Miss j • Anita.Frethey; Newall, assistant, Miss /Doris Hogg; Pihama, assistant, Miss Agnes McLean; Stratford, ninth as-.j sistant, Mis s E. M. Gibson; Opunake, r infant mistress, Miss McKenzie; Waitara, relieving infant mistress, Miss J 3. Jones; Fitzroy, permanent assistant, Miss Grindrod; Hawera, eighth assistant, Mrs Lee (permanent). Arawhata, sole teacher, Mr Kenneth B. Dawkins, and, failing his acceptance,' Miss Q. Carr be appointed; Moeatoa, sole teacher, Miss 0. Carr if not required, for Arawhata, and, if not available, Mr Claude Harford; Makaka,, pole teacher, Mis s Jessie Cassie; Rawhitiroa, assistant, Miss Ruth Jef-

coate; Stanley, assistant, Miss Gwendoline Godfrey; Te Kiri, assistant, JMiss Elmira C. Mullon; Opunake, infant mistress, Mrs Kate Henderson; Manaia, secondary assistant, Mr H. )?. Allan. Owing to the rise s and falls in the grades of schools, the following actions; were decided upon On the- recommendation of the teachers' selection ccfmmittee: —At Dudley a temporary appointment will he made. Miss Jowsey will remain at Qpatau, jMiss B. Elliott at Okoke, Mrs Turner at Lower Mangorei, pending consolidation, Miss McCormack at Whareroa, Mrs Robinson temporarily at Roto, Miss Norris temporarily ,at Hurimoana, and that the present Jiead masters at Auroa, Pitzroy, El- , tham, Manaia and Opunake will remain in their positions. Transfers Will be effected as follows: Mrs Cartwright from Waiongona; Mrs W. S. Taylor from Niho Niho to Mahirakau; the second assistant from Midhirst, Ngaere and Warea; and Misses C. ,L. Barnett and Miss V. ■ McDonald from Mahikakau to Niho Niho. Applications will be called for positions at Moeroa and Eltham. Action with regard to Kina has been postponed pending the present teacher's written resignation. !

PUPIL TEACHERS AND PROBATIONERS.

It was decided to hold over the appointment of pupil'.teachers and probationers pending the results of 'the matriculation examination.

"The same old trouble ci-ops up year alter year regarding the appointment of pupii teachers and probationers, a H appointments cannot he made in time owing to the late appearance of the results of the matriculation examinations," said the chairman in discussing the teachers' ( appointments. The Senate had had | its attention drawn to the matter, con- | tinued Mr Smith, but there had been no improvement. Personally he could not see why the matriculation examination could not be held earlier. Mr Dempsey: The position is that a number of public and university I examinations are held at the end of i the year, and difficulty would be ex-j perienced in obtaining examination rooms and supervisors for more than one examination at the same time. REPAIRS AND ADDITIONS. , The board's architect (Mr C. H. Moore) reported inter alia on additions and repair work carried out during the past month: The next two districts we propose to work out are the Whangamomona and the schools in Tarata way. I hope to have all these put in good condition before the winter sets in. Plans: Plans have been prepared and application made for a new school at Pembroke. AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION. The senior agricultural instructor (Mr R. G. Ridling) reported on agricultural instruction as follows: Primary schols: During the month

£2 schools were visited. The ex'perimontai garden work is proceeding satisfactorily in most cases, I Rural science classes: The Ingle'wood classes were ciosed on Decern-' Iber 1, the Stratford classes on December 3, and the classes at Elthaiu. Manaia and Hawera on December 11, 12 and 11) respectively. I Annual examination: This was conducted on the same lines as last year, and the results show some -slight improvement. The total marks awarded was SU. and the mean of the results was 27.4. with a standard deviation of G. This is a little better than the 19213 results. More schools were examined this year than 'Sast, and it is proposed next year to ■hold an examination of the work itf all the schools .

j Afforestation work: During the mouth seeds supplied by the Forestry [Department were forwarded to 37 'schools. This does uot represent all !the schools taking up this work, for -in,many cases the teachers had already arranged for supplies of seeds from other sources.- It is regrettable that the despatch of seeds could 'not take place sooner, for in almost 'all cases difficulty will be experiencjed in arranging for the care of .the seedlings during the holidays, i Boys' and Girls' agricultural clubs: 'During the month the judging in v the 'calf-rearing competition was carried tout. Under the new conditions prevailing increased interest is being khown in this work, and some very iline animals came before the judges.

Instructors: Mr P. J. Ayckbourn relinquished duty as relieving instructor on December 19.

ACCOMMODATION AT KIORE.

Reporting -on the accommodation at Kiore, the senior inspector (Mr J. A. Valentine) stated that in this .school the floor space was 305 square feet and the average attendance for the four quarters of 1924 was 27, 26, (25, 30, or 27 for the year. The school provided for an average attendance of 25, so that with an average attendance of 30 there was some overcrowding.

But it appeared that nearly half the children attending'this school lived at Te Wera ; quarry, and used to attend the Huiakama school. It appeared also, that they could just as easily attend the Huiakama school, and as there was in this school plenty of spare room, the remedy for the cbnclidtion of Kiore seemed to he that the. hoard should exercise the powers conferred on it and limit the attendance at the, Kiore school. NO REFRESHER COURSES. ' The teachers' refresher courses in' physical instruction, which 'it was proposed to hold in various centres at the beginning of next month, will'' not now be held. \ /"[] 'j' ' I n replying to the application made by the board,' .the department stated that the proposal was not favored.' it being considered that a" more satis-' factory arrangement was to hold the courses in conjunction with the gen-, erai refresher courses; The matter, however, would,he considered at the confer one of inspectors to he held some time in February. " ' , GENERAL MATTERS;! i The application of the Rowan School Committee for a subsidy of, £2 for library books i s to he forwarded to the department, the, hoard to contribute the sum of 8s 3d. Permission was given to school committees in the Ohura district to close their schools on' the occasion of the Ohura A.P.H. and I. Association's'annual show. . \ . ■ , , GENERAL. "That the Board regretg to hear that teachers as a whole are not taking advantage of the use of the lately instituted teachers' library, as a wider course of reading would keep them i n touch with modern ideas and add to their pleasure and usefulness in dealing with young minds," was the! text of a resolution passed by the Board.