EDUCATIONAL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 58, Issue 4192, 2 June 1939, Page 5

EDUCATIONAL

TE AWAMUTU SCHOOL. MEETING OF COMMITTEE. Mr G. B. Melrose presided at a meeting of the Te Awamutu School Committee on Thursday evening, and also present were Messrs W. G. Adams, J. Waters, G. M. Wall, L. S. Armstrong, E. Menary, W. C. Savill and the secretary, Mr J. G. Wynyard. The head master, Mr A. H. Woods, was in attendance. The secretary asked to be informed of the title and standing of the committee. He had received communications varying in designations and wanted to know tjie position. The chairman said that from date the committee would be known as the Te Awamutu Primary School Committee. A body to control the affairs of the new intermediate school was being constituted', and it would be known as the Te Awamutu Intermediate and District High School Committee. Mr Woods concurred, but mentioned that the word “intermediate” was apparently being dropped from the official title. In view of the establishment of the new school it was resolved that henceforth the committee’s title be the Te Awamutu .Primary School Committee. The point was mentioned that next April the householders’ district to elect .a new committee will probably be enlarged by reason of the consolidation of several neighbouring schools. COMMITTEE MAN RESIGNS. Mr J. A. Marston, in tendering his resignation owing to removal from the district, expressed good wishes to his fellow members and to the school. —The chairman paid tribute to Mr Marston’s keen interest in the cause of education, and added that on behalf of the committee he and Mr Wall had attended a farewell function tendered by the postal staff, at which a presentation was made to him.—The chairman’s action was approved, and tlie resignation was accepted with regret. Mr Woods asked that he and his staff be included in the expressions of good wishes to be forwarded to Mr Marston by letter. The chairman reported briefly on the opening of the new school, the arrangements for which had been in the hands of the new High School Committee. He added that the Royal Auckland Choir’s concert the previous Saturday evening had been an unqualified success in every way. THE FINANCES. The treasurer presented a statement of finances, dealing with all aspects of the committee’s activities. It was shown that the committee’s share of the proceeds of the recent Paddy’s Market was £5l 16s 6d. All moneys in various accounts were transferred to the. general account, for facility in handling, consequent upon changes in the personnel of the committee. Accounts totalling £3 14s lOd were passed for payment. THE ROLL TOTAL. The head master reported that the consolidated primary school roll is now 520, and this will be added to steadily by the accretion of children attaining five years of age. Instruction was proceeding very satisfactorily. He had attended to quite a number of details in preparation for the opening of the new school. Mr Melrose said the arrangements were admirable, so far as it was possible to make them. A very great amount of work had been done by the teaching staff. Mr Woods said the teacher drivers had been finding their correct bus routes, passing their driving tests and generally were very enthusiastic. Mr Melrose said it was an achievement to be commended. He criticised the comments of certain men about crowding of children in the buses, contending that in trying to adjust matters some latitude should ’have been allowed. The worst critics were those who did absolutely nothing to help in any way. Mr Woods said at present he had five relieving teachers on his staff of twelve', but expected that within the present month there would be appointment of permanent teachers. ADDITIONAL CLASS ROOMS. Mr Savill said that in the course of a deputation to the chairman of the Board of Education he had been able to tell that gentleman that . 520 children were attending the primary school and 350 the high school. As a consequence the primary school was too small to accommodate them. Of the 520 nearly half were from consolidated schools. This means that the infant school building,, already old and in a poor state of repair, had had to be used. He and other members of the deputation had stressed the need for additional class rooms at the Teasdale Street schools. It was agreed that a good case could be made out for the additional class rooms. Twelve classes are being taught, and this entails using the infant school for the present, 120 children being instructed there. The primers are no longer housed, there, but the arrangement necessarily divides the classes. It was felt that at least four additional class rooms were ieTo a question, Mr Woods said tlie normal increase by September wou d probably bring the total to 56°, with out taking account o[ , th fi, P ° of junior pupils from further schools being consolidated. . The committee was unanimous that representations should be made to the Board, and the secretary was mstructed to draft the letter at once. A MISUNDERSTANDING. The chairman said a considerable number of senior children assembled at the railway station that morning to attend the Winter Show, but no tickets were available. After some consideration, and realising that me special train had to run to schedule, one ticket had been issued to serve for the whole contingent, He thought an explanation was necessary. Mr Woods said the first intention

was to send any of the secondary pupils, plus standard 4, by the special train, but it was then realised that this would entail keeping the school buses until dark, and rather than have the buses running so late the plan was altered to allow of any chik dren desiring to go to be accompanied by their parent? instead of under the control of teachers. At a late hour the master of the high school, finding that about 160 children were going, decided to send two or three teachers. But, said Mr Wood, hu had informed the children from h’s school that they were to be accompanied by their parents in lieu of teachers. Meantime the station officials had stated there would be no room on the special train. An alternative was to send the children direct by school buses. But just on train time two bus loads arrived at the railway station, and the children were bundled on to the train. The circumstances were regrettable, but it seemed to be due to the change in arrangement consequent on information from the railway station that there would not be room on the train, and a later statement that there would be room. Mr Melrose suggested that there would probably have been no trouble if the list of children had been supplied to the railway authorities as originally intended. He was satisfied that the circumstances were exceptional and apparently this was due to a misunderstanding. TELEPHONES. Mr Woods drew attention to the desirability of both schools being connected by telephone, e’xplaining, inter alia, that the school buses serve both schools. The two head masters have to be in close contact on very many matters of mutual interest in the conduct of their duties. A telephone would greatly facilitate these matters, and also in cases of sickness. To questions, the head master said capitation funds could not at present be used for payment of a telephone for a primary school. He believed that a telephone would be installed and maintained at the High School, where the buses were garaged. A suggestion worthy of investigation was the possibility of one party line for the two schools and the headmasters of the two schools. The committee agreed that that was the most satisfactory way, and application will be made for a party line, and the co-operation of the High School Committee will be sought.