MONTHLY MEETING.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12407, 24 November 1908, Page 4

MONTHLY MEETING.

The monthly meeting of the Nelson Education Board was commenced yesterday; present: Messrs Maginnity (chairman), Shepherd, Baigcms JKranklj-n, Bcuke, Smith, Fair, Mun--8011 and Look. The Chairman and Inspector reported in reference to a school at Tatahi. The Board favoured sites 47, 48 and 49, and decided to ask 'the Stoke Committee for its opinion. It was resolved vo insure the three principal city schools and the Technical School in the New Zealand Insurance Company, that company to be authorised to arrange for ro-insuran-ces with tho State and other offices. •It. was decided to request the Granity Committee to take charge of the Hector school to be opened nest year. The question of the proposed new offices for the Board ' was held over until after the Xmas holidays. It was resolved io> invite tenders for the erection of a side school at Rahu. A sum of £200 was granted for an addition to Birchfield school. The architect was instructed to prepare plans and call tenders for the work i forthwith. The .Board's application for a grant for the Wangapeka school was refused by tho Department. It was resolved to make further repfesentaiions. '..-.-■• The Neudorf Committee was empowered to have a survey of the school site made. Tenders were dealt with bs follows: Additions to school, Karamea, held over; Upper Mbutere, painting, H. J. Campbell, £17 10s, accepted; Land of Promise, painting, G. McNab, £8 193, accepted. • A sunr of £6 was granted for repairs at Millerton-. Applications dealt with as f ol- "■ lows :— Motueka, £1 granted for piping; application -for range and wash house, declined ; Dcimiston, improvements to residence, tenders to be invited for the work actually required; Denniston, £21 for conveniences, tenders to be invited; Appleby, painting or schools, tenders to be invited • Three Channel . Flat, necessary repairs "to be effected, painting to stand overWaingaro, £2 repairing fireplace, left to Mr Baigent; Nelson, sewer connections, architect to be instructed • Nelson re doors at Girls' School, that -Mr. .-Johnston make alterations ; TakaKa ,shelter shed, tenders to be invited. Applications for teachersbJps were deal b- with as follows :— Bainham, sole teacher, two applications received resolved to advertise again ; Three °hV? el^ la^' sole Sadler, the name or- Miss E. Nelson to be forwarded to tho Committee ; Pakararo, sole teacher, the. name of Miss Win to be forwarded ; Mangarauau, sole teacher, tho name of Miss Parkinson to be forwarded ; -Wairoa Gorge residenco S w\° ss ; E - Calmer appointed. The question of alleged excessive punishment by. a teacher at Spring Grove, was considered. This was a complaint by Mr J. J. Ricketts, ' act-ing-Chairman of the Committee, that the, teacher had punished a pupil excessively by administering ' thirteen stripes with a strap for breaking a

small pane of glass in the Drill Hall. f The teacher wrote, stating that the | lad in question had been guilty of acts savouring of larrikinism, and he had"frequently warned him of his misbehaviour. The lad, he alleged, broke the window deliberately and wantonly, and the teacher stated that he had inflicted fairly severe punisliment—three strokes while leaning over a desk, and four while over his knee. Owing to tho awkwardness of the position and the. struggles of the boy, the last 'four were not at all severe. The teacher stated that the punishment was not more than was called fcr. If he had made a mistake it was in not dealing with tho boy severely at an earlier date, but he had hoped that his repeated warnings would have had their proper effect upon tho boy. The boy had evidently given his parents an altogether incorrect account . both of his offence and the punishment ho had received. Tho teacher enclosed a letter of sympathy recently received from the parents of children attending the school ; the testimonial given to him by the Committee itself in .Tuns last; and a statement made by the boy himself in the presence of tho scholars, first given verbally in reply to questions, and then put- into writing. The boy .admitted iii his' statement that he did not receive thirteen stripes wi J ..h the strap, but thab ho thought he had received ten, although, he did not count. The Board decided to 'refer tho correspondence to the Spring Grove Committee. Mr Bouke gave -notice to move :— "That all School Committees within the Nolson Education District be supplied by this Board wjth a copy of ;the npw Education Act free of charge." ,: ============