NELSON EDUCATION BOARD.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12502, 31 March 1909, Page 3

NELSON EDUCATION BOARD.

:•' MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Nelson -Education Board was resumed yesterday morning. Present Messrs A, T. Maginnity(cnairinan) Shepherd, Lock, -Munson, Fair, Baigent, Franklyn, Beuke", and Smith. The Chief Inspector presented in-, spection reports on the schools in the Westport, Reef ton, and Buller f districts. „ : v ' * •■- ■' ~'~" It was agreed, on the recommendation of the Inspector, to replace the old long desks in the. Brook street school with dual desks, and to increase the -supply of hyloplate to the HampHen street school rendered necessary by the recent division of the room by a partition. In dealing with -the question of uucertificated' . teachers the _ Board agreed to the following resolutions : : — 1.- That all 'Uncertificated teachers in schools of Grade C. be informed that their positions can only be > regarded as temporary, and that their, future promotion- -in. the Board's ■ ser-~ vice: is -" dependent on their, improving their educational qualifications. ■• ■■'.'. 2. That, all uncertificated teachers . in, schools above Grade ;O..be notified that' Jheir; positions are metely temporary, and that their positions will bo advertised as vacant in -March next. That all such teachers be informed that they must present themselves for the : teachers' , examination or for completion •of such examination in January next, otherwise they will not be eligible to re-apply for the positions they'now hold. ; : 3. That teachers who have passed the certificate examination, but are not yet classified^ and also license holders, be exempt from the above conditions. Draft regulations for the employment of probationers were read and approved, and it was^resolved that ■copies" of! the regulations- be sent, to Secretaries of School Committees. A: very, large number of replies were received 7 from local and other bodies in reference to the proposal to establish an experimental station in the Nelson district. . The replies were un- , animous in favour of the. proposal. It . was resolved to send the replies to the Agricultural Department. — MrT)almer, of Wellington, -haying 1 received' another appokitmerit, intimated that- he would not be able to . take "the ; position- of instructor > in ' engineering at ,Westport ; . Schools Mr j H. B., Priestley "Wicks was appointed 1 to tho. position. ; It was resolved, in reference to a ' letter from Ngakawau, that the Board '•- at present : saw ! no reason to depart 1 from its former resolution in regard . -to the. side. school continuing at NgaLi kawauv : ' '';■.: ■'- ■ ' ■■■ ■■-;--:.v- /; ,-^ -.:'• r: It was -Tesolved to asknowleidge rer. ceipt: of :a-letter.;irom v the Little Grey. 1 Committee in reference. to the teachi " Mr • Cowles intimated that; he -was ■ sufficiently restored to health to be ' ablo-tolresume. teaching. :; . v ' .Resignations .were accepted as'fol--1 lows i-^Miss E. E. Gilbert;. Hop e; MiSs v R.E. Nicholson. Waitahu; Miss I. ' Meyer, Richmond.*L •Appoiritments were made as fol- ■ lows 1 :— -Miss A.^Bettzem'an,. ; : assistant ": Birchfield; 'Missvßastin, sole teacher, [■■ Aniseed .Valley ; Miss Findlay, I pupil '< teacher, Westport;- Miss -Mills, Vpro- ■ bationer, -Westport.. ■ % - ' r -' '- V The attelttiign of Riwata Committee was directed the^^; clause's -' in the " "(Contiuued on pagej) '

Education Act. in reference to the ap-_ pointment of pupil teachers. Th 6 Riwaka Committee objected to ' tho Board transferring Mr. Forsythto tbu Brooklyn School, and it was.there- •. fere resolved that applications ■be in- ' vited for the position of heajl teacher for the school. The Westport School Committee not havingrmade any recommendation tjuo.- ----" der the Act, Mr Shepherd moved and Mr Baigent seconded, that Mr J. H. ? Harkriess be appointed headmaster of > the Westport District High School. Mr Lock said that he was not going to oppose the appointment, but he considered that the Committee should have, been consulted when an appointment .was to be niade. As'there were four or five "applicants for the position at Westpoi*; more than one name should have been sent on. Mr Munson moved that fresh applications Jbe invited~for tha position.' The Chairman said the motion was out of order, and he would not allow it to be. moved. Mr Munsou objected to the stand taken by the Board in placing Mr Harkness in the position ha is. The Board had. a perfect right to. send his name, but other names should have been sent as well. He 'knew the majority of the people of Wesifcport did not want Mr Harkness.. He did. not object to Mr Harkness, but the manner in which the appointment was made. _ '" The Chairman defended the Board's action. He admitted that one of the applicants had higher qualifications than Mr Harkness, 'but "they knew Mr Harkness's capabilities as a teacher, and did not know, the capabilities of the others. The privileges of the committees would not be infringed as long as he was chairman. The motion was then carried on the voices. .. " ' It was resolved on the motion ■of Mr ILock, seconded by Mr Smith, that-ap-plications be invited for the position of headmaster of the Reef ton. High School. -■;■■_.-■ ■•■.';■ ■. • ■ „. The question of" drainage -connection for the Haven Road, Hampden Street, and Brook Street Schools was then considered. •; After discussion, it, was resolved, oa Mr Franklyn's motion, that legal advice be taken as to whether it was compulsory on the part of the Board to connect with the new. sewerage system. .■-""■;.■■ . ... -"_, It was resolved that all tenders, except that of Messrs Carlisle and Co., which was the lowest, 1 ber" declined, and that this tender be held over-pend-ing the receipt of the legal advice on the question of drainage..; . > The Town Schools Committee fori warded a resolution, stating that Miss ■ Gilbert; had not been appointed to a position in the city schools in accordance with the Act. — As there had been a^ technical error in making the appointment, it was resolved. that fresh applications be invited, if the Committee had any objection to the appointment made. - . The Town Schools Committee wrote in reference to school buildings being used as polling booths 'on election ' days, arid asking that the Board make ' representations to have the law amende'J in the direction of curtailing powers of returning officers to demand the vise of school' buildings for the purpose. • • - ■ ■Mr Franklyn moved, and Mr Shepherd seconded, that as the recommendation would involve an amendment of- the existing law, the Board did not propose to initiate steps to that end. Mr Lock mpved, and Mr Smith seconded, that the letter, be referred to the Minister of Educaion. The motion was carried. It was resolved that Messrs Dicksrvi and Murray's tender of £05 a year . for leasing school site, part section ."".067., Henley and Palmerstbn streets, Vestport, be accepted, subject to certain' arrangements being mads. ' ' It .was resolved to procure -thirty maps of the world from the Wellington branch of the Navy League. : The Board rose at 3.40 p.m.