EDUCATION BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 252, 24 April 1912, Page 7

EDUCATION BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary meeting of the Taraanki • Education Board wae held, last night, when there were present: Messrs. H. Trimble (chairman), A. Morton, W. McL. Kennedy, G. Rogers, R. Martin, J. Young, and G. A. Adlam. Mr. A. H. Halcombe was granted leave of absence. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. The chairman reported that the Gov-1 eminent audit inspector had been through the board's accounts, and was now awaiting a few outstanding vouchers before completing the audit. Only 69 out of the 93 committees' accounts arrived at the office in lime to be audited by the 22nd inet. On the 9th inst. .he had interviewed the Prime Minister with reference to the Oeo school site, when he expressed the opinion that it would be possible for the Public Trustee to give the board a lease of the land at a merely nominal rent, which should satisfy the Education . Department. The Prime Minister promised to attend to the matter oit his return to Wellington, but so far he has ' had no further information. The committee of the Waihi school asked if the partition in the new school could be made moveable, offering to pay the cost. It was, however, found that ; the structural alterations would be too i expensive, and it was suggested that | they should be satisfied with folding doors between the chimney arid the wall of the porch, which would leave an opening about 17ft wide. The committee was partly satisfied with this, but wished to know if the other part of the partition could be dealt with in the same way, but after aagin consulting the overseer, the chairman could not recommend the application. 1 The opening of the Stratford District High School was celebrated on Thursday, the 18th inst.. when a very successful social gathering was held in the school. Unfortunately the Minister for Eduea-1 tion was not able to be present. TEMPORARY APPOINTMENTS. The chairman reported that the fol- | lowing temporary appointments had been ; made: Mrs. Morgan, temporary assistant' at Stratford ill place of Miss TSuller; Miss Hohv had been transferred from . TTuiakuma to Fitzrov. and Miss Bollinger ! from Fitzroy to Huiakama. | TECHNICAL DIRECTOR'S REPORT, j Mr. Ballantyne, superintendent of the Technical College, reported that during ■the past month grants amounting to £10.5 Is had been received from the De- j partment. Mr. Sullivan had, owing to ill-liealth, been compelled to resign his : position as instructor and superinten- 1 dent of the Technical College, and he would like to place on record the con- : scientious manner in which he had div 1 charged the duties assigned to him. In ' order to brine; the New Plymouth school I into line with Stratford and Tnglewood. he recommended that Mr ITeatley should be appointed superintendent at the New Plymouth Technical College, and that Mr. F. W. Sandford be appointed to supervise when Mr. Heatlev was away in the country. An application had been i- forwarded to the Department for a | grant of £2O towards the cost of an exj tension to the plumbing room, in which \ the forges used in connection with the ! j, metal-work classes may be placed. Ap- ! plication had also been made to the | electric light department of the borough! for the installation of electric power in ! the woodwork room, for the purpose of j working a circular saw and a woodtnrniwr In the.—Adopted. j TFCTTNTCAL ORC.ANTSER'S REPORT. ! Mr. F. J. Hcatley, technical organiser. I reported that the number of students on the rolls of the various classes, inclusive of the technical day classes, was as follows: —Commercial English 27. commercial arithmetic 27, mathematics 20, shorthand 23, commercial geography 21, typing 14, Standard VI. proficiency i 11, Latin fi. book-keeping 29, corre-1 spondence and precis 14, d'-'--"— 1 plumbing fi. cookery 11. woodwork 13, millinery 11. machine and building construction 11. freehand, and model drawing. etc.. 2l>. painting and art 18. elocution 3, chemistry 21. physiology and first aid 21. hvgiene 0. physics. 21 The day classes were a substantial increase to the numbers and had. created interest in the college. The girls of the secondary department of the Convent had; taken advantage of the physiology- class 1 under Dr. Fookes. Through the kindness of some of the leading business men of the town, the members of Hie day commercial class would lie enabled to spend some time before assembling at the college in the various offices in turn ' to see the practical side of office work. I Mr. K. Bnrv, of West End. had been ' recommended to act as instructor in I place of Mr. Sullivan, who. acting under J medical instruction, had resigned from' night work. The rural i'asses had com-j menced and would shortly be in full swing. ' ' j At Tnglewood cookery and woodwork classes were being carried on. a first aid class was in course of formation, and it was hoped during the winter months to have a. course for the younger farmers. At Stratford continuation classes in arithmetic and English had been formed. A dressmaking class had also been formed, and he had been endeavoring to arrange for millinery classes in the vieinitv of Stratford. A class had been formed at Tariki. and others would be taken up if suitable arrangements could be made at Cardiff. Ngaere. and Midliirst. During the month he had visited the various schools taking up agriculture and dairywork. Several schools had taken up the work for Tie first time this year. On his visits li ■ had pointed out the opportunities affi "ded to the children by the board giving agricultural scholarships.-—Adopted. STRATFORD SCHOOL (I ROUND. Messrs. R. Masters and W. Rogers reported that tlipy had, in conjunction with two members of the Stratford School Committee, inspected the Stratford School grounds, and found that various work was required. Both the horse paddock and school fences required repairs. Various improvements were also required in the school yard. The estimated cost of the whole would be £SO, of which the School Committee was prepared to pay .C2O. The report was adopted, and it was resolved to ask the committee to undertake the work under the supervision of Mr. Masters, the Board's share of the expense not to exceed £3O. Mr. R. Masters also referred to the congested playing area, pointing out that for over 700 children there was about half an acre available. The children. therefore, had to run on the streets or the park. He suggested that the schoolmaster'* residence adjoining, which was old and inconvenient, should be removed and a new resilience built on the school reserve in Broadway south. The ground at present occupied by the residence could be thrown into the plavground. On the motion of Mr. Masters, it whs resolved to make application to the Department for a grant to erect a new residence on the site suggested. STRATFORD STAFFING. Tile Stratford School Committee wrote, asking that a qualified female assistant hhould be appointed to take charge of flic infant classes in place of the uncerfificated teacher.—After some J discussion it was resolved that the \ Board saw no reason at present to re- . open the question of staffing the school GENERAL. . I The application by the Egmont Village School Committee for an additional tank

was refused, Mr. Morton having r> ported that the tunk at the school was sutti-

cient for present needs.

Messrs. Sanderson and Griffiths (architects) notified that the recently built Stratford school had been takin over on Monday, 21st inst., and school was now being carried on in the building. There were still a few small items, which would be attended to during the month's maintenance.

The, letter from the Opua School Committee was referred to the techer for explanation.

TRUANT OFFICER'S REPORT.

Mr. A. Hooker (truant officer) reported that during the quarter ending March 31 he had issued 79 final notices for irregular attendance, and had also personally visited a number of parents. He had also prepared a number of summonses for the Opunake, Stratford, Inglewood, Waitara and New Plymouth courts against parents who persistently kept their children away from school. He also drew the Board's attention to the necessity for more care being taken by the teachers in making up tlve monthly returns of absence, as in one case where 'ofl names had been reported, on careful analysis these, had been reduced to four.