EDUCATION BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 June 1921, Page 7

EDUCATION BOARD.

THE MONTHLY MEETING. At the meeting of the Taranaki Education Board on Wednesday tte following additional business Was transacted:— ARCHITECT’S REPORT. The architect (Mr. C. H. Moore) reported: Hawera Technical High School.—With the exception of the fittings for the science laboratories, the building will be complete and ready for occupation by the end of this .month. I wish to draw attention to the matter of front entrance gates and suitable fence in keeping with the school. A separate grant will have to be made if any elaborate work is proposed. The matter requires early consideration. Stratford Technical High School. —This work is making good headway. The whole of the concrete walls are completed, and the roof will soon be ready for the tiles. Manaia New School. —Very little -further progress has been made during the last few weeks owing to waiting for the plasterers; they will be finished at Hawera this week, ana will then concentrate on the Manaia work. Koru New School.—The whole of the framing is cut out ready for this building, and a start on the erection is now being made. Okato New Residence. —Most of the shingle and a quantity of boxing material is on the site, and this work will be put in hand shortly. The report also dealt with general repairs effected 'in connection with the following:— Tuna School and residence, Denbigh, York School and residence, Tariki’ residence, Norfolk School, Pungarehu School, Oaonul resiresidence, Hillsborough, Bell Block, West End and Mokoin. The workshop was in good order, and a large quantity of general joinery and furniture has been turned out, including joinery for the Upper Mangorei, Koru and Moeroa Schools, and also for the Okaiawa Hostel. THE ELTHAM SCHOOL. The chairman and Messrs. Masters, Eaves, Lees and White reported having inspected the Elthaim School and grounds on June 1, and were met by the committee and headmaster, who brought several matters under notice. This school was originally a one-roomed school built in 188 R to accommodate 55 pupils; and it has been added to on no less than four separate occasions since, the last being In 1907. It now has accommodation for 361 pupils. There is an average attendance of Soo. No definite plan appears to have been followed in making additions, with the result that the roof where one room joins up with another, has developed leaks, due to faulty construction. With this exception and the need for replacing several broken windows, we found the school generally In a good state of repair. The rooms would be improved by painting in lighter tints. We recommend that the architect be instructed to report to the board on the following Items:—Repainting interior of school and exterior of residence; renewal of gates to the school ground and fences at residence; repairs to roof of shelter shed. The committee wiff give Immediate attention to the broken panes and renewal of posts to school fence.

The committee consulted us upon the desirability of improving the present grounds or reserving their effort until a new school is authorised. We were unable to hold out much hope of a new school In the near future, and therefore urged that effort should be made in connection with the present site so that pupils of to-day might reap some advantage of improvements effected. I ATTENDANCE REPORT. The attendance officer (Mr. G. Pascoe) reported :-rI have sent out 63 notices to parents of children attending primary schools. All school returns for the month of April hare come to hand. These show very little irregular attendance, except in one or two cases which are being attended to. The following schools have been visited during May, the attendance being very satisfactory:—Warea, Mahoe, Rowan, MidhLrst, Malcaka, Auroa, Stratford, Norfolk, Tariki, Omata, Oakura, Okato, Waitara, Bell Block, Motonui, Urenui, Opunake, and Stratford Convents. Eight charges against parents have been heard, two being convicted, three convicted and fined, one dismissed (over age), one withdrawn, and one adjourned to procure medical certificate. GENERAL. Reporting on the question of accommodation at the Ackland School, the senior inspector said he did not think the case was pressing enough to warrant the board’s placing it before the Minister. The case could be reconsidered if tte average attendance rose in the future. It would relieve the pressure io some extent if two more dual desks were sent to the.school. In reply to Mr. Masters, the architect said it was proposed to go on with the Ngacre residence as soon as other work at Okato was carried out. He explained that the permission of the department had yet to be cbtained. The Inglewood committee is to be informed that the present is not an opportune time to apply to the department for a science room, as requested in a letter received last month. The position in respect to tte question of repairs at Carrington Road was explained by the architect in reply to Mr. Smith. A resolution was carried leaving the matter in the architect’s hands.

A committee consisting of the chairman, Messrs. Smith and Masters reported on the unsatisfactory condition at Astwood household school, and recomipended that an application be made to the department for f grant to cover the cost of providing a movable school for Astwood.

Afcssrs. P. Brophy and W. C. Caldwell waited on the board In regard to a new shelter shed at Warea school. The board’s architect estimated the cost of the shed at £75 without joinery, to which amount the board had promised £2O and the department £2o.—The work will be undertaken as soon as possible. The committee of the Motonui School wrote enclosing a cheque for £lO4, wXch was the cost of proposed extensions of the school, and asking the board to supply the other £lO4. They pointed out that the accommodation at the school was not adequate to the number of scholars.—No action will be taken, on the grounds that# the Motonui committee did not have a sufficiently important case for a Government grant. The position regarding Matemateonga was reported on by the senior inspector, who advised the board that the time was not yet r!.pe to approach the department for a grant for the erection of a school. It was of little use to make any further move until the attendance placed the school In grade 1. The offer of the school committee to assist in the purchase of a site might be placed before the department, and permission sought for the purchase of the ground as sodp as the attendance warranted further movement.