EDUCATION IN TARANAKI

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1929, Page 7

EDUCATION IN TARANAKI

BOARD’S MONTHLY MEETING PROGRESS OF WORK IX SCHOOLS. AGRICULT UK AL INST RU CT lON. The monthly meeting of the Taranaki Education Board was held in New Plymouth yesterday, there being present: Messrs P. J. H. White (in the chair), A. Lees, J. A. Valentine, J. McAllister, H. . Dempsey and Dr. W. M. Thomson. Leave of absence was granted Messrs S. G. Smith, M.P.; and W. H. Jones. - The senior instructor in agriculture, Mr. R. G. Ridling, reported as follows: Primary schools.—A good part of the month was devoted to the completion of the judging of the root crop competitions and to the arrangement and judging of the work at the agricultural shows. Visits to schools for instruction and inspection were confined to the coastal areas and the town schools. The work is in most cases proceeding 'satisfactorily. Steady progress is being made with experimental study of the principles governing operations in the soil and with certain aspects of plant physiology. Simple top-dressing trials are being carried out. A preparation for further experimental work with the fertilising of potatoes is being commenced. Boys’ and Girls’ Club Work. —The judging of this work has been completed throughout the district and displays have been made at the shows at New Plymouth and Hawera. A display of exhibits from this district has been dispatched by the Agricultural Department for staging at the Wellington ' Winter Show. • The value of this work has increased from year to year and this year the work has reached a high standard —higher than in previous years. A comprehensive report of the competitions in South Taranaki is being prepared. School Environment. —Steady progress is being made withschemes of improvement in some of the schools. Good work has been carried out at Puniho and work of a comprehensive nature is being undertaken at Punga- „ rehu. In most schools the ground work received regular and efficient attention. Forestry.—The trees in the nurseries

have everywhere received the requisite attention and thousands of pines and gums are ready for transplanting into plantations. Arrangements for the commencement of this work in August are being made. Black wattle trees at the Mimi School were the first trees,grown for school plantation purposes. Many of these have suffered from disease but there is now ready a fair crop of trees suitable for posts and for firewood. The Mimi school committee has been advised to cut out many of the trees and to replant with gums and pines. A fine display of forestry work in schools was made at the Hawera Winter Show. The Syme Afforestation Shield was again Avon by the pupils of the Ohangai School. MANUAL WORK. The manual supervisor, Mr. R. Qi Sidling, reported that the attendance at woodwork classes had suffered somewhat through attacks of influenza and through illness of the instructors, but the work had progressed satisfactorily under the circumstances. Other branches of the work were receiving more attention and should soon be up to standard. Tool racks had been provided at all centres and stools for seating accommodation at Stratford and Eltham. At Hawera some progress had been made with the room for drawing purposes, but it required to be lined and ceiled and to have suitable drawing benches provided. Grants for that putpose should be asked from the department. The Opunake room had been enlarged and at the Inglewood centre the floor joists had sunk, leaving a considerable gap between the floor and the wall lining, while the spouting also required replacing. Cookery attendances had suffered but the work was advancing satisfactorily. There were a few minor requirements ‘ at Hawera, Waitara and Opunake centres but in general the equipment was sufficient and in good order. ' The architect, Mr. C. 11. Moore, reporting on jvork done during the month, said the departmental architect, Mr. R. Savage, had visited the district and gone’through the board’s building adjustments and final claims in respect to iew works. He considered all matters within’his power were adjusted in a reasonable and satisfactory manner to the board. , . At Turuturu the new additional classroom and permanent teachers’ room were nearing completion and durin„ a severe gale one of the shelter was blown over the fence into the adding property. Latrines at Awatuna Ind Rahotu had b*een completed, while r Awakino the work on new convcmJnces septic tank and special water flCnnly was in progress. The earthquake was responsible for more or less damage to several tanks and chimneys, fnd Ft had been necessary to renew X tanks at Ararata and Mokoia and replace the shelter shed and chimneywp at Cardiff. Several chimneys still I nceibd rt'-’.l-n

MIDHIRST SCHOOL NEEDS. In a special zsport the architect recommended that at Midhirst the old portion of the building should be disman- * tied and a new room added to the present infant wing. The present unsatisfactory conditions were stressed by Messrs McAllister and • Valentine, and the architect was instructed to prepare plans for approval. The replacement of the Lincoln Road School was recommended. At Inglewood the architect considered it would be desirable to have a new modern building on the new site, as the present building could not be made economically into a school in accordance with pre-sent-day requirements. . The following recommendations were made by the finance and buildings committee:—That the matter of apprenticeship classes be referred to the chairman of the committee to confer with the secretary and architect and report, that the matter of furnishing the teachers’ room at the Stratford School be , left to Mr. McAllister to interview the t school committee and ascertain whether they are prepared to help and to i report at the next meeting of the board; I that application be made to the department for the following subsidies; — , Urenui, roto Tolls £3, falling in square £5; Matau, library £5 Gs (board’s lia- . bility 4s 3d); Mt. Messenger, gramophone and records, £5 10s; Fitzroy, grounds, etc., £7 13s 6d; Finnerty, library, £1 10s (board’s liability 10s 6d); Kohuratahi, piano, £26s 10d; Tataraimaka, sewing machine, £5 10s; Tarata, library, etc., £3 5s (board’s liability os 3d); Bell Block, records, £1 10s; Hurford, library, £1 0s fid; Tarurutangi, gramophone and records, £6; Omata, library, £2 (board’s libaility 14s Od); Frankley, grounds, £5 (board’s liability £S); Stanley, library, £5 (board’s liability 10s Gd); Inglewood, Iribary, £4 Iss 4d (board’s liability £3 3s). I I HEATING SYSTEMS. A meeting of New Plymouth members of the board and members of the finance and building committee forwarded the following recommendations, which were adopted as follows: —That the question of making representations to the Minister in regard to the proposals for improvement to'heating systems in concrete schools be referred to the chairman of the board; that the method of providing bicycle sheds to meet the changed conditions be referred to the chairman to make representations to the Minister with a view to securing grants; that each application

from teachers for the provision of motor car sheds be dealt with on its merits; that the Ohura school committee be advised that its application for a septic tank system is held over until the committee assures the board that an adequate water supply is available. The matter of lining and ceiling of the Hawera woodwork room was referred to the architect for immediate action, and it was decided to make application to the department -for a grant to cover the cost of the work. An application is to be made to the department for a grant to' cover the cost of eight drawing benches for the Hawera woodwork room. Repairs required at the Inglewood centre were referred to . the architect with power to act. The supervisor was instructed to obtain information regarding the numbers available for light woodwork classes at Tarata and report at the next meeting of the board, and to provide 60 macrocarpa shelter trees to Waiteika School and 24 shrubs to Moturoa School. The department advised that a proposal had been made that all vehicles used for the conveyance of school children should be subject to annual inspection by inspectors appointed by the traffic department. It was decided to request the senior inspector to report upon accommodation at the Mokau School. If his report is favourable plans will be prepared and forwarded to the department for approval. INGLEWOOD DENTAL CLINIC. As the Inglewood school committee had raised £5O, with the probability of obtaining a £2 for £1 subsidy, it was resolved to make an application to the department for a subsidy and for authority to erect a building for a dental clinic of type C. To cover the cost of removing the bach at Hillsborough and re-erecting it as a classroom at Pembroke Road, it was decided to seek a grant from the department of £25. The opinion was expressed that musical festivals and competitions at which it was desired that children should compete should be held during the school holidays. The appointment of Miss B. Wallis as infant mistress at Okaiawa was confirmed. The exchange of appointments of Miss Buckeridge and Miss Hogarth as assistants respectively at Eltham and Awakino was approved. Miss Dorothy Elliott was appointed additional assistant at Waitara in place of Miss Hurle. After consultation with the senior inspector the following appointments were given effect to: —Mr. Allen E. Wishart, sole teacher, Marco; Mr. W. D. Adams, sole teacher, Tarata: Miss Jean Hurle, assistant, Lepperton. The following resignations were accepted with regret:—Mrs. A. H. Beige (assistant, Lepperton), May 31; Miss i - 11. Lewis ((assistant, Waitara), July

31; Miss L. M. Ovenden (assistant, Urenui), September 0; Miss J. E. Sellar (assistant, Lower Mangorei), July 31. The following relieving appointments were confirmed: —Mr. W. H. Mason, sole teacher, Tahora; Miss A. B. Carlson, sole teacher, Tokirima; Miss A. V. Hutchinson, sole teacher, Korito; Miss N. I. G. Jones, assistant, Hillsborough; Mr. H. J. A. Carr, head teacher, Kaponga; Miss M. E. Leech, assistant, Central; Miss W. D. Brown, sole teacher, Tututawa; Miss M. Bourke, head teacher, Tawhiti; Miss. 0. M. Flavin, head teacher, Fraser Road; Mr. R. C. Reed, sole teacher, Tarata; Miss R. Taylor, assistant, Central; x r iss M. K. Hewes, assistant, Okaiawa; Miss M. B. Kilpatrick, teacher, Ngaere; Miss M. B. Kilpatrick, assistant add., Fitzroy; Miss F. M. Drader, assistant, Inglewood; Miss F. M. Drader, assistant, Tikorangi; Miss L. L. Chapman, assistant, Vogeltown. The list of projected works in order of urgency was amended as follows: — Tikorangi, reinstatement, £1075; Midhirst, Central, fresh air classroom, £667; Lincoln, reinstatement; Tarurutangi, reinstatement; Tataraimaka, remodelling; Whakamara, reinstatement; Oaonui, remodelling.