SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1930, Page 4

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION

MONTHLY MEETING OF BOARD OVERCROWDING AT SCHOOLS. CENTRAL AND FITZROY PROBLEMS. Overcrowding at the Central and Fitzroy schools was discussed at the monthly meeting of the Taranaki Education Board yesterday. The secretary (Mr. 11. W. Insull) reported that Mr. D. P. Evans, headmaster, asked for a direction from* the board regarding the admission of new pupils to the Central School, where the accommodation was becoming overtaxed. The position was really acute as room could not be found for children from Leach and Lemon streets. On the other hand there were pupils at the school who lived near the Fitzroy school. The headmaster did not want to lose these pupils, but there was the position of pupil:- 1 • near at hand to be consideredThe matter was referred to Messrs White, Jones, Dempsey and Valentine. Present at the meeting were: The Hon. S. G. Smith (chairman), Dr. W. M. Thomson, Messrs. P. J. H. White, A. Lees, W. H. Jones', J. McAllister, J. A. Valentine and H. Dempsey. So far as the Fitzroy school was concerned, Mr. Insull said he had been asked whether the board would receive a deputation. He had pointed out that Mr. Valentine had been to the school recently to investigate the accommodation difficulties and that the board would consider what action was necessary upon receiving his report. The attendance was increasing steadily, said Mr. Insull. As a result of his investigation. Mr. Valentine recommended the board to consider providing a movable room for the school, if one .were available, or to inquire regarding the possibility of renting the Presbyterian hall. There were 11 rooms and li? assistants. ■ Six of the rooms could accommodate more pupils, two rooms were just filled, and three were overcrowded. But if. standard 5 exchanged rooms with standard 3 only two rooms would be overcrowded, these being rooms for primer classes. It did not seem that by any change in organisation the overcrowding could be obviated. In primer 2 room there were only four pupils " too many, while in primer one room five more pupils could be placed. In primer 3 room there were 14 pupils too many and two teachers were at'work there. As the year went on the conditions in the primer rooms would become more acute. There was insufficient space in standard I room to permit promotions from primer 3. It- was doubtful if. the existing conditions were so acute as to warrant application for a grant for another fresh-air room. During this year 122 pupils had been enrolled and JOG withdrawn, including those leaving standard 6. The. total floor space was 6510 square feet and this was sufficient for 543 pupils. The present roll number was 532 and the average attendance for the May term 470.' Mr. White said it seemed advisable that the hoard should adopt a definite policy regarding the school. He did not think it .should be allowed to grow to Over 600 pupils. Mr. Valentine: Bnt we should allow It to become a grade 7 school. Messrs. .Valentine and Jones, were autthorised to confer with the school committee on the subject.

EXTRA ROOM FOR WJESTOWN. Subject to a favourable report from the Senior inspector, it .vas decided to apply to the department for an additional fresh-air room at Westown. Upon that question Messrs. Valentine, Jones and Dempsey reported there were live classrooms, five permanent assistant teachers, two temporary assistants and two probationers. Thus it became necessary either for each of the two teachers to occupy one classroom with another teacher, or to make use of the passageway. One teacher was conduct ing a class of 39 standard 3 pupils in the passage. These could not be accommodated in any other classroom. There appeared to be a definite need for another classroom. Messrs. Dempsey and White reported having advised the Oaonui c.mimittee to apply to the board for a suosiily for ground improvements. Ths sum of x!8 had Deen subscribed voluntarily. It was recommended that application should against be made to the department lor a grant for renovating the school-- The report was adopted. A recommendation from Messrs. Dempsey and White that the number of heating elements at the Opunake school should be doubled was adopted. The question of the Aukopae school and the opening of a grade 0 school at Aorangi was referred to Messrs. Dempeey and Valentine with power to act. The Manaia school committee forwarded a householders’ resolution urging the Immediate increase of capitation allowances. It was decided to 'refer the matter to the Minister. Dr. Thomson and Mr. Lees were authorised to confer with the architect concerning heating arrangements at the Eltharn school and the question of taicealing a section of the grounds. Holidays were granted schools in the district for the Stratford winter show on July 11, and to various schools in North Taranaki for the Taranaki winter show.

The resignation of Mise Leila McKenzie (Beil Block) was accepted. The action of the committee in closing the Okaiawa school during recent alterations was approved. A special report on the heating of the Central School, New Plymouth. was submitted by the boards architect, Mi. C 11. Moore. It stated: ‘Tn the first place the school was equipped with the usual open fireplaces and I have noticed that fires more or less were seldom lighted and the headmasters, to my knowledge, have never bothered about artificial heating. Yet the children compare more than favourably with any school in regard to their general health. “The school to-day is a mixture of more or less unsatisfactory classrooms and two so-called temporary movable rooms which the present headmaster considers better than the main rooms, and it has been the desire of the board and various committees to have the school renewed by a structure more in keeping with modern requirements and as far as possible not to add permanent improvements to an old and out-of date building. Mr. Jones went through the school recently for the first time and' ho is conversant with the general conditions. However, to place the Bchool. on a. par with other schools in lhe district I suggest a hot water circulation is the best, and heating by

electricity in this case would be preferable to fuel boilers. I estimate the cost of a heating installation, to be approximately £330. “I wish to draw attention again io the unsatisfactory ciassroom in ~ the eastern wing .on the Gover Street frontage. This room is not fit for a classroom. It would make a teach ote’ room and should be used for that purpose. Mr. Jones said he had been surprised to find the school such an old rambling type of lt was inadequately heated.

Mr. Valentine said the hoard had to consider whether it ’was worth while expending £330 now or better to wait for a few years in the hope of getting a new school.

Mr. Smith said there were many parents who were already having a hard struggle to provide food for their children without having to purchase extra warm clothing for them.' It was decided to forward the report to the school committee and some members were appointed to confer with that committee. AGRICULTURAL’ WORK. The senior instructor in agriculture, Mr. R. G. Ridling, reported:—Visits paid to the primary schools during the early part of the month showed that agriculture is being earnestly carried on, the work in some of the larger schools reaching a high standard. The teaching in town schools is sometimes handicapped because of lack of available space for experimental work of the nature and standard required. At Fitzroy, where this difficulty had arisen, the teachers and committee are making efforts to get land that will be suitable for the complete fulfilment of the schemes. Much in this .direction has been done previously by the teachers of this school and any assistance the board can give will aid in the maintenance of the efficiency of the work there. At the smaller schools sound work is iu progress. Most of. the experimental crops have been harvested and teachers are arranging for an increased amount of indoor experimental. work to illustrate and explain the observations made in . the gardens.

Nursery work is well. forward and the development of-strong root systems is receiving attention.- Preparation is being made for the extension of planting operations in the - spring. Applications for trees and shrubs for Bird •Road, Arawhata, Kohuratahi and Opua have not yet been dealt with, but will receive attention immediately the judging of the root crops is completed. Impiovement to grounds is ebinfhanding general attention but the Waitara school has probably done most in this matter and the close co-operation of teachers and committee has been responsible for a complete change in the school environment.

Mr. Moore’s architectural report stated preparation was being made to start on the West End special classroom. A certain amount of material was on the site and the joinery was completed. Building operations would be in progress shortly. The teachers baeh at Whareorino was -completed and the committee had excavated a site. The sections would be despatched as soon as possible.

The hot water ilnstallations had been ■completed at Stratford main school, Tawhi'ti and Okaiawa schools. The . Stratford installation was electrical and was giving satisfaction with ;the exception of the larger room in. the wooden portion of the maiii school. This room would probably require an increase, in the size of the element. The heating system at Tawhi'ti and Okaiawa was by high pressure fuel boilers and these would provide more warmth than necessary. These boilers were very simple and. required only common-sense attention. ARCHITECT REBUFFED. The chimneys at Te Roti school had been mo-re or less unsatisfactory and required attention. Mr. Moore instructa bricklayer to attend Ito the matter and he was told by a member of the committee not to go on with the work as the committee proposed to ask the board to re-erect the chimney on the other side of the classroom. “I will take the view that the committee, man concerned acted in good faith, but it is outside the duties of any committee to interfere with my instructions as I am responsible to the board only. . I was conversant With the committee’s idea and could not recommend it. The better plan Would be to put a stove on the other side of the -room to be used in certain weather conditions if we cannot get the chimney io draw properly. I have had the Te Roti school and site under consideration and have no hesitation in recommending that something should be done —either a new site and a new school or the question of conveying, say, to Norman by, be considered. I suggest that a committee be set up to go into the matter with the school committee. The present site is a side hill and the building is obsolete and out-of-date.”

“I have reluctantly had to reduce the number of men both in the workshop and the painting staff,” Mr. Moore concluded. “It is not advisable to do any more painting than is necessary during th© next few months; instead it would be better to concentrate on this class of work during. the. late summer and autumn.”

Mr. R. G. Ridling, manual supervisor, reported visits were paid to several of the woodwork centres during the month and the progress of the pupils in both bench work and drawing was evident. At the Stratford and Eltham centres a very good standard was being maintained and an improved standard was evident at Hawera and Manaia. In all centres the work seemed to be more advanced than at this time last year. The attendance of the pupils was regular and their keenness evident. At most centres cookery work had proceeded in a highly satisfactory manner, but at two centres the alertness and scrupulous cleanliness generally associated with the work were below the standard required. Steps to alter this had been taken. The schemes had been well covered. The attendance of the girls had been regular. Miss L. Hutchinson had relinquished her position at the Hawera and Manaia centres at the vacation. Miss K. Kempthornc had carried on there since the schools opened and Mrs. Bowler relieved at Stratford and Eltham. Miss M. I. Helyer had been appointed to the position at Hawera and Manaia. Conveyance had been carried on smoothly, A grant for the provision .of woodwork and metal work equipment to the Ohura District High School had been,received With regard to the conveyance of pupils to the Stratford classes a letter was received from the Huiroa school teacher enumerating the difficulties in the way of such an arrangement. Some parents said definitely that their childfCii could nb't attend •these classes and on wet days other pupils brought notes

which asked that they be excused. This left the teacher with portions of several classes to attend to and made the work very difficult. The children went in by train and did not return till after dark, when they still had some distance to travel.

Mr. Ridling said there were only five more lessons to' be completed and the board decided io leave matters as they stood and reconsider them later. •

Correspondence from the department approving of a grant for the Whaka-rn-ura site was received. With regard to a new building at Wha'kamara the department stated the matter was being held in abeyance for a short time. The department approved a grant for a septic tank at the Lepperton School and immediately the committee contributes its quota, of £5O the ‘board’s architect will be authorised to proceed with tlie installation. The board will find material up to the cost of £lO for erecting a fence round the playground. LOWER MANGOREI RESIDENCE. Communication was received from the department asking for the. relative position on the list of works in order of urgency, of the residence at Lower Mangorei. The board decided to advise the department it is first in order of urgency of permanent residences. The department notified the board that it approved, of the Fitzroy * site extension and correspondence was also received regarding the question of the appointment of an additional cookery instructress for the New Plymouth' manual centre. The department stated the committee’s resolution regarding the Elthain school capitation was receiving careful consideration.

With regard to the provision of a car for the organising teacher, Mr. Valentine said he had gone into the matter with the board accountant and it had been ascertained that £BO would be saved the board in three years if the ■car were procured. That was after taking into account running expenses and insurance.

The matter was left in the hands of Messrs White .and Jones with power to act.

The following relieving appointments were made by the chairman during the month:—-Miss A. McCardle, Ongarue, June 1 to 30; Miss D. Seed, Ongarue, June 9 to 21; Miss D. M. Nicholson, VVhangamomona, May 26' to June 30; Miss D. M. Sage, Toko, May 26 to September 8; Miss Cumming, West End, May 0 to June 14; Miss W. Boon, Fitzroy, May 26 to June 30; Miss E. ■S. Giddy, Tokirima, May 26 to June 30; Miss M. E. Leech, Kapuni, May 26 to June 30; Miss D. E. Callaghan, Stratford, May 26 to June 30; Miss O. K. Abraham, Carrington, May 26 to June 30; Miss E. ' iS. Black, Kaponga, -May 26 to June 30; Mr. B. E. Mason, Westown, May 26 to June 30; Miss G. Leech, Ilawera, June 9 to July 5; Miss G. Leech, sole teacher, Durham, May 26 to June 4; Miss A. B. Carlson, Otunni, May 26 to June 30; Mr. G. W. Graham, Aukopae-Roto, May 26 to June 30; Mr. J, Galbraith, Moeatoa, May 26 to June 30; Miss M. Bruce, Kaimiro, May 2(1 to June 30; Miss K. Coleman, Tongahoe Valley Household, April 28; Mr. M. C. Ford, Norfolk, May 26 to June 30; Miss O. K. Flavin, Ararata, May 26 to June 30; Mrs. E. Chadwick, Stratford, June 2 to June 30; Miss M; D. Kurta, Mirai, May ; 26 to September 8; Miss P. GannaWay, Westown, May ■26 to* September 8; Miss R. ! Taylor, Fitzroy, May 26 to September 8; Mr. R. 0. Reed, Manaia, May 26 to September 8; Miss D. E. Simpson, transferred from Whangamomona to Huirangi, The teachers’ selection committee, with power to act, comprising Messrs White, Dempsey, Valentine and Jones, will meet on Monday next.