SCHOOL COMMITTEES

Taranaki Daily News, 4 September 1935, Page 9

SCHOOL COMMITTEES

TARANAKI ASSOCIATION MEETS.

TELEPHONE CHARGE CONCESSION.

The monthly meeting of the executive of the Taranaki School Committees’ Association was held at New Plymouth on Monday. Mr. J. Garcia (Westown) presided and there were also present Messrs. A. H. Jordan (Albert Road), F. A. Coleman (Central), F. E. May (West E*-d), C. W. Henwood (Urenui), F. E. Gadd (Vogeltown), H. Pryce, R. Millman (Moturoa), h. Asquith (Welboum), S. Kibby (Fitzroy), E. B. Corbett (Pouakai), A. G. Martin, J. D. Perriam (Lower Mangorei) and F. S. Nicholson (Central), secretary. The Central Taranaki School Committees’ Association wrote suggesting that a conference of the North, South and Central associations should be held to discuss the question of boundaries, representation at the Dominion conference and other matters of mutual interest. The association .was in accord with the holding of such a conference at a date to be mutually arranged. The president, who represented the association at the recent annual conference of the New. Zealand federation at Palmerston North, gave a resume of the proceedings and the many important matters dealt 'with. These included the, necessity for revision of the whole, educational system as it affected primary and post-primary education * and the formation of a National Board of Education, representing the . Government, teaching profession,' inspectorial, education boards and school committees. Other matters dealt with were capitation, subsidies, grading and staffing, size of classes, removal of teachers, readmission of five-year-olds, school text books, synchronisation of holidays, life pf school committees, school ground maintenance, etc., free dental treatment available to all school children, transport of rural children to secondary schools, intermediate schools, agricultural instruction, swimming instruction, etc. , The Taranaki remits regarding reinstatement of subsidies and urging that school dental-clinic facilities be made available to all primary school children were carried. The remit from Taranaki urging that transfer of teachers should not take place until the end of the school. year was referred to the special committee set up to deal with the revision of the education system. , The remit, from Taranaki asking the conference to evolve a scheme of insurance covering school children against accidents at-sports, etc., away f rom the school was referred to the incoming executive to discuss and, • after inviting the opinion of the Underwriters’ Association, to refer their findings to the affili-ated-associations. Mr. Garcia expressed appreciation of the valuable assistance given by Mr. H. W. Insull, who had provided him with data that had proved very useful during the discussions. Appreciation of the assistance given by Mr. Insull was recorded. - Mr. Garcia stated that he had extended the invitation of the Taranaki association for the next North Island conference in 1937 to take place at New Plymouth. Mr. H. Collier, delegate of the South Taranaki association,, had supported the invitation which it was very probable would be accepted by the conference which was to be held at Dunedin next year. . The desirability for some concession in the charges for telephones used. ’■ at schools solely for school’ purposes was expressed by Mr. Millman, who moved that representations be made , to the Minister of Education with a view to having a reduction made. He pointed out that some-time ago the School Committees’ Association had been responsible ' for having school telephones placed on the residential scale instead of the business scale, but he held that a further reduction was necessary. School committees had the telephones installed in the schools purely in die interests of the children, as in the event of an accident s few minutes’ delay due to the absence of a telephone might have serious effects. He considered that if possible there should be a telephone,in every school. School committees were not allowed to use their limited, capitation money to pay the telephone fee but had to raise • the money in some other way. .'Mr. Coleman said schools too were only open five days each week, and were also closed for lengthy holiday periods so that they could reasonably ask for some concession beyond the residential rates. The resolution was carried.