HIGH SCHOOL BOARD.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143769, 18 April 1912, Page 5

HIGH SCHOOL BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING,

The monthly meeting of the High School Board of Governors was held on Wednesday. Present: Mr. N. K. Mac Diarmid (chairman), and Messrs. At. Eraser, L. Doekriil, H. iOyrcKenny, D. Hulchen and Ur. E. Hanoi - Hookes. Mr. Percy Smith vvrotc apologising for Ids absence. The board granted t'ne required leave. Dr. Hookes, who had been absent on the last three occasions on which the board met, anti had therefore forfeited Ids seat on the hoard, was, by resolution, reinstated. Mr. U. ilntehen, on behalf of the suh-corumittoe appointed to meet the Scholarships Conference, which was held lately at Now Plymouth, presented Ids report. A report of this conference has already appeared in our columns. CORKESPON DENCH. ;

Mr. Harold Trimble, chairman of the Education Board, wrote

asking -Messrs. MacDiarndtl am; Tiutehen, of the High School Board, who were appointed to meet the. .Scholarships Ccnfeivnce, lately held at New .Plymouth, to use their best endeavours to prevent the funds set aside for higher educational puvp,,,ea -being diverted from university purposes, nun being used for merely secondary work, at a school to be established at Moniahnki, which the .11 a went people wished to do. He notified the hoard that he was going to protest on behalf of the. Education Board, to tho Minister, against the diversion of the funds, but was unable to bring the matter atlicially before him, because that duty was imposed upon the chairman of the High School Hoard ami Mr. D., Hulchen.—The chairman said that personally he was unable to go to ‘Stratford to interview the .Minister, but that he considered that it would bo sufficiently efficacious if a copy of the minutes was sent to the Minister, of Education at Wellington, and ho moved that this bo done.—The resolution was carried. HREE RAILWAY PASSES. '

A letter was read from the principal, Mr. W. H. Moves, dealing with the matter of free railway tickets, which have not hoeu available on Saturdays. It was found necessary, ho wrote, for a number of pupils to remain at the school till Saturday, when tnoy were unable to avail themselves of the passes. tie asked the board to go into the matter, and endeavour to obtain permission from the Railway Department for weekly boarders to use the morning trains on Saturdays. He had, he continued, already communicated with the statioumaster at Now Plymouth, who had written to the District Manager on the matter. The latter wrote in reply, asking the staliomnastcr to inlonn him that the tickets could not be made available on Saturdays, as requested, and that arrangements should bo made so that pupils could leave by the 1.20 train on Pnday nilernooti, 11 was boubll'iil, lie continued, whether the iroe passes were available for wi e!-,ly boarders in CONSTITUTION Of THE BOARD. Mr, P.. Dockrill, speaking on his notice 01 motion on tins subject, said that since the last meeting be had had the opportunity of speaking witn the Minl.e-ei, The Pill submitted Wythe lion, T. Kelly provided for the election to the board of three members by the ibeiernor, one by the Education Board, eii’ by the County Council, one by ti■ • ■ Borough Council, and two by the parents of the children. Neither the county Council nor the Borough Council, to his mind, had any interest in the election of members of the High School Board, although it was within the province of the Education Board. fie would like to sec seats on the board other than the Governor’s nominees, tilled by election. .Mr. At, Eraser supported Mr. Dockrill, and said that in his opinion, the parents should elect three members, if they only elected two the preponderance would bo all on the other side, and the elected members would bo like a voice crying in tho wilderness. Mr. If. Eyrc-Konny differed, saying that if parents elected throe members, it would mean that they were, elected by the children, for they would influence their parents.. He would not object to two members being elected by the parents, but no more. Tho present constitution of the board was in liis opinion, an excellent ono. If elected, as now proposed, the board would be an inferior one. Air. D. Hutchon disclaimed any responsibility for the Bill, which, he said, did not in any manner give effect to ,his proposals. Tho following motion was then put and carried: “That apart from the number of members nominated by tho Governor, the Taranaki Education Board should nominate one member, the remainder to be elected by the parents and guardians of children attending the school.” GENERAL. The Education Department notified the board that their classes for manual instruction for tho year 1912 had been recognised, and also asked the hoard to forward a report of the year's work for publication. Accounts to the amount of £626 tOs 8d wore passed for, payme.nt. The board then wont into committee.