TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16612, 11 December 1919, Page 4

TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of tho Taranaki Education Board was held at the board’s office on AVcdnesday, -Hr. it. Masters presiding. There also present: -Messrs. H. Trimble, S. G. {smith, H. J Eaves, A. Lccs, r. Moslem, and P. J. H. AVhite. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT. The chairman reported that during the interim lie hau had to make the following temporary appointments:— Tarurutangr, -Hiss D. Newton, sole teacher;F itzroy, Air. G. E. Arms, assistant; Ka ho tu, Aliss -Mason, head teacher; Eahotu, Aliss K. Clarke, assistant; Hawera, Air. C. H. E. Strack, assistant; Kiore, Airs. R. Stewart, sole teacher. Tho report was adopted. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Leave of absence was granted the following teachers:—Aliss G. J. Lock, assistant, Fitzroy, one month; Aliss Ai. Trcivin, asshtant, Alahoe, one week; Aliss AI. Taylor, mistress. Harford, one month ; Air. A. Huso, master, Tarurutangi, two weeks; Airs. J. F. Harrison, head teacher, Rahotu, two weeks (illness in family) ; .Miss 1. Edwards, head teacher, Te Roti, to February 13 (to visit Australia) ; Aliss Bourke, assistant, Hawera, one week. RESIGNATIONS. Tho following resignations were accepted;—Miss B. Grcville, assistant, Tariki, January 31; Mrs. C. Soundy, mistress, MaroKopa, January 31; Aliss E. Burkhart, mistress, Alutiti, January 31; Air. J. AV. Connell, agricultural instructor, January 31; Air. F. \V. Sandtord, woodwork instructor, January 31. TRUANT OFFICER’S REPORT. Air. G. Pascoc. truant officer, reported that lie had scut out 58 notices to parents of children attending the primary schools, for irregular attendance. The monthly returns from tiie schools shewed that tho attendance Mas good, only a few children beImg reported. He had visited tho following schools:—Cardilf, Elthain, Alakata, Mata, Aiokoia. Norfolk, Normanhy, Ngnerc, Okato, Puniho, Oaonui, Rivoriea, Rowan, Stratford, \ r ogoltown and AATiakamara. The attendance at these schools was good except at Puniho, where the Alaori attendance, owing to tangis, was had. Those oases were being attended to. He had had occasion to summon three parents for their cliiidron’s irregular, attendance. Two wore convicted and lined, the third being withdrawn. Technical.—The attendance at Hawera and Stratford was good and also at Eltham with two exceptions. These two eases were being dealt with and tho police were also dealing with an alleged disturbance at the night classes. Four parents of tho New Plymouth night classes wore fined for irregular attendance of their children. Further prosecutions would bo necessary as the attendance was not as good as it should he. ARCHITECT’S REPORT. The board’s architect t-Mr. C. H. Moore, reported:— New Murk.—Arawhata now school: The school was all completed ready lor occupation. T’awhiti new school; This work was progressing well. Tim concrete walls ul the class-rooms wore completed to the top plate. He had had the greatest difficulty in procuring the timber required for the job. Ptcpair Work.—Norfolk residence; General painting and renovating of this residence had been completed and' the teacher was now in occupation. Alangatoki residence: General repairs, painting and paper-hanging had received attention at this residence. Several small repairs to tho school were attended to. The fire-places would receive attention before the winter. Tho drainage at the school had been working badly owing to the ram inquiring repairs. This was receiving attention. Cardilf: The uncompleted painting and repair •work was receiving attention at both school and residence. The school was showing signs of general decay, more so than the outside appearance denoted. Being high and exposed it received the full force of tho weather. AATiakamara ; Ho was attending to tho work promised at this school, which would he completed this week. Afokoia: Tlie bath in tho residence had been renewed. He went personally into the matter of the teacher’s and committee’s requirements generally and understood a list had been forwarded to tho board. He recommended the request to have the dining-room and hod-room repapered and tho rearrangement of a doorway. and a small sash put in the pantry be granted, also drainage attc'ndod to. There wore other matters that would have to receive further consideration.

. General.—Repairs to hath waste at Puniho, blinds at Fitzvoy and at Oaonui wore attended to; a small gate at the back of the Central School was erected and fence made good. AA’orkshop.—All the joinery . had been completed for all now work granted up to date. Plans.—Plans had been prepared for additions to the Puniho School. Toko School and a new residence at Pungarelm. Plans for a proposed new shelter shed at Inglewood and a. lunch building for tho Stratford School had been forwarded as requested. In a supplementary report Air. Moore stated that as instructed he had scheduled the wash-house, etc., in their order of nrgenev as suggested by the department. He recommended that where a copper or boiler was worn out tho board reinstate them instead of waiting for a grant, or that the teachers he authorised to replace any wornout boilers, etc., with tho understanding that they bo repaid out of any grant made. At . tho request of tho chairman of the Fitzroy School Committee ho had met Air. Grover and Air. Parkin and discussed certain improvements the committee wished to carry out. Tho greatest difficulty was in dealing with the surface drainage; the committee, wished to extend the present asphalt up to the gymnasium building and they asked the hoard to replace equal area, to that part taken up by the last additions. Tho question of fencing the recently acquired adjoining section was also brought up. Air. Daw agreed to, pay half cost of a boarded fence between his property and the school ground (about I.\ chains), the hoard to pay the other half: the rest of the

fencing required practically all renewing, and ho suggested a netting fence be erected with a view to growing a hedge, the adjacent owners to pay half cost. The matter of filling uji the now section level with the road required further consideration as he was doubtful of this proving satisfactory owing to the present school ground being so much lower. He suggested that the Stratford Borough Council ho asked to turn the storm water along Swansea Street instead of it running through the High. School grounds, as the present open ditcli would be close on the boundary of the south wall of the proposed school and would he in the way of carting in material. The various recommendations made bv the architect were adopted and applications will bo forwarded to the department for a grant for a'new residence at Pungarehu, and for additions to the Puniho School. The board’s architect reported on repairs necessary to the teacher’s residence at Lcpperton, the estimated cost of which was £3o.—Application will he made for a grant for this amount. LOWER, AIANGOREI SCHOOL. The sub-committee appointed to go into this matter reported that they had inquired into tho question of tho advisability of removing this school to some other site. Tile committee visited the school- on October dl and met there tho members of tli School Committee, who wore unanimous in opposing its removal, and subsequently on December t met a deputation from those persons who favoured tho removal of tho school to some point near the junction of tho AJangoroi and Avenue Roads. After careful consideration of tho matter and taking iniaj account the fact that the children at present attending the school were closely resident, and that most of those in whoso supposed interests the removal was asked for were within comparatively easy distances of other schools, they could not recommend any action to he taken in the matter of removal at present. At the same time the committee believed that it would bo necssary in iho not distant future to further consider tho question. During discussion it transpired that through a misunderstanding all the papers in connection with "this question had not been before the committee and therefore the whole matter was held over until next meeting. PROPOSED HOSTELS FOR HAAVERA. Afossrs. H. J. Eaves and A. Lccs, who wore appointed a committee to go into the question of hostels in connection with tlie Hawera Technical School, reported that they were of opinion that if hostels were erected there would he no difficulty in obtaining between <RI and 50 hoys and tho tamo number of girls to take advantage of the boarding facilities which tho hostels would provide. They therefore recommended that application be made to the department for a grant to erect hostels to provide accommodation for up to 50 boys and 50 girls. ” . STRATFORD DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL. .Alessrs. A. L. Moore. (Director of Technical Education) and A. J. Morton (senior inspector) reported with reference to the staffing of the secondary classes of tho Stratford District High School, that it appeared tho present number of teachers was correctly allotted. It was open, therefore, to appoint a commercial instructor in Air, Insull’s place, and this course was recommendQd. An instructor was required competent to teach all tho subjects now taken by tho present class. It was possible that a third man would have to bo engaged- in Now Plymouth next year on the engineering side, in which

case it 170111(1 lie possible to spare him a clay for Stratford. Failing this, there was surely a local man who couM be obtained as a part-time instructor. Still another alternative was to obtain the services of a man who could teach both wood and iron work. Woodwork: A course could be mapped out for three years or more, and Ino introduction of macliinory would, to a certain extent, ueip to maintain tho interest uy lessening tile constantly incurring initial operations wliicn occupied so much time ui me large pieces 01 work. Xo their mind tue most important lactor tliat wilt kelp towards me mumlaineuec ot interest to tho introduction ot more advanced work ot tno caumet type Horn pupils own designs, Let tno uoys design articles in connection with their Homes, boobies or studies, and carry them out, and mere would be little or no lack of interest.—Consideration was umcrred pending a further report on tile matter ol Kites lor tno proposed uuildmgs. GENERAL. Tbo department notified that it hoped at an early date to bo in a- position to inform the board that the .silo of tour acres for a new school at Moturoa would be vested in tiio board. Tbo department notified a grant of £‘2od for school buildings at Oco, in accordance with the boara s application. The depai uncut notified mat it would consider tho matter of providing a grant lor a residence at Ohura when iiuormed that a permanent teacher bad been appointed and paitieuiars oi bis tarniiy, it married, supplied. Tiio department also notified a grant of £ 140 towards the purchase ot two acres of laud adjoining tbo Tokaora .school on the undemanding tliat subsidy would not bo payable on Hie committee's contribution of £IOO. It was decided to increase the salaries of the manual and technical instructors by lo per cent., in accordance with tho department's eonimunicauoii.s. the Aaron. Committee v> di Le informed ihat the board suggests that application be made for r, di .par tmrnt.il subsidy towards the cost of the erection ot a stone fence round the monument proposed to bo erected in tiio school grounds, Tho Aiokau Committee will be informed that the board regrets it eannot see its way to apply for a grant for increased accommodation, as the school already has an area of over id square leet per child in average attendance. The question of the school grounds at Fitzroy was referred to .Messrs. Smith and Grayling. The matter of fencing tho Alangahume .school grounds was referred to .Mr, Eaves tor a report. On receipt of voluntary contributions amounting to £lO, application will bo made to tho department for a .subsidy towards tiio cost of installing a hot water system in the Kcpenga residence, and that provided a subsidy was granted a high pressure boiler will be installed forthwith. Application will bo-made to the department for tho purchase of a .section of land in order to provide better access to the Douglas school. Application will bo mr.do for a- grant for tiio erection of a residence at Pukcngabu. A complaint from the Ratapiko Committee regarding cattle grazing in the school grounds was referred to Air. Trimble for a ro;x;rt. Various matters requiring attention at Roll Flock, Rahotu, Auroa, Aiokau and Mangahnmo were referred to tho architect. Mr. F. J. Hodges’ tnpder for tbo purchase for removal of tbo Durban! Road residence was accepted. Mr. E. Kcllober was granted a temporary lease of two acres of land at Stratford previously required by the board for experimental purposes. Tbo board's solicitors will be instructed. to have all the land taken from the Auckland and Wanganui boards which is at present in tho names of those boards, vested in the Taranaki board. The following appointments on school committees were confirmed:—Jlokoia : Air. James, in place of Afr. A. Catchpoll;, resigned. Kohtn; Air. S. G. AVillinms, in place of Airs. Ansford, resigned. The architect will be instructed to bring down a report ns to tho advisability of engaging a permanent staff for repairing and maintaining school buildings.