SOUTH CANTERBURY BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 2770, 9 August 1883, Page 8

SOUTH CANTERBURY BOARD OF EDUCATION.

The ordinary meeting of the Board of Education for the month was held onThuraday. Present — Rer. G. Barolay (Obairmau). Dr Foßter, Messrs B. A. Barker, S. W. Goldsmith, M. Gray, J. Talbot, E. Wakefield, and R. B. Walcot. OBMBMAn'b STiTBMEHT. The minutoß of the preceding ordinary meeting and of an intervening special meeting having been read and confirmed, the Chairman stated that since the last Board day he had sanctioned the appointment of several teachers to different schools m the district. In accordance with resolutions paised at the apeoial meeting, arrangements had been made for carrying on the new buildings m hand. In one caio there was still some difficulty, and the matter would have to be dealt with. Assisted by tbe Secretary, he bad enquired into tbe application of tbe Sea View Committee for as allowance for teacher's lodging money. They thought a grant of £20 would meet. the case, and the Committee had aooepted that sum. With the Seoretary, he bad waited upon Mr Wigley regarding a I

section for a cite for the Kakahu Bush School. Mr Wigley could not give a definite angwer at the lime, but promised to give the application hii favorable consideration, and communicate bi> decision. He had not yet done bo. The Secretary had conferred with the Committee of the Temuka school, and bad made arrangements for opening the school as a district high echool. 'Ibe action taken by the Chairman was approved. WAIMATAITAI SCHOOL. The Board then went into Committee to consider a report of the Architects, Messrs West and Barber, relating to the Waimataitai school buildings, Mr R. Bowie attending on behalf of the Waimataitai School Committee. The ooDtractor for building the school had refused to recognise the Board's Architects, as his contract stated that the work was to be executed unHer the supervision of Mr Duval, and a diffiouhy had therefore arisen. The following series of resolutions was the outcome of their deliberations : — Moved by Mr Walcefleld, seconded by Mr Barker end carried — "That the Waimataitai Committee be informed that Messrs ffeit and Barber aro the Architects of the Board, and that the Board cannot undertake to refund any sum paid to th» contractor except upon the certificate of their Architect!. That the Architects be instructed to inspect the Waimataitai school buildings and to report promptly to the Board as to any matters requiring attention. That the Secretary be instructed to notify to the gentlemen to whom (he Board's guarantee of a building grant to the Committee is hypothecated, that there is a dispute between the contractor nnd the Committee, and that the Board's guarantee will not hold good except as to payments made on the certificate of the Board's Architects." It appears also that the late Architect had obtained permission to look at, m the Education Office, an agreement relating to the building, had taken it away, and offered various excuses for not returning it. It wbs resolved on the motion of Dr Foster, seconded by Mr Talbot— " That the Chairman be authorised to take such proceedings, civil or criminal, against Mr Duval m respeot of the document abstracted by him, ai the solicitors to the Board may advise." The document was returned to the office, and shown to the Board during the afternoon sitting. FABBOBA SCHOOL. Mr J. Campbell, Chairman of the Pareora School Committee, accompanied by another member of tho Committee, waited on the Board to urge that the teacher should be changed, as a good deal of dissatisfaction with him existed m the district, and tho school was suffering m consequence. The deputation produced extracts from the minute-book showing that resolutions had been passed expressing tho dissatisfaction of the Committee with the master from time to time. The extracts showed, however, that the Committee were not unanimous on the point, and two of the present Committee wrote protesting against the action of the majority of the Committee seekiDg a change of masters. It was resolved on the motion of Mr Gray, seconded by Dr Foster — " That the charges preferred against the master of the Pareora Bchool be referred to him, and he be asked to make any explanation he thinks fit." BBLFIKLD. Application bad been made to the Minister of Lands for a piece of land of 30 acres to be reserved as a site fora sohool m the new district of Belfleld. The Seoretiry stated a reply had been received a few days ago, pointing out that a reserve of about nine acres had already been made for a school site, at a point about 52 chains distant from the one proposed by the Board, and therefore it did not seem necessary to make a second reserve. He had written m reply that the reserve formerly made was m an unfavorable position, and nothing further had yet been beard of the application. TEMUXA SCHOOL. A report by the Architects on the fencing required at the Tomuka School was read, and explanations of the requirements of the oase were made by the Secretary. The Chairman was authorised to call for tenders, and accept one if the price was reasonable, modifying the plans if nrcrstary. On a request from the Committee that the Board would take a certain cottage for the Head Master at £1 per week, it was resolved, on the motion of Mr Barker seconded by Mr Walcot — " That the allowance for masters' bouses at Temuka and Wai mate be £40 per annum." The opinion was expressed that it would be Always better to make a certain allowance to a teaoher, leaving him to make his own arrangements as to a house, than for the Board to hire a bouse. OEBALDIKB FLAT SCHOOL. On the recommendation of the Architects, the Gerald ino Flat Committee were granted £5 to make a few inors improvements about the sohool. TIJIABU SCHOOL. Mr James Scott, Head Master of the Timaru School, wrote asking the Board to let tho Master's residence, and ia lieu of it to make him an allowance of £50 per annum for lodging money. Tb» Secretary stated that there were one or two applications for the houSo, one being the Head Mistress. On the notion 'of Mr Walcot, it was resolved to let the house to Mrs Grahame if she would give £70 per annum for it, if not that it be handed over to Mr Scott. WAITOHI PLAT SCHOOL. The Secretary presented bis report, as Inspector, on a recent special Standard Examination of the Waitoui Flat School, reading portions of it and also portions of a report on an examination held m January last, to show that the school wis m a very unsatisfactory state m January, and showed little or no improvement since. In the January examination, of 31 presented m Standards only six passed, and m July of 24 of those who failed m January only four passed.. He, therefore, recommended that the teacher bo removed. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Walcot, seconded by Mr Goldsmith, that the recommendation of the Inspeotor be referred to the Committee. HISCBLLANBOVS. An application for a grant of £1 Os 6d to cover an unauthorised expenditure on repairs at the Orari bridge echool, was left m the hands of the Chairman to deal with. An application for a new stove or range for the master's bouse, at St. Andrews school, was deferred till next meeting. An application from tho Sea View Committee, for a refund of £20 expended on fencing was disallowed, as decided at the last meeting. A similar application from the GapoB 1 Valley Committee for a smaller amount, was also disallowed. Applications from the Bedcliff Committee for the emotion of a master's house, and from the South Orari Committee for an enlargement of th* schoolroom, were deferred till the Board is m a better financial position. ÜBK OP 80HOOLBOOM8 808 PUBLIC PtTBPOSBS. Mr Gray made bis motion, of which he had given notice at the previous meeting — "That m case of their allowing the use of the sohool buildings for other than political, religious, or scholastic purposes, the Bohool Committees he enjoined to see that the premises be insured for. an adequate sum and for a sufficient time, and they be recommended to make a charge to provide for such insurance, and any .damage which may be caused on suoh occasions." In moving this, Mr Gray reminded the Board that sohoolrooms were used for all kinds of purposes besides that for which they were erected — entertainments, dances, and what not, at night— and it was probable that if a building were burned down while be'iog used for suoh purposes, the Government would not rebuild it, though they would do so if it were destroyed while being used for 'its intended purpose. He had no desire to prevent schoolrooms being vied for other than school purposes, but only to save the Board from loss.

Mr Waloot seconded the motion. Ha quite approved of the priDoiple, and doubted whether the Government would rebuild, if a room were burned down while being Jus«d for other than school purpoiei. Mr Talbot moved aa »n amendment — "That a ciroularbe issued to the School Committees, drawing their attention to the faot that catet have been reported to the Board where damage hat been caused to buildings and furniture during meeting! held for entertainment, informing them that any mob damage reported will be obarged against the Committee m whose charge the school is where each damage occurred." He wat afraid Mr Qray's motion, if carried, would give rise to great ineonveaience. In country distrlots

the schoolroom wus gen'rally tlie only roo:n sTailablo for public meetings or amusements, and frequently euch meetings were found necessary to rai«e funds for the use of the fchool itself. The schoolrooms were looked upon a» public buildings, and groat hardship would result if the use of them were refuted. No mishap had jet oconrred, and as the Gevernment would re build m case of fire, he did not see the necessity for requiring the Committees to imure their' Bohoolrooroß on such occasions. He quite agreed that all damage should be made good. Dr Foster snid the difficulty wa* to know who did the damage ; Committees, however, •hould be responsible. Mr Barker thought it would be found a great nuisance having to go to the nearest town to insure the building when it was wanted for an entertainment. The Secretary read a passage from one of his anDual reports, m which he commented on the carelessness of Borne Committees m looking after the property m their charge, and related a number of caaes that had come under his observation, m which the school furniture had been recklessly knocked about and damaged on occasions when entertainments had been held m the schoolrooms. In one case, at the opening of a new school, the blackboards had been taken out of their frames and placed on desks to make a platform. Another new schoolroom had been let to a dancing clns», who "waxed" the fl:ior liberally with the material of ordinary candles and left it m that otate. In another case the opening of a new school was celebrated by a- concert and dance, and m clearing out the temporary furniture used for the concert the material was carelessly passed through the windows, scratching off all the paint on the lower sill and considerably damaging the plastering of the outer walls. In another case of the same kind the new furniture was put out of doors and left out all night m a heavy rain, the consequence beiDg that it was considerably warped and injured. In another school a cupboard had been asked fur, Bnd on inquiring what had become of the odo supplied, tho master told him the Committee had allowed the managers of a Sunday-school to pat their books and apparatus m it, so that the master had not room for school requisitee. Many Committees were quite careful of the Board's property, but others were Tery careless. The rooms m some places were regularly used for the meetings of Good Templars, and other societies, and if they found therjoms a convenience, they ought to be prepared to pay for the use of them. Mr Goldsmith remarked that m case any damage was done, it vn< generally found that "nobody" did it. It would be little use grumbling ; if the Chairman of a Committee himself wanted to get at something beyond bis reach be would stand on a desk. Mr Gray's motion, as at first proposed, made no exceptions, but the Chairman pointed out that it would be hard to require religious bodies to insure the buildings when usod for services, as there was no danger m such cases, and the rooms were often required for political purposes, as for polling booths, and for meetings m connection with elections of Committees, and at his suggestion the phraee making the exceptions was added. On the amendment being put, the mover and seconder, and Dr. Fo3ter voted for it, &nd for the original, the mover and geemder, the Chairman and Mr Goldsmith. Mr Grey's motion wai therefore carried. THE BOOK DBPOT. In accordance with a resolution passed a few meetings ngo, the Secretary submitted a statement of the accounts of the dejdt established by the Board for supplying school books and other requisites to schools. The statement Bhowed that dp to the present about £376 had been taken from the general account and spent m books and apparatus, tho Other side of the account — cash m hand, accounts owing, and stock m dep6l — amounting to about £400, showing a balance or profit of about £24 so far. The Chairman said tha statement had been prepared on his suggestion. He thought it was no part of the Buard'a business to carry on an affair of the sort. It was no part of their functions to engage m speculations for tho benefit of Committees. The depdt gave 6 great deal of extra, work, and if the proper work of the Board had been behindhand to any extent, part, at least, of the blame must be attributed to the Board's staff having had this extra work imposed on them. ~ If all the Committees had taken advantage of the arrangement, that would be an argument m its favor, but as a matter of fact the Committees of the largest schools did not do so. It was understood that the Board were to import goods direct from Home, bat a glance at the names of tboße from whom goods had been purchased showed that most of the purchases had been made m the colony. He •trongly advised the Board to wind up the affair by disposing of the stock m hand and buying no more. The Secretary explained that some purchases had been made m the colony, because it was found on enquiry to be the best way to procure certain kinds of material. In other cases purchases had been made m Cbristcburch to keep up the stock of certain lines. Then at soon as arrangements had been made for direct shipments, which took some time to effect, ho was given to understand that the scheme would |be abandoned, be was told not to import any more until the Board had further considered it, the Government Auditor having condemned it, and said the Board had no right to use their funds m such a way. The depot bad been a great advantage so far es it had been used. The Board had supplied Committees at samething like 25 per cent less than they could obtain supplies for elsewhere, while charging enough to leave the Bosrd a small profit to avoid loss. Mr Waloot spoke strongly against giving up the dep6t, as it had not yet had a fair trial, and moved — " That the depdt be carried on till the end of the year, when a full statement of receipts and expenditure be submitted." The matter was discussed at some length, and eventually Mr Walcol's motion was carried. In connection with this subject a letter was read from the Clerk, Mr Parker, stating that he could not continue tho depdt work m addition to the duties of clerk. The Secretary stated that the depdt did entail so much work that Mr Parker had to work a great deal of overtime, for which he received no extra pay. No decision was come to regarding the letter, but it was understood that it should be dealt with at some future time. The meeting then terminated.