BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 3258, 6 March 1885, Page 3

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

An ordinary monthly meeting of the South Canterbury Board of Education was held yesterday m the Boards' offices, Government Buildings. SIEMBEKS PRESENT. The Bey. G. Barclay (Chairman), Dr Foster, and Messrs S. W. Goldsmith, G*. G. Bussell, J. Talbot, B. A. Barker, and M. Gray. Major Bamfield, the Secretary, was also m attendance. An apology was received from Mr Steward for non attendance. ariNUTEa. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. chaibman's statement. The Chairman said since they last met the business of the office had been, as usual, well attended to. In order to expedite the business he had, since lost meeting, given the Architect directions to prepare plans for masters' residences, as agreed on at last meeting. He had also authorised that tenders be called, and during the course of business these and tho plans would come before them. Applications for the mastership of the Albnry school, of the Bedcliff , and one other school, hod been advertised for, and they would be m m a few days. The Board would remember that four districts had failed to elect Committees at tke proper time ; the Board had re-advertised the election, and ho was now informed by tho Secretary that meetings had taken place* and Committees had been duly appointed. School districts had been proclaimed at Cannington and Upper Waitohi, and m defining districts the Board found that they would be obliged to revise and further advertise the boundaries of the Kakahu Bush school district. The .Scholarship Committee appointed at last meeting had commenced their work, and the examination was now proceeding at the Timaru Main School. With regard to the site for the Silverstream School, the Secretary, assisted by Mr M. Gray, a member of the Board, and Chairman of tho Committee, had taken steps to secure one, and the matter was now m the hands of the Committee. The Chairman reminded the Board that the annual report had to be made up on the 31st inst., and that m preparing it the aided school regulations might require revision or extension. The Timaru School Committee had chosen a Head Master, and their recommendation would come before the Board m due course. The post of sixth master was still vacant, and the Committee, m forwarding their recommendation about the head mastership, had made no reference to the other post. With respect to the list of grants for repairs, the applications had been fonnd so numerous that they had not all been arranged yet. He hoped to have the list completed shortly. On the motion of Mr. Talbot, the Chairman's action was approved. GOVBBNMENT COBBEBPO2TDENCI!. The Education Department wrote, stating that section No. 11, of reserve 1263, Otaio, had been reserved for a school site. The Chairman said at his request the Secretary had applied . for this land, which would be found useful m future for school purposeß. BOABD EJECTIONS. The Secretary stated that thirty-one School Committees had voted at the late election for members of the Board, the result being as follows : — Votes. Mr John Talbot 28 Mr Melville Gray 27 3)r C. J. Foster 16 Mr B. H. Postlethwaite ... 9 Mr James Bruce 9 : " The Chairman declared the three firstnamed gentlemen duly elected members of the South Canterbury Board of Education for the ensuing year. ■ architect's bepobt. : The Architect reported that, the repairs at the Geraldine Flat, Temuka and Timaru schools.had been completed, and he furnished an estimate for fencing at the Waimataitai school j also, that he had prepared plans and . called for tenders for four masters' residences, namely, at Makikihv Kingsdbwn, Geraldine Flat and Orari Bridge. . ; iwspectqb's bepobt. The Inspector, m his. report, stated, that he had defined the limits of theUpperWaitohiand Kakahn school districts, but not of Cannington, ' as 'the boundaries had still to be determined. He" had requested the Head Masters of the schools to forward him all scientific apparatus they ■ possessed, so that before re-issuing it he could supply any part that might be required. The scholarship examination was now being held, at which there were thirtyfour candidates attending. He thought the • examination should be held at an earlier date 1 , so that those who intended going to the High School might be able to do so at the commencement of the term. The Timaru School Committee had gone through the applications for the post of Head Master, sad had recommended a gentleman who he thought was most suitable. Only ope application had been received for the sixth mastership, and as the Committee had forwarded no recommendation, he had adopted the usual course, and got a, temporary assistant from Christchurch. Owing to' an extraordinary vacancy having been occasioned at the .' Timaru school' by the resignation of Miss Griffin, the Inspector recommended that the Board appoint one. of ..the .fourth year pupil teachers who had recently finished their course at the school to fill the vacancy, as it > waa undesirable to add to the list of first year pupilteachers. > . Mr Talbot said the suggestion of the Inspector relating to the scholarship examination should be adopted, as it was verj desirable- the time or holding it should b« changed* He therefore begged to move thai the recommendation be adopted. _ The Chairman said the matter was one tha' should not be hurriedlygone into, and as the; could not now alter it for this years exanuna tiori, they should give it careful consideration Members would remember when the queatioi -waa before the Board some time ago it wa proposed to hold the examination toward the end of the year. This proposal was no carried, because it waa pointed out that^ a that time of yoar the masters were- doirij their test m preparing pupils for thi Standards examination, and that the master could not prepare th» children for both thi

scholarships and Standards examinations. 1 March was then fixed on as the. month for 2 holding the former examination, so as to give 3 pupils a show, and also purely as a matter of q convenience to the masters. He would ;. prefer the examination for scholarships Being held at tho close of the year, but as he had said the masters were then working hard, y — frequently at night, as ho had more than once noticed — preparing their pupils for the Standards examination. . Mr Barker asked was not the extra work ' objectionable ? Had not masters got their proper school hours to do the work m ? The Chairman replied that all teachers would put on as tuucu " steam" as they could at examination time. By and bye the work of the Standards might be cut down, but as they were at present his impression was that there was so much m them, that the masters were obliged to work extra time to l prepare their pupils to pass successfully. Mr Goldsmith said holding the examination , at the end or beginning of the year was likely . to interfere with the teachers holidays. 3 The Chairman said the matter had been ) considered over and over again, but no satisfactory decision had been come to. f Mr Talbot said he would give notice of a ■ motion dealing with the' matter for next i meeting, and would now move " That circu- • lars bo addressed to the Head Masters of > schools inviting suggestions from them as to i the most suitable time m their opinion to hold the annual scholarship examination." — Carried. COBBESPONDENOE. Correspondence was read as follows ; — ! From the Chairman of the Scotsburn School i Committee stating that, owing to tho unfavorable report on the school by the In- , spector, the Committee recommended a change , of teachers. A letter from the teacher was ; also read. The Board decided to accept the Commiti tee's recommendation, the teachers to receive • three months' notice. From Mr Gurr, second master at the Temuka District High School, declining to agree to tho action taken by the Board at ■ its last meeting m respect to his salary. The Board saw no reason to alter their former decision on this matter. From Mr Graham, with reference to the election of Chairman of the newly formed Committee for the Eakahu Bush school district. From the letter, and from previous ones that have been before the Board, it was gathered that Mr Jones and Mr Graham were both proposed and seconded as Chairman ; that through some informality m the voting they both claimed the right to. preside, and that since the Committee's election Mr Jones and his followers, and Mr Graham and his, had held meetings. Some discussion took place on the letter, the Chairman and Mr Russell holding that the Board had nothing to do with the matter, and Mr Barker stating that it was only a little country squabble, and like all such would soon bum itself out. Finally the Board decided to recommend the Committee to settle the matter among themselves. From the Woodbury School Committee, applying for a black-board and table. The application was granted. From the Gapes' Valley School Committee, again applying that the school be taken over by the Board. After some discussion this matter was allowed to stand over till next Board day, Dr Foster undertaking to report on it. From the Government Life Insurance Agent, asking that tho Board deduct from those teachers whose lives are insured m the Government office, the amount of their premiums and pay it into the Insurance Fund. Mr Russell and the Chairman thought the Board had nothing to do with a matter of this kind. They were not called upon to act as tho agents of insurers or be collectors for the Government. The Secretary pointed out that to do as ihe Insurance Department desired would mean a large addition to the clerical work, as a separate ledeer would have to be kept. It was ultimately agreed that the Secretary consult with the teachers who ara insured m the Government office about the matter. From the Ploasanfc Valley School Committee, .with reference to a, change m the teaching staff of the school. The Secretary was instructed- to write to the Committee and obtain more definite information from them, the matter to be discussed at next meeting. APPLICATIONS FOB GBANT3. Applications for grants for repairs at the Milford, Woodbury, Pareora, Geraldine and Waimate schools were ordered to be considered when making np the list mentioned m the Chairman's statement. THE TIHABT7 SCHOOL. A letter was read from the Timaru School Committee, recommending Mr Murray for the post of Head Master. On the motion of Mr Barker the Committee's recommendation was adopted. From the same stating that additional assistance was required at the school, and that the Inspector had recommended that one of the fourth year pupil teachers be taken on again. It was decided to fill up the vacancy on the staff according to the scale. '. From the same forwarding the Health' Officer's report on the Main School. (This report was' published' m fulT by us m Tuesday's issue.) : , The Chairman said judging by the report the Board hod been very ill-advised by their architect or the Committee or both, when the ventilators had been put into the school. The architect of the building, who was a very able man, had said Tobin's system of ventilation was the best. This system was adopted, and soon after it was said that the archimedian screw system was the best to "screw" out the foul air. Now they were told the Bystcms of ventilation were not sufficient. He would suggest that the Board's Architect, accompanied by a member of the Board, inspect the School. ..'"'"■ After some discussion, m which it was pointed out that the Committee by seeing that proper care was taken of the 'ventilators might keep them m good ordorjTVlr'Talboti moved, and it was agreed to, that 'the Chair-, man and Mr Russell, accompanied by the! Architect, visit the .School on Monday. next, and report to the Board at next meeting. • j Messrs Jacob Hill and William Jones -were then, admitted to the- Board meeting as a deputation from the Timaru. School Committee. ■'''■ •• •■■ }"■ '-' ■ j Mr Hill said he desired to bring before them the state of the inside of the Bcliool buildings, more especially that of the Main School. The rooms had not been whitewashed for four years,' and the 1 wainscoting was so thickly covered, with dirt that one t could scrape it off with a 'knife". They had 9 once got the janitor to clean therwainscotingj 3 and' the then Inspector (Mr 'Hammond) .had i, promised to aifi the Board WVamis'li' the c inside of the school. He had never heard of |, the matter being* placed before thY Board, i nor had the Chairman' of the Conlmittee : re- - caived any communicetion on the subject. The ,1 next matter he would like to draw: their attens tion to was the appointment of pupil teachers. . The Committee thought that the appointment a of five first yea?' pupil' tcachertfatf; one time 3 would cause the school to suffer very ma- &. terially, and now that another vacancy had (. occurred they saw no 1 reason why a 1 first year 3, teacher, should bo appointed! ■ He hoped they . j. would retain some of: the fourth 1 year' teaohirs y until such time as they could : remove' them v without the school suffering.' The last i, matter he hatT to speak of was 1 ihe 1 space d provided at the school for teaching. He had il the other day visited the school and found ir more than 40 girls being taught m a cloak it roomy and if some of the windows of the skyit light had not been broken the'children would i have been unable to have stopped m the room, xc they were so crowded together. , Ho reminded a- the Board that: Mr Gillies had pointed out ry that the attendance at the school was 900, be Mr Jones" added that the 'Janitor's house at required repairing very much, and that the entrance gatoa and ground adjoining needed at lowering. One gate he mentioned was fastened ey by apiece of string; 1 : ! • * ia- The Chairman said m: two or three schools ,n. he was m the habit of passingdaily he noticed on the children being taught outside in' ; the a3 verandahs, and he showed the deputation d 9 from the lost returns that the average ato t tendance was only 732, and that the afcat tendance had been decreasing during the last O g- three years. - " > j ho The deputation were then (.hanked for at i rs tending, and withdrew. ' \- ■ < ■ , lie Ihs Board decided that the Chairm.au »nc

Mr Russell should inspect the interior of the school on Monday, and that • the Chairman and the Inspector should make the best arrangements with respect to the disposal of the pupil teachers staff. The Board then at 3.30 p.m. adjourned.