HIGH SCHOOL BOARD OF GOVERNORS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 3280, 1 April 1885, Page 3

HIGH SCHOOL BOARD OF GOVERNORS.

An ordinary meeting- of the Timavu High School Board of Governors -was held yesterday morning at their offices, Main Road. MEMBBBS PRKSENT. The Yen. Archdeacon Harper (Chairman'), Dr Lovegrove, Captain Sutter, M.H.R., and Messrs John Talbot, John. Jackson, and S. W. Goldsmith. Leave of. absence for that meeting was granted to the Eev. W. Gillies and Messrs W. Balfour and E. Elworthy. MINUTBS. The minutes of last meeting were confirmed. BEPOETS. Mr A. L. Halkett-Dawson, Sector of the High School, reported as follows : — (a) 'The attendance to date is— Boys 67, girls 54, total 121. (5) One of the scholarship holders of the South Canterbury Board of Education, Master Atkinson, Laving been unable to get any payment of the scholarship won by him, cannot attend tlie HigU School, and one, therefore, of the Governors' scholarships is vacant. (c) Herewith is forwarded a letter to the Yen. Archdeacon Harper giving details of undergraduate assistance m the school. (d) The increased attendance necessitating ; additional desks, I obtained the sanction of the Chairman to getting six new desks. I have now to ask for twelve more desks and twelve Beats. The cost will be about £22.. (c) The usual Easter holidays are Good Friday, Easter Monday, and Tuesday. The letter referred to in' paragraph c was as follows :—" After the meeting of Com- ■ mitteo re undergraduate assistance m secondary subjects, I communicated with Misses Cooper, McLean, and Fussell, and arranged i the following terms with each, viz. : The Board to pay each by. term instalments, £25, 1 and they on their part to pay £10 10s for ■ instruction m University work. Miss Cooper i wishes to be relieved of duty from and after [ the 2nd inßt. Her sister, Miss E. Cooper, is willing to take her place, and she is qualified, as she matriculated at last examination." The Committee appointed at last meeting to report as to what extra teaching assistance is required, submitted the following : — " That the sum of £80 bo voted for teaching to be given by post matrioulated students who are prosecuting their studies for higher University work, and that a fee of £10 10s per annum be charged to post matriculated i students whose studies are being earned on i m higher work, such fees to be given to the ■ Rector and such of his staff as are employed [ m this higher work ; the £Q0 to be diV i tributed among such students '.as the Rector i recommends to the Board as best suited for teaching." The Committee' asked for 'an ; extension of time to consider the matter _of ■ technical education, etc., and of the swinajming ; bath. " '.''.■ •' ""' ':..'" . ; Speaking of the Committee's report, t Captain Butter wid although he wsi one of

the Committee, he was 'decidedly against pupil teachers being appointed, and- thought they should now appoint another teacher. Some parents had complained to.-hira that at the public school children Were taught by proper teachors, and when they were sent to the High Sohool they were taught by pupil teachers. He had pointed out that this view was a mistaken one, and that the pupil teacher was as well qualified, if not more so, than tho teachers at the public school. At the same time, however, he thought that the arrangement was not quite a satisfactory one, and the sooner the Board faced the difficulty the better. The Board m his opinion could get a qualified teacher at a salary say of £150 per annum. Mr Talbot was very glad to hear Captain Sutter's explanation, which showed plainly that additional assistance was really needed. However, it was a question whether it would not be advisable for them not to alter the stuff this year. He quite agreed that it would be more satisfactory to appoint another teacher, but m the meantime he was inolinod to think they could manage with the pupil teachers. He would ; therefore move that the Committee's recommendation re matriculated students be agreed to for the current year. Mr Goldsmith, referring to Captain Sutler's remarks, doubted whether a teacher at £150 a year could be made bo useful as three pupil teachers ; and Dr Lovegrove said he did not think a highly qualified teacher was required to look after the children now under tho cave of ■ the pupil teachers. A graduate was not wanted to teach children but little more than their letters, and to his mind the pupil teachers they had were quite competent to do the work. Captain Sutter differed entirely to the previous speaker, and said that the youngsters should nol be taught by inferior teachers, as the proper " grounding " of a child was tho most important part of its education. Mr Talbot's motion ■was then seconded by Mr Jackson, and earned. It was resolved that Miss E. Cooper's appointment be confirmed by the Board ; that the request of the Commit! cc for an extension of time to report on technical education, etc., be granted, and that the Chairman be authorised to procure extra desks. THB BOARD'S SCHOLARSHIPS. Captain Sutter moved, and Mr Jackson seconded — " That the present Committee be requested to bring up a report on the Board's scholarships so that they may be placed on a more satisfactory foating^" Thp mover said the regulations of the scholarships were scattered over the minute book, and it -was found exceedingly difficult to refer to them. It was found also that one resolution almost upset the other. By doing as the motion proposed they would be able to soe the purport- of tho regulations at a glance, and it would also be stated what was tho real object of tho scholarships. The motion was earned unanimously. •: SCHOOL EXAMINATION. Captain Sutter, before the meeting concluded, said he wished to draw members' attention to the fact that the^ school had not been examined by Professors this year. In his opinion an examination should have been held, so that everyone might know the progress the school was making. He had taken the trouble to compile a return which members would no doubt find very interesting, as from it it would be Been that the Timaru school stood m a very good position as compared with other schools m this Island. Tho return was made up from the annual reports of the Minister for Education for the year 1883, tho latest completo information he could obtain. It showed that as many scholars matriculated from the Timaru school m that year os did those from schools at Invercargill and Dunedin, namely, seven, and that tho local school to be equal to those at Wellington had only to pass SJ, to be equal to those at Christchurch, 5, and to be equal to those at Nelson, 2J-. Members would thus see that our school stood equal to tho schools m Invercargill and Otago, and higher, than those at Nelson arid Christchurch, all those schools, they must bear m mind, being much older established than the school at Timaru. Mr Talbot, speaking of a professorial examination, said the cost of one (£SO) was too much altogether, and ho thought Government ought to make some provision for holding these examinations. After passing the usual accounts the Board adjourned.