TIMARU SCHOOL COMMITTEE

Timaru Herald, Volume LX, Issue 2263, 8 December 1896, Page 3

TIMARU SCHOOL COMMITTEE

■ -■ • » — _• The ordinary meeting of the Timari School Committee was held last even ing. Present— Mr T. Harris (chairman) the Rev. W. Gillies, Meesrs Montgomery Keith, Vogeler, McNab, Lane, and Co( (hon. secretary). A letter was read from Misses Lilli< McCahon and Lizzie McCahon asking that their names be. put upon the list o: candidates for pupii-teaeherships.—Thf application was acceded to, on the mo' tion of Messrs Gillies and Montgomery The scretary to the Board of Education wrote stating that the sum of £24 17s 3d had been placed to credit of the comMittee. : : ; Th§ -headmaster reported that the average attendance had been 332.2 boys and 324.3 girls- total 656.5. He drew attion that blinds were needed in the room next the 'board room (No; 9) as the sun beat in on the children's heads the greater part of th6 afternoon. Several of ,th» : windows also needed cords for opening the sashes. It was decided to draw the Board's attention to the repairs which were needed. The inspector's report was handed in and read by the chairman. There were 490 pupils present at the examination and 434 passed. In class X most of the pupils took part in the examination of Standard VI. and did very well in all BUbjecJs except arithmetic. Miss Avison manages the infant department well and shows rare skill in winning and sustaining the interest and attention of large classes of young children. In his general remarks Mr Gow said :— "The school as a whole has passed a very cbbd examination. Standards V. and VI. (boys) made a very satisfactory appearance in most of the pass subjects, dictation; geography and freehand drawing being noteworthy. The results in arithmetic were uneven and failures in this subject were too frequent. Composition might have been better. Standard IV. (boys) suffered through changes in the staff; still the class made a very fair appearance, freehand drawing and writing being good, and reading deliberate and vigorous Standard 111. (boys) met with considerable success in pass work, dictation, composition and geography being the i>est subjects, and reading and sums being good. The class showed to advantage in oral work. In Standards V. and VI. (girls) reading and geography were of more than usual merit, and the dictation of Standard VI deserves mention. In the rest of the pass subjects the efficiency of these classes was not more than fairly Satisfactory.,, , Standard .IV. (girls) was a pretty good class, the work giving evidence of careful teaching^-with no features of excellence, yet presenting nothing to call for specially adverse eriticistn; The Buccesa of Standard 111. (giflai in pass work was most marked, and reflects the highest credit on the teacher's Zealand energy. Standard 11., a very large class of boys and girls ; and the two divisions of standard I. had receiveda most careful training; and their work was of a most satisfactory kind. In class subjects the school made a good appearance oh the vvhole. In mental arithmetic the classes fell short of what might be expected ; this subject "calls for special attention throughout the school. Additional subjects were .for the most part quite satisfactory, reaching the point of excellence in the singing of standards V. and VI. (girls), but falling far short of that mark in the oral answeringon the comprehension of the language of the reading lessons among the girls' classes generally. The order, attention, and tone of the school as a whole are very good." The schedules gave details of the classes /and their teachers and were as follows:— Boys— S. Vl.— 2Bpaßses and 5 failures : V.-33 and 5 ; 1V.— 36 and 10; 111- 40 aud 5 ; 1f .—43 and 0 ; 1-41 and 0, Girls— S, VI-t2O and 6* V-32 and 15 ; IV— 4O and 9 ; 111—41 anct'O ; ll— 42 and 0 ; I—3B and 0. In reply to remarks the chairman said that the headmaster had access to the reports, and was aware of the weak points. Certain passages in the report were plain, others qualified, and one part might be taken to balance the other. Members generally accepted the report as quite satisfactory, but as Mr Keith suggested handing it round so that all the members could be quite conversant with it, Mr Lane proposed, Mr Vogeler seconded, and it was carried— il That consideration of the inspector's report be left over until the next meeting." Messrs Vogeler and Montgomery were appointed visitors for the month, and were requested to have a good look round so that whatever necessary could be done during the holidays, this being an opportune time to have work carried put ; thie secretary to hand their report on to the Board. As there are to be no school concerts this year, the committee deciding on canvassing for subscriptions to defray thexostof prizes, the collectors handed in their lists which totalled £13 6s so far. Several promises were also made, and Mr Gillies said that Messrs Pearson • (as usual), Boothroyd, Eichbaura, Hutton, and Wagstaff had promised special prizes. ; Mr Pearson's prizes were to hand, and consisted of a handsome desk for the boys, and a very choice combined desk and workbox for the girls. It was 1 held that £15 would cover the cost of all the prizes that would be wanted, leaving out of count the special prizes; and as a guide, to the committee it was suggested that Air Johnson, the headmaster, should make out a proposed list of those entitled to prizes. In consultation later on Mr Johnson accepted trhis duty, and also had a short chat with the members as to the basis oi awarding prizes. The committee resolved to meet on Friday to go through the list and allot the prizes. It was resolved that Mrs King and Miss Boss should be requested to judge the sewing, Archdeacon Harper and M* E. M. Blake the mapping and drawing. Messrs O. S. Fraser and R. Bell the writing. - , Mr Johnson was asked to see that nc one is "allowed in the room while, the judging is going on, the various groups of judges to be left entirely to them selves. Some confusion arose as to the break ing up by the introduction of the ques tion of fixed holiday terms, as suggestec recently by a conference of delegates o town School Committees. The chair man on behalf of the delegates suggestec five weeks holiday at Christmas, tw< weeks at Easter, and two weeks ir August-September, but after the Com mittee had conferred with the head master, it was agreed on the motioi of Mr McNab that consideration of th< question be deferred. When fixing upon breaksng-up day M Keith moved and Mr Lane seconded- " That the breaking-up ceremony tak< place in the evening." This was lost, and it was then resolvec that the breaking-up take place on Fri day, the 18th inst., and that the schoo reassemble on February Ist. It was further resolved that the head master dismiss the infant classes oi Thursday, the 17th inst., and that he ii conjunction witli the members of th< Committee make arrangements for tin Friday. It was resolved to invite the membe for the district, the members of th Board of Education, and the Mayor o Timarii to be present on breaking-u] day. ■ Mr Keith reported on the school banl as follows : — Deposits, £8 6s 6£d ; witli drawals, £5 4s 9d ; total to credit, £16 8s lid. Accounts amounting to £9 4s wer passed for payment. The meeting dosed at 10,20 p.m.