BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 2890, 15 December 1898, Page 3

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

An ordinary meetiDg of the Board of Education was held yesterday. Present : Mr Howell (chairman), Rev. Messrs G. Barclay and W. J. Comrie, Mersrs Moore, Keith, Keddie and Jackson. URGENT MEETING. On the minutes being read, Mr Comrie asked why ordinary business was ta!cen at an urgent meeting. He was very much surprised to learn that ordinary busir. ess had been taken at the urgent meeting, when no notice was given of it. The chairman said it was usual to add to the notices " and any other business," and to take any other business that might come up. Mr Oomrie said there were some important items dealt with— the Tengawai site, and the St. Andrews appointment. Members should have been notified about Buch important items. He failed also to see the urgency of the scholarship business. The chairman and Mr Barclay said it was really urgent. Mr Jackson assured Mr Oomrie that no slight v/as intended to # the absent members. The minutes were then confirmed. THE SCHOLARSHIPS. Mr Comrie asked if the resolution instructing the Scholarship Committee to carry out the equalisation scheme, bound them to carry out the scheme propounded by Mr Barclay, or was it open to them to effect the equalisation in any other way ? . . The chairman Baid the Committee were bound to that scheme. Mr Comrie said that he must resign his position on the Scholarships Committee. They might as well throw the money over the breakwater and let it help to silt up Caroline Bay. One year scholarships were very little value, not worth paying for, and the Committee proposed to spend £400 on one year scholarships, withoutany necessity for it. All that was necessary was to take £64 off next year's money for one-year scholarships, and the whole would be equalised. He could not act on the Committee to carry out such a bungling j scheme. Mr Barclay offered to explain the matter, but Mr Comrie said he understood the arrangement; he simply declined to have any thins to do with the management of it. He was unable to be present at the urgent meeting on account of a case of sickness. Mr Barclay said the scheme had been approved by the Minister, it was the only scheme possible, and he could not understand what Mr Oomrie meant by "£64." A memorandum from the Secretary to the Department, stated that the amended scholarship regulations had been endorsed as consented to by the Minister. TENDERS. Tenders for painting were accepted as follows: Albury, F. Balchelor £17; Pareora £22, Upper Otaio £19, Milford £8, Fairview £11 103 sd, J. Cooper. , Mr Moore asked that the attention of the architect be called to the obstrusive way in which on one of the schools the painter had painted in large letters 44 Painted by" so and so, on such a date. Mr Barclay said that was done under a regulation of the Board, as a record. Mr Moore said it should be put on the back of the schools, not on the front. APPOINTMENT. The St. Andrews Committee selected Mr Hawkes for appointment as headmaster, from those nominated by the Board. — Appointment made. AIDED SCHOOLS. A communication was read from the Kakahu Bush Committee, objecting to the Board retaining the quarter's incidental allowance as set-off to their debt for contributions as an aided school. The secretary explained that he had written giving the committee notice that he proposed to impound the money, and asked if they approved. Members remarked that the notice invited refusal. The chairman said the Board had written to the Government in reply to inquiry about this matter, but had received no further communication. Mr Jackson said this opened up a large question, and the Board would better have a special meeting to consider it. He noticed that the North Canterbury hoard gave a lump sum of £5 per child, and let the committee do the best with it. The chairman stated that the aided schools were £90 in arrear. Deductions were made from the incidentals, but not full deductions, as the committees pleaded that they could notcarry on without some incidentals. The Board must have a cleaning up some day.as they were drifting into a bad way through these aided schools. They had stretched their finances to the utmost limit. Mr Barclay said no Board in New Zealand had been so liberal to the smaller schools. committees' correspondsnce. St. Andrews asked to have the residence put in repair before the new teacher occupies it. — The Building Committee to act on report from the Architect. Waitohi asked for three new blinds and Ashwick Flat for new clock, which were grantedHakateramea asked for |£10 to enable them to have a road made to the school up a steep terrace. They had spent £28, on a rabbit fence and gates, and had only £3 left. Mr Bafelay moved that the £10 be granted as the committee had spent so so much. Mr Keith moved an amendment that £7 10s only be granted, as the committee had £3 and the Board was short of funds. The original motion was carried. The, chairman of the Fairlie committee forwarded a combined request from the committees in the district that the dates of the examinations of their schools should be made later in the year— in December rather than in August. Mr Comrie explained that there was often bad weather in, August, following bad weather. If the Inspector had gone up when he gave notice last time he would have found a foot of snow on the ground. That was the only district of severe winters, and the effect of this on the school should be considered. — fteferred to the Inspector for report. A further letter was read from the secretary Upper Waitohi Committee re school being left open. Seadown asked for £1 2s 6d to provide a new urinal. — JReferred to building committee. Silverstream forwarded a letter from Mr Black, tenant of the school residence, claiming refund of the amount paid by him for repairs to house, authorised by the late chairman, Mr Seddon. — Not entertained in its present form. Wai tuna asked if the Board has any regulations respecting Christmas holidays.—Reply to be in the negative. Temuka asked if they could advertise for an additional pupil teacher after the holidays if the average, as now, entitled them to it.~ Left to the office to deal with. Mr E. King, assistant at Temuka, applied for a share of the pupil teacher fees for the time the headmastership was vacant. — Referred to the headmaster for remark. Timaru Main School was granted 15s to improve the water supply. The same Committee nominated Miss B . Hall-Joneß and Geo. Donn as pupilteachers. — Appointments made. Geraldine was granted £2 10s to repair spouting at once. CLANDEBOYB AND ORTON. Messrs McCully and W. Stewart jun. waited on the Board as a deputation from the settlers of Clandeboye, to urge their claim to be provided with a school. The settlers had been asked to subsidise the coach which has' conveyed the children to Or ton school, and declined to do so. As an alternative they <presented a petition signed by 17 householders, who have 31 children of school age, and 20 under school age, praying for the eetablisbweut of a

school. The deputation pave detailed information on various points. At present 15 or 16 of the children go by coach to Orton, and some others go to Milford. ' If these former were withdrawn there : would only 8 or 10 left at Orton. Mr ■ McOully suggested that a school costing ' about £100 would answer their reqnirements, and 10 per cent, on this and £80 for a female teacher would be £90, or > less than the coach cost. There would I be no difficulty about the site, as there , were many education reserves in the locality. The matter was discussed at some length. The deputation having retired, it was resolved on the motion of Messrs Barclay and Keddie—" That a deputation from the Board meet the Clande-boye-and Orton residents re school matters ; place and time to be arranged for by the office, the deputation to be Messrs Comrie, Talbot and Inwood." TENGAWAI SCHOOL SITE. Messrs Thomson, Milne, and Saddler waited on the Board to support a petition signed by 13 householders in the Tengawai school district against the proposed change of school Site. MLr Thompson argued, that the alternative site would suit a few persons, whilst it would practically cut off from the school altogether a number of householders in the school district. The matter was discussed at some length, with references to maps of the settlement, and the deputation having retired it was resolved, in order to have the matter threshed out by those concerned, on the motion of Messrs Barclay, and Keddie— 44 That the Tengawai school districts be invited to hold a public meeting to discuss the site of the proposed school, and that Colonel Moore and Mr Howell represent the Board, date and tiijae to be arranged by the office." ADAIR AND SALISBURY. The committee appointed to inquire into the proposal •to shift the Adair school to serve the Salisbury district also, reported that they had met the Adair householders and thoroughly discussed the matter with them. The inhabitants made out. a very sttong case, and subsequently the committee had j the distances of all householders (measured by Mr Annand), and found that the Adair people would in their opinion be treated with manifest injustice if the school were shifted and cannot recommend same. Consideration of the report was deferred till next meeting. SCHOLARSHIPS. Mr Barclay reported that the preparations for the scholarships examinations were making good progress ; the papers were all ready. Mr Keith retired while a letter from him was read requesting the Board to accept a cheque for £12 10s to provide a " Mayor's Scholarship " (junior) for 1899, for children attending the Timaru schools. Moved by Messrs Comrie and Moore, and carried unanimously-*-" That Mr J. S. Keith's offer of a scholarship for 1899 be. accepted, and the Board tenders its hearty thanks to him for the same." The question was discussed whether the "Mayor's Scholarship" should be given to the schol°r at the head of the list, or to the one next to the Board's scholarship winners, and it was decided that the latter must be the place for it, or it might cause a complication in dealing with country competitors. EXAMINATIONS. The Inspector's reports on the examination of the following schools were submitted : — Waitaki, Redcliff, Hilton, Hunters, Rangitata Station, Aiundel Hook, Pareora, Waituna Creek, Orari South, and Waimate. One of the reports was sent to the committee for remark, it not being satisfactory. The report on the Waimate School was of a most satisfactory character. MISCELLANEOUS. The Board were reminded that Messrs Howell, Inwood, and Keddie retire from the Board by effluxion of time on the 31st March. An offer by Aulsebrook and Co. to supply to each school committee an " object lesson " on the various stages of the manufacture of cocoa was refused by four to three, as the lesson was attached to a trade advertisement. Members of the Board were invited to attend the breaking-up of the Timaru Main School next day. The inducement was offered that no speeches would be expected. Mr Keith asked what had become of the. Timaru Main Committee's request for widening of doors in corridor, and ascertained that the architect had given an estimate of cost— about £5 10s— but the building committee had made no recommendation. Mr Keith thought that the School Committee was entitled to som» answer. The Board rose at 3.45 p.m.