BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXI, Issue 12477, 14 September 1904, Page 4

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

The monthly meeting of the South Canterbury Education Board was he'd yesterday. Present: Mr W. B. Howell (chairman), Rev. J. Barclay, Messrs J. Talbot, W. G. Armitage,' J. S. Rutherford, J. Campbell and W. M. Hamilton. Apologies were "made for Mr Jackson, who was absent from town. The chairman welcomed Mr Armitage, a new member. CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT.

chairman reported the resignations of G. Crawshaw and J. Matier, Timaru Main, Annie . Hawkes, Hook, Janet L. Fleming, Scotsburn, and Elizabeth Cormack, Orari Gorge. Mr Goodall, Makikihi,. Miss Scott, Tenruka. Miss Hughes, Geraldine, and Miss Ray, Pleasant Point, were absent from duty through illness, arid their places were temporarily filled. Gapes Valley and Waikakahi were also being carried on "under temporary appointments. No suitable locum- tenens had been obtained for Chamberlain, and the school cbnsequenttly remained closed. The annual election had resulted in the return of Rev. Geo, Barclay, and Messrs J. Jackson and G:' W. Armitage. - ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN. "Mr Howell, before quitting the chair on the conclusion of his term of office, said the annual report presented in March last contained the main features of what had been done by,the Board during the year. One of the greatest of their greatest difficulties in administration had been finding teachers for small country schools, and for lower positions in town and they frequently had to be satisfied with inferior teachers. Frequent changes in the staffs greatly affected the efficiency of the schools, and made harder work for head masters. Less than half the schools had the same staffs now as twelve months ago, and that was a great handicap. .; It was hardly necessary to say anything about the centralising tendency of the Government, because the Board had! this subject frequently before them. The building of new schools had been taken out of their hands, they had simply to recommend, instead of deciding for themselves. The manual and technical educar tion grants were now managed from Wei-, lington, on reports sent to the Department. The National. Scholarships were controlled by the Government, though there was no reason for it, and there was qiily.ione of them, while the Board pro> vided fourteen or fifteen, and the system of free places in High Schools and DistrictHigh Schools was also controlled froni Wellington. And now it was proposed to centralise the pupil teachers' and the. scholarship examinations. Mr Howell concluded by thanking, the Board for their courtesy to him as chairman during the last two years. _

The secretary then took the chair. Mi" Talbot proposed and Mr Campbell seconded that Mr Howell be re-elected chairman, and this was carried unani-

mously. - Mr Howell expressed his pleasure at this proof that he had done his duty to the satisfaction of the Board. He would have welcomed a change, but he recognised also the convenience of having a chairman on the, spot. He would with pleasure continue to cariy out the duties as long as his health permitted.

A QUESTION. . Mr. Rutherford asked if any ieply had been'received from the Department regarding residences at Chamberlain and elsewhere. He saw Mr Seddon at Christchurch and spoke to him about it. Mr Seddon did not give him a reply, but took notes . They could not get a teacher at Chamberlain for want of a residence. The; secretary said the only reply was received some time ago, that the matter was under consideration.' COMMITTEES.

Messsr Howell, Jackson, Armitage, and Barclay were appointed a Building Committee, and Messrs Howell, Hamilton, McCaskill and Barclay a Scholarships Committee for the ensuing year. GOVERNMENT CORRESPONDENCE. Lieutenant-Colonel Hobday inquired whether the Board would approve of holding an encampment of instruction for school cadets, say in the last week of the school year, attendance thereat to count as attendance at school.—The Board approved of the proposal, subject to the approval of the respective school committetes.—There are.; eight schools in this district havine cadets, * 6

The Department inquired what steps the Board had taken or would recommend to check the loss of capitation through irregular attendance by free pupils at the 9 High Schools and District High Schools ; and whether a general regulation on" the subject was needed.—The Board agreed that the subject should be dealt with by a general regulation, and the Scholarships Committee were authorised to draw up a full, reply. The Department asked two questions regarding the fire at Orari Bridge .• (1) by whom was the school insured, and {s) ■what' steps the Board were taking to prevent a repetition of such a dangerous practice as leaving the school doors unlocked, aa was mentioned in the report on the fire presented to the Board.—A reply is to be sent that the Committee insured the J* dh i g with their own fun(3s > ai) d that the school buildings are in the immediate ■vf? 6 of the Oom mittete, but a circular will be sent out regarding the proper closing of buildings when not in use. _., BUILDING COMMITTEE. Mr Barclay reported for the Building

! Committee. The Department had replied to an inquiry that they -were unable to make, any further grants for buildings till iuiLuer iunds weie voteu by Pariiauibnc.— Mr-Barclay buid the Education vote had beca passed, including a considerable incease in the total. "Air C Lewis had accepted- ai; ex.anced lease of the .Arundel ie.sß'vc. The request of Hunters for paintuig and lep.iirs should.be he'd over, as other schoojs were in slill worse conditio::, it was 'recommended that £1 be granted to Morvotf towards cost of cupboards -for a'-pubic library. Springbrook had ashed for'au'-addition to the school, on account of an influx of children resulting from the establishment of the I'areora freezing works. The request should be sent to the 'Department, with a strong representation of the necessity for an immediate enlargement. Correspondence had been received, regarding rights-of-way to the Waikakahi school. Mr Barclay said he thought theTe would be no difficulty in arranging for the rights-of-way. Waima- . taitai bad written that they had given up'hope of raising their share of the funds io purchase au addition to the school grounds. The Committee recommended that £2 be granted to Waitaki for grates, ■ and that the architect be asked to visit Waitolii Plat, to report on repairs, etc., ' required there. A pump and blinds asked |' for Washdyke should be supplied. The BelfiVd reserve had been let- at an advanced rent. The amount in the Bank' at credit,of the building fund was £930 7s Id (less amount pledged to date £593 •155.-.6d—£336 lis 7d)." The "grant -for Oralis Bridge is to be added. -The architect reported that certain works .ahthorisediat several .schools toad been carried out. ■; ' ■ , • '.-■'■ The Committee rcrbmeninded, that the £2O. previously voted for adding a bowwindow to the residence at Geraldine be granted, provided the residents, make up the'balance of the cost. Also, that as the architect had bsen unable to get a closet built at Waimate for £6 voted, the amount be handed to the Committee for them to try', and get the work done. "The Committee recommended that the schools at Cricklewood, Aibury a.nd Salisbury be painted, but .on Mr Rutherford saying that therewould be an application for an. addition at Aibury immediately, it was decided to omit Aibury till the addition is made, and Adair was put; in the list I for immediate attention instead. , Mr Rutherford asked-whether the Board could order children to go to a school in their own district when going out of it would, cause a need for enlarging a school, and the reply was that the Board has no power in that matter. SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE. The Scholarship Committee recommended that as a provisional arrangement, the'compulsory subjects in the senior scholarship syllabus be reduced from six to five. That the Board offer no objection to the idea of children's correspondence with pupils alt Home; and as a matter of fact some inter-communications of the kind had a'ready been initiated in this district. That the Board do not concur in the idea of a- commitment of children to an industrial school after three convictions for truancy, as 'being too drastic and likely to defeat its' o\vn ends, but would be glad to see •a minimum penalty for a first offence of os,! the fines to be considerably increased on each new conviction. Also, that the police should be allowed to act in regard to .truancy, on account of the moral effect of .their action. -A subject submitted to the Committee, the assimilation of the. scholarship examinations with those of the Civil Service, was reported to be still under consideration, i meeting to be held with the Inspectors and head teachers of the High Schools and District' High Schools. APPOINTMENTS. The Board went into Committee to consider applications for appointments. >. For" the post df'first assistant at. the Timaru Main School there were 31 appliOf these," seven are now in the Board's employment, and as some of these were considered quite competent to perform" the duties the selection was confined' to these. After a long discussion, it-was resolved to name two teachers for preference/, 'For the post of fourth assistant at the shine school, there were three applicants, and. two were approved. "': ' There were five applicants for the teaohership at Hook, and two were approved. For the teachership at Scotsburn there were four, applicants, and one was selected. For Waikakahi there was one applicant, but it was decided to continue the present temporary arrangement. No . applications were received for. sole i.eacherships at Gapes Valley, Orari Gorge, or :Chambsrlain. TEACHERS' SALARIES. -.The Wanganui Board asked for eo-oper-n tiori' in inducing the Government (1) to increase the salaries of male teachers, (2) to devise a better system of computing salaries than, on the average attendance. On (1) the chairman remarked that it was not the salaries of all males, but only those of the underpaid that needed raising; and as to the basis of calculation,, there might be a fixed minimum salary, before the reckoning on attendance began. Mr Talbot bewailed the lack of inducement to clever boys to become teachers. " There was nothing in it"; consequently, for every lad applying for pupil teacherships there were a dozen girls, who did not mean to : make teaching a lifelong profession. The -aliiries were not equal to those of ploughmen. The secretary read a list of average salaries of teachers in New Zealand and the Australian States, showing that New Zealand is low down in the list. The letter was referred to the Scholarships Committee to frame a reply. The Orari Bridge Committee, who had been allowed £ls to refund insurance premiums and pay for articles lost in the fire, asked for £2 9s more to pay for children's books burned.—The request was declined. - THE EXAMINATIONS. A number of reports by tile Inspectors nri their annual examinations were read, and the ■ Board then rose.