HIGH SCHOOL BOARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12906, 20 February 1906, Page 7

HIGH SCHOOL BOARD.

The Timaru High tic Loci Board met .yesterday. Present: —Mr Vv. B. Howell (chairman), Rev. U. Barclay, Ven. Archdeacon Harper, .Messrs R. H. Bowie, J. Talbot, R- Giilmghum, and B. B. Macdonald. Mr J. -vicCahan &iid Dr Barclay sent apologies. The chairman welcomed Mr Macdonald back to the Board, alter the severe illness from -which .he-hid happily recovered.—Mr Barclay cheerfully concurred in this welcome, and Mr Maedona d. thanked the Board ior their kind remarks. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT.

The chairman reported that the. school had been reopened, with somewhat smaller numbers than the last term. The new . teacher in the Girls' {School, Miss Cunniaghame, who took the place vacant by the resignation of Miss Gruickshank, had taken «P her duties. He had authorised Mr Simmers to get,a iew small repairs donenew window cords and the like. This was the meeting ior the electioi of chairman, and he therefore vacated' the chair, with thanks to the members for their courtesy and attention during the year. ■""* ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN.

Mr Talbot moved that Mr Howell be re-elected chairman, as he had always con•ducted the business in a. manner very satisfactory to the Board. Archdeacon Harper ■seconded, and the motion was carried unanimously. Mr Howfeli thanked the Board for their renewed confidence, and intimated that he iwould probably decline to accent the office, after this year. , . The usual standing eomarittas; werV appointed : —Reserves, t'.\^ ;l cdiainji;i.v Messrs Talbot and • the- . chairman. Mr Barclay, Archdeacon Harper, and Mr McCahon; Finance, theashairnlan. Bev. G. Barclav. Mr McCahonAMr lieu-.?. HEAD MASTER'S REPCBRT.* The head master, Mr G. Simmers, reported that the'school'.re-opened on February Ist. and the roll number was tow 86. Of these 68 were old and IS ?ew pupils. The number of old pupils ecterir.a was linger than- usual, but the number ci new entrants was unexpectedly small. Tlie numbers of new pupils at the beginnim: of; 19C3. '4, and - '5 were 31, j5, and 35 iesr>eeiiveJy. : The results of various examinations had corne to baud since meeting, and Mr Simmers trusted that thev would be considered satisfactory. Michael Oudex gained a. University junior scholarship (£SO a yearTfor three years';. J. Hardcastie and D. Mathesoa qualified for matriculation on the junior' University scholarship examination. S. Parr and j. McLeod passed the matriculation and solicitors' general knowledge examination. S. Serpell passed the preliminary medical examination. For the Education Board senior scholarship examination (conducted by the Department), six candidates were sent up and five gained senior scholarships, viz., Fred Hall-Jones (first place in -examination), D. Martin (third), Bv Warring (sixth), C. Drake (seventh), and J. M. Gillies (ninth). He had had an opportunity of comparing the marks with those of candidates for the same e.'cj n : -; i.iou under the-Otago Education" .Ooicd, and it . was very creditable to Hall-Jones tliat he 'heats their best candidate by .about 2 7 er cent. The sixth candidate (K. Tennent) owing to ill-health was absent from school for about two months -before the examination, and but for this would,. Mr Simmers was sure, have come well up in the scholarship list. He wished ! to recommend him iu the Board for a Group 111. extii-i----tion. Three of the senior scholarship winnersf Martin, Warring, and Gillies) did not previously hold junior scholarships In the junior Civil Service examination, IN". Maze and L. Newnham passed with credit, and ; H. Sams passed. In addition •to the winners of senior scholarships.. D. Bailey, J. P. Stewart, and El. Voge'er passed the examination for senior free places. For Group I. exhibition examination, five boys were presented, and four were recommended for exhibitions : —D. O'Connor .'first place in examination;-. 2s. Maze, -C. Houston, and D. Fraseiv He hoped this year to give more attention to science work than hitherto. This would necessitate a larger expenditure for apparatus and material than the standing annual grant of £5, as they have spent very little in this way for three or four years: and the supplies were very low. He could not say how much would be needed', but £-20 would be the outside, and he asked for authority to expend that sum. He hoped to arrange the work in r such a way a? to gain the Department's capitation grant-for practical work in science. The chairman explained that the Boys' School staff were unable to -find time "to take the woodwork classes, and on the recommendation of the head master, Mr F. Cameron was again- appointed instructor in woodwork, at a remuneration, of £3O for the- year. The head master was granted ££C for ■ science apparatus? , f LADY PRINCIPAL'S REPORT. The lady principal (Miss B. M. Watt) • reported that the number on. the roll of the Girls' School was.73, of whom 20 were new gir's and 55 were on the roll last yer.r. Among those who had left) were three who would have been entitled to Group I. esai- : bitions, but who, having passed matriculation, had "been appointed to third-year pupil teacherships. Another pupil who obtained credit in the examination for junior University scholarship was applying for a Normal School exhibition. As nearly all the pupils had had some tuition in cookery, Miss Watt suggested that the cookery class should be left out of the curriculum, this year, and to place in its stead a larger class for dressmaking. It would be necessary to get either one or two new macaines. In the examinations at the end of the year Nora Blackmore and -Lorna Hunt gained places in the credit list of the junior University scholarship examination. Ethel Ferrier, Annie Moyle, and Evelyn Robinsonpassed, matriculation; Ethel Ferrier and Annie-.Moyle passing also the examination for; solicitors' general knowledge. Nora McSweeney passed with credit the examination, for junior civil service, and Dsrothy Farnie qualified second on the list for a Group I. exhibition. Of the candidates, sent in--for/the-continuation examination, the following passed: —Mildred Balfour, Arietta Cartwrigkt, Ethel Ferrier. Lily "Jeffree. Bertha Lawry, Elaine Munro. Elvina Serpell, Flora Sunaway, and Eliza beth " Tennent. " It was a commonly understood 'thing that this examination was of ~ such a nature that only about 'half of the cmdidates could be expected to pass it, a-.id it was natural enough that the younger pupils should' be those who fail. She had sent in four of these yonnger pupils as candidates for senior scholarships on thin as.me examination, and of those, only one, and she barely, was up to junior "schoLr.-hip standard two years ago. Yet those siris, who if they were attending a District Hiza School need 'not sit this examination for another two years, must sit it while under 15 to .secure continuance of free education. It w,-'s rot a surprising thing that or-tv c-ue. Elvira Serpell, succeeded in passing ;:. 3t w,:s; :;nt a discreditable result that tbe otners (of whom two were train girls, missing rr.-ie or two periods -every day' :-t;eceerie'i in getting 39|, 39f. and" oMhc.ao required for a scholarship'. ".'"C-s Wntr '-.i-T „•!-,„ -f,-,- t f! lnf tn j s eTJ -,l a --,?-:'.., was cue'to'the Board, seeing that ai> the

Education Board meeting it was pointed out that the candidates for senior scholarships who failed came from the Timaru High Schools; and this explanation was due from her, since, of the candidates that failed, all- but- one came from the girls' side of the school. Yet even with that .result- before her, it seemed that she must still send forward uncertain candidates, as otherwise they lose their chanca of further free education. In this respect head teachers of High Schools were in an entirely different position from that of the headmasters of District High Schools, who need to send forward only those candidates who are sure to bring credit on the school by passing: the/ doubtful ones there have their free places assured until they reach the age of 17. The girls who sat for the examination for senior scholarships and came next to the winders were eligible for Group 11., senior exhibitions, of which four were open for allotment. These girls are— Mildred Hinson, Ruby Miles, and Rida Sutherland, all girls who were likely to make good rise of the exhibitions if they should be awarded to them. It was unanimously decided " That the Board congratulate the tea'ching staff of the school h> the successes attained by so many pupils in the recent examinations, and especially on the fact of winning one j of the junior University scholarships." Mr Barclay said that the reference in the j lady principal's report to something said at the Education Board's, meeting was no doubt founded npon a remark that he had I made at that Board, and which was pub-

lished in a portion of the Press, though he carefully reserved it for the Board by asking that it be taken in committee. He made the for the information of the Board; and was sorry to see it reported nexb nay. -"' The' chairman and the secretary both understood that the remark was made " r." committee." He did not- know what the explanation was; he merely pointed out the fact. The'chairman said he did not then know the explanation. Mr -Talbot said that probably the reporter did not hear Mr Barclay ask that what he said should be taken in committee. The publication of the remark had done good, as it had brought out an. explanation of ike circumstances which seemed to be reasonable. Had these pupils been at a District High School possibly they would not have been sent to the examination, as their places would not have been in danger had they not been sect forward. The Board agreed to Miss Watt's recom- ! rnendatkm that cookery should be dropped this ye:vr. as most of the girls had had a two-years" course in either the High School or the primary school classes, and i that dressmaking should be given more attention. The purchase of one or two sewing machines was therefore authorised. The Board fixed the fee for ex-pupils attending special classes as continuation pupils, ax 15s for two literarv subjects. EXHIBITIONS. The Exhibitions Committee reported the results of the- examinations for the Group I. exhibitions. The candidates were five boys and one girl. The total of possible mjirks was 1250, and the results were : D. O'Connor. 65.76 per cent.; D. Farnie. 61.44; N. Maze, 58.8; C. Houston, 55.44; D. Eraser, 48.88. The sixth candidate made only 40.08 per cent., and,was disqualified. The Committee recommended that £lO each be allowed to O'Connor and Maze (country residents), in aid of travelling and other expenses; and the Board agreed to grant an exhibition to No. 5, as he was less than 2 points below the 50 per cent. mark. The report was adopted. The examiners serfi in brief reports on the papers; Mr Barclay read these, and it was decided to send the reports to the principals for perusal. On correspondence received regarding continuation of free places for pupils who had not held them for two years, it was resolved, on the motion of Mr Talbot, seconded by Mr Oillingham—" That those, pupils, who in order to take advantage of the Government free places, were compelled to enter the school during the last term 1 of 1904. be admitted to free placs during 1906." The Board also decided to grant a Group 111. exhibition to a boy who failed through illness, and; a free place to a girl who lias to be boarded in town though she failed to win one. this case not to form a precedent. The lady principal recommended this case as one of special circumstances. Mr Barclay gave notice of motion, for next- meeting as follows :—" That in view of the various new regulations by the Department re scholarships, free places, etc., the Exhibitions Committee be asked to report on the advisability of revising, where necessary, the Board's scheme of exhibitions." MISCELLANEOUS. The Old Boys' Association requested the Board to alter the school colours from 'iaht blue and white to dark blue and white, and requested further that the Association be permitted to use the school, badge.— Referred to the chairman and the Principals. Mr Galbraith applied for renewal of the lease of the farm she occupies.—Granted, -ior seven years. The secretary renorted that the Board had now a credit balance of £BOO, and suggested that part of it be placed on fixed deposit.—The chairman recommended waiting for the decision about the purchase of a section for a second school.

Accounts amounting to £22 13s 3d were passed for payment.