EDUCATION BOARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14150, 9 March 1910, Page 6

EDUCATION BOARD.

FOl y; 1011 XL Y MEETING. j The fortnightly mcetiag of the South | Gantorburv iioard ol Education was held vestordnv, being attended by ] Mc.-srs AY. 31. Haniiltou (chairman), G. J. Se.aley, T. Shcrratt, AY. Lindsay, G. ! AV. Armitagc, O. b. ixoward, and L*eo. Lyall. APPOINTMENTS. The chairman reported that Mr O'Connor had been appointed teacher in the meantime for AVaihaorunga School, and Miss Williamson had been appointed temporary assistant at AYoodlmry. It was decided to appoint Mr \Y. I l '. Park third assistant at the Timaru Alain School, and Miss Hastings teacher of the household school at Kiverhwids. The resignation of Mr George Fraser, Allandale, was accepted. It was resolved to recommend for appointment Miss Jean Stevenson as solo teacher at Burke's Pass, and Mr E. G. Osborne, at AVaihaorunga. appointments to bo confirmed on March 22nd. It was left to the secretary and Mr Armitagc to appoint a relieving teacher nt AVaituna Creek, as Miss Bruce, the present teacher, leaves on a holiday to Europe on Anril Ist. STAFFING OF SCHOOLS. Mr Armitagc brought up a matter in connection with the regulations for the staffing of schools. Owing to a decrease in the attendance the Milford School had received notice of the termination of the assistant mistress's services. In this case only two month's notice had been given, and he thought that it should have been at least three moil ths. 'i'lie secretary explained that this was the result- of an alteration effected in the regulations at the end of last year. Tn his opinion the old clause was too liberal.

_ Mr Armitagc said that the regulat.on was now too severe altogether, but he supposed that it was made deliberately and that little good would result frorrf protesting against it. ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report was rsbmitted ns follows, and will be discussed at the next meeting. Sympathetic reference was made to the death of Mr John Jackson, who had been a member of the Board for 20 years. Mr AA r . M. Hamilton was elected to succeed Mr .Tncksnn as chairman c,f the Board, and Mr G. J. Senley was elected to fill the extraordinary vacancy. The Board held twenty meetings during the year, the average attendance . being 8.1. There were SO schools in operation at the end of the year, four more than for the previous year, the new schools being Cannington. AA 7 aitohi TJnpor. AlInndale, and Kiveriands. Owing to the continued small attendance in the secondary department of the Geraldine .District High School was disrated during the year, the secondary department being closed. At the end of the year there were 175 teacher*, in the Board's service, including 20 mini] teachers and- 8 probationers. Of "the 141 adult teachers 20 were uncertificated, but most of these were making some effort to improve their scholastic status. However, it should he pointed out to those who wcre i not improving their position, that section o4 of the Education Act stated clearly that the engagement of uncertificated teachers was onlv temporary, and as soon as certificated teachers were available the Board could dispense with the services of uncertificated teachers. In the past there had been r dearth of fully qualified teachers and the Board had been compel ed to employ those not fully qualified and it was only fair to' them to jvny tliat some were doing good work: tint there were signs that the supoly Of teachers would soon equal the demand and that the time was not far In f l'J T, ,P ," I! " ard he able to fill all but the lowest positions in +l'o service with certificated teachers. annual scholarship examinations i.ero held m November and Decembertile number of candidates being fiftv-' for the junior examination and Wtj-two for the senior. The Board i i . ton i U "', or and f'gbt senior flo ar 'w, of • t h° annual value of and tho junior national scholar-

sliips were won by Rosa Vague of the Pleasant Point bcliool and Philip T. Mauger of tho Salisbury School. Drill and physical, exorcises were taught in all the schools of the district, and generally -the reports of the inspectors oil this work were very favourable indeed:- - -This was especially the case with reference to the large schools, where special attention was given to the physical development of the pupils. During' the yea- the Government decided to make special grants to those district high .schools which made a special feature in : teaching agriculture. The Board recognising the great importance . of the subject in an agricultural and ■ pastoral, district like South Canterbury, at once Set to work to secure the services of a properly' qualified instructor to organise and supervise the teaching of agriculture in its primary, secondary, and technical schools. The co-ojuration of the county councils, high school boards and agricultural and pastoral associations was secured, and promis.es, • of .financial assistance were readily .-'given. Application fur the position of organising instructor were obtained from the Dominion, America, and Britain; and early this year Mr' John Brown,' B.Sc. of the West of Scotland Agricultural College was appointed. The Board hoped soon to devote to the teaching of agriculture the attention it deserved. The average attendances had been : —March quarter 4650, June, quarter 4759, September, quarter 4723, December quarter 4936. The roll number at the end of the year showed an increase of 152 over that of the previous year, while tlie yearly average attendance (4767) showed an increase of 111 and constituted a record for the district. The i' average attendance expressed as a percentage of tlie mean of the average weekly roll_ numbers for the four quarters 'vas .87.28 and was an increase of .25 over that for the j>revious year, but was still, one below the.record for the district. The attendance at many of the schools was affected by various epidemics during the year and this would partly explain the somewhat low average attendance; otherwise there was no reason why the the regularity of the attendance of tills district should not be .the highest in the Dominion. In April the Board removed to its newsuite of offices adjoining the Technical i School. The building, which the Education Board liad provided at ft cost "of ov-er £IOOO, included Boardroom, public office, secretarys' office, inspector's room, and storci- n. The present offices gave better accommodation for | the Board's official and adminigtratlye staff whose work in the past wag carried on in the past under considerable j difficulties and personal discomfort. Nearly all the ordinary repairs and painting of school buildings during the year were carried out by the Board's staff of workmen, the new method haying been initiated during the previous year. It was difficult yet to sf»y whether on the whole the work was done more cheaply than formerly, but it was certain that it was done more thoroughly and that there would not b& in the future as there had been in j the past the numerous complaints | regarding dishonest and careless workmanship. During the year 24 school buii f dings were thoroughly repaired and painted and extensive works were car- < rlcd out..at five others. The carrying out. of the underground drainage in Timaru „WfiS compelling the Board to incur very heavy expenditure in connection with the three town schools. It had been found advisable to instal ranges of automatic syphonic latrines, and these renuired new buildings in some cases and considerable alterations in others. The total cost was expected to be ove,r £6OO, and the Board would have to provide for this out of its materially decreased grants "from the Government this year. In a' stateinent of the Board's receipts and expenditure the chief iff "is of receipts were teachers'salaries £2-2,r 640, 18s 6d. grants for adminfitratinh £2907 2s 4d, scholarships £432 4s, manual and technical grants including £6OO for Timaru Technical School Building £2150 6s. school buildings £648 15s Id. special erants for build--lugs £lOlO 19s 3. The chief items of expenditure were teachers' salaries £22,716 0« ]od. general :idmini<--+*"*-tion £288214s 2d, Board offices £719 lis 9d, scholarship* £420 0s lOd manual and technical £2143 3s lid, main-

tenance of-buildings, etc., £3314 18s 9d, special new biuldmgs £233 2s lid. At tl\e ,end of the "year the Board had a nominal credit balance of £2799 8s 7d ; but . after allowing-f or all liabilities and taking credit. £oi- all moneys owing including the TJuilding grant of £l7ll the credit balances 'of r the three accounts were:—General -account £651 lis 3d, building account £2632 7s 7d, Technical account £240 12s 3d. TENDERS FOR, RESERVES. N Tendets for lehse' of school site reserves were accepted as follows: — Geraldine '.Flat,'.'. A.' Kelman,' 15s per acre; Hannaton, R. Hinch, 30s per acre;• Rsmgitata, - C." Moss, *3s and lis per sacre-'; Te-Moana, J. Mulvihill, £l apd ss; Albury, R. Riddel!, £1; Tapaka, W.' Council, 12s (id " ]ser acre. The letting of .reserve, at Albury and Lyalldale was left to the Lands Office. CORRESPONDENCE. The Education Department wrote stating that £loo,liad been granted for alterations-to the Albury School, and the Board decided to instruct the foreman to make additions to the school Jit a cost not exceeding £IOO. The Department also intimated that in response to the Hoard's application a grant ,of , £145 . had been authorised for the removal of the Redd iff School -to the Ikawaisite. ' Of this £36 wonkl be allowed as half cost of the purchase of the new site,;, and the Bodrd would liavp the old site as an asset.. The secretary said that in his application lie' had mentioned two proposed hew sites, -arid" the Board had not yet decided Avhich sito'it would approve "of. After discussion the Board "decided to accept the Department's terms a.iul to procure, from Mr Ross four acres .at.lkawai. With regard to a jietit.ion, backed up by a deputation, asking for the removal from a country school of a teacher who, : it was ' suggested, took little interest in -the work, the Board decided to petition to the teacher. The WaiihafS ~ School " "Committee wrote'com plaining that it had not been consulted over "the appointment of a relieving teacher,. and it was decided to- inform" the committee that the appointment' was only temporary. On the motion of Mr Howard a vote of , sympathy , was. passed to the relatives of Mr'W.' E. Foster, late master at, the Cave School. - . A request was received from the Hilton School . that bees should be removed from, the building' as thev were proving dangerous, and the Board decided to give the Committee power "to do what was necessary. .. Tile -Morven Committee wrote asking for a : windmill; as their water supply wag defective. The Board decided to do the work. It was resolved to increase the grant ]to the Rangitata Valley School for fencing from £2 10s to £2 17s. liangitata Island School asked for a residence and. for new forms.—The Board decided that ithey could not build a residence as the school roll number was only ten, and the granting of, new forms was held over till the Inspector's visit. The Timaru Main Committee wrote ■asking for alterations to mlant desks, for_ dual desks for certain rooms, and for hat . pegs.—The matter was left to ■Messrs Sealey , and Howard, and the Inspectors. Xlie. Waimataitai Committee offered to, pay half cost, i£ls, of the fencing on Whito - Street, and ..urged the necessity of the work. They also asked for hyloplate black boards in some of the rooms, as owing to their crowded condition, it was often found impossible to use the boards on trestles.— ike Board agreed to the Committee's requests, granting £ls for fencing, .arid decided to maKe application to the Dejjartmeiit for a grant for a new infant room. Mr G. Pitcaithly, Waimate, wrote thanking tlio .Board for leuv© granted, to liim owing 'to his illness, and stated that he was. making good recovery. |. jpr A.C. Jones, painter, asked for a rise in wages; aud it was decided to inW'Oase them from £2 15s a week to £3. TEACHERS' PASSES. ' The Education Department wrote stating that, the Minister recognised the desirability of . encouraging teachers ag'.far as ; possible to equip tkernthe. proper carrying out of t.hejr duties, and "had decided to continue the priyilege3 previously enjoyed . .the Government's expense, of free week-end railway tickets. The Minister was confident that the Board } would continue to use every ejftdeavour Ito see ' that the privileges were not ■ misused in any way, and further, that adequate steps were taken to test the | progress of teachers attending classes, Who were not definitely preparing them, selves fop annual examinations.

The Chairman said that he thought tfle letter very satisfactory, but another member' pointed out that it Was liardjy possible for the Board to report en igjithPFp' progress. The Secretary said that the majority of the teachers attending classes in Timaru were certificate?} teachers, The priyjjegg: would be ft decided advantage when the agricultural classes we're commeribec}. GKXEFtAIi, Accounts ag follows were passed for payment :—|}uildiijg aocpunt £157 9s sd, general £22 8s 3d, Technical account £287 2s Od. It was decided to hold meetings in April and May on the first and third Wednesdays of "the month. The St. Andrews School/were granted £o, half cost of erection of necessary outbuildings.. The Truant Officer reported that during the year ending December last 245 cases of irregular attendance had been reported, 199 notices had been sent out, 44 suminohses issued, 35 parents or guardians fined, 7 cases dismissed, 1 parent imprisoned, and 1 convicted and discharged. The total fines were #7 17fi and Court costs £1 is. It was resolved to grant the Pleasant Ppitit Committee 30s, cost of sinking a well, and to hold oyer applications for a clock a {id a ctoor lock. | Mr C. Porter, foreirian, reported as I follows; Work asked for at Wuimataitai residence : would cost £36. Wqrlf completed at- the Tisaafru Main had cpst £l§ 19s 8d for external painting, £8 6s for pljiml)ing work,. ,and £4.Bs lid for general repairs. -Repairs cost£2s. 9s 6d_j)ad just been-completed a J> Wnrtuna Creek. Repairs at Orari Bridge were almost completed,' !'The Board'decided not 'to go on witli work at - )Vnimataitai. and that only very necessary work should be done at Orari Bridge,