HIGH SCHOOL BOARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15506, 17 November 1914, Page 3

HIGH SCHOOL BOARD.

ORDINARY MEETING. The Timaru High School Board ?met yesterday. Present —Messrs J. • Bitchener (chairman), G. Dash, Fi A. Raymond, ; R."H."'Bowie, E. Macdonald, D. ■ Grant, Dr Gabites, and Archdeacon Jacob. ]\lr J. McCahon and Col. MoKenzie apologised for absence. , ; The chairman stated that since last meeting he had visited both schools and found everyth.ng going on satisfactorily.. In. regard to the Preparatory schools, which had been advertised, he did not think the. Girls 5 school would be a success./ For the Boys' school there was quite a number of applications for places, but very few for the Girls' school. GIRLS' SCHOOL. The Lady Principal (Miss Watt), reported that the number of pupils in attendance was now 72. School work was going on very satisfactorily. For the intermediate, examinations for Senior Free Place, and for Education Board Senior scholarship, which began this week, they had fifteen candidates sitt.ng. As a result of the Inspector's recent examination, 16 of of 23 were granted Senior Free Places, but of these, _ seven were candidates for Education Board Senior scholarships and must istill sit. For the University examinations in December they were sending ten candidates, nine; for matriculation and one for University Entrance Scholarship. ' The girls were giving more than half the prize money from last Thursday's races to the Britain and Belgium Relief Fund—£3 3s. There were various reasons why they should not do so, but they were quite willing to do so—devote their class prize money to the same object. After consulting Mr Browne, Inspector of Technical Education, in regard to fitting out the science room, she thought they ought to have certain. fitPngs specified, in order to get the work done satisfactorily. The ex-g : rls had derided to keep the memory of Miss Mulholland in the school bv an annual prize, and for this she had already in hand j a little over £lO, with some promises of more. The T?oard decided to follow the I usual "hp+otti and .give the prize money. The matter of fitting up the .science, was referred to the Works Committee to report. BOYS' SCHOOL. t The Rector (Mr W. Thomas), report- ! Ed that already a number of boarumg .pup.JLs had been enrolled for 1915. ' As many or the present pupils were coming back, it looked as li tiiere wo.uid be ditiicu.ty in accummodat.ng all the boarders. Inquiries had been receivedfrom the parents regarding the proposed Preparatory School. He was prepared to start with ten, but expected that more would be enrolled by the beginning of 1915. The Prefects had unanimously' decided to inform the Board that the boys were w.lling to do without prizes this year, if the prize money cou;d b© donated to the Patriotic Fund. The teachers did not tnink such a sacrifice was advisable, although they were pleased with the spirit of th,e boys. The boys had already subscribed to this fund and weie prepared in addition to give ji concert later on in aid .qf the, distressed.,. Only, classical books were given and these formed the nucleus of a library to which the pupil returned again and again-in after life. Manv of the books; were needed now by those who were preparing for higher examinations The wool-sorting classes had finished and the two second-year boys, I. and S Black, gained first C'ass- certificates. They, -were grateful to Mr Harte, Jfche instructor, for the interest he took in the boys. AH the -experimental plots had been prepared and sown. The members agreed' to give the usual sum for pr.ze muney, as in the case of the Girls' school. WOOL-CLASSING. The director for Technical .Education (Mr Riochings Grant), forwarded a report on the working of the Scnool Wool-Classing class. The class was more or less .of an experiment, hut it i was / entireljy successful. The boys ! evinced a keen interest in the/ work, and in consequence made rapid progress. The progress of the boys compared with the adult classes demonstrated that the necessary deftness of touch and quickness of percept.on be more readily acquired in youth than in later years. The two second year students who sat .for the examination gained'first class certificates. All the first year students did equally good work, but the managers made it a . practice not to give certificates until a. student had had at least two years' tuition. v . The chairman said the report was very satisfactory He was sure the classes were u step in the right direction. - WORKS COMMITTEE. The Building and Grounds Commit- . too isiporxea wiat. some 'damage was ■" done 'by the October gaie/ and repairs had to be attended to. The committee had visited both schools and found everything m order. The boys' playing grounds were being put into first class order. They recommended that "tenders be called for concreting, the ,pat!hs round the boys'' baths; also that* a maids' bath be,'put in the rectory. The report was adopted, and it was decided to call tenders for concreting the paths. RESERVES. The Steward of Reserves (Mr W. Hide) reported on visits to the Board's sections, and several re-valua-tions he had carried out. Messrs J. Durey and 'J. Brown, tenants -of the Board's sectiohs, applied for and were granted an extension of time for payment of rent. The fleeting decided to . reserve a rigfat to resume half a acre near the entrance, to the Board's Willowbridge section, jfor a church mission" site, applied for by the Anglican Church, when the new lease was drawn up. The members also" ' decided that in future leases a clause be inserted that 'feitoes erected bejvaluea at tJhe termination ..of a lease, : and incoming tenants pay for improvements thus . effected. v PREPARATORY SCHOOL. The Rector waited on the Board in , connection with the proposal to establish a preparatory school. H© thought they should make a start right away. The Board oould not use its funds to pay a teacher, but he was willing to' guarantee the salary of a teacher, recognising that a , preparatory school was really required ' for the further success of the High s School. To commence with they had ten pupils, and he proposed making the fee £lO a / year. * After discussion Mr Dash * proposed that the Board give its moral and advisory support to the proposed preparatory classes, and make the necessary application to the Minister and arranged a separate- account in com-pliance-with the Act. TRAVELLING EXPENSES. Mr Cra-igie wrote that -lie /had approached the Minister of Education on the matter of payment of expenses -to. members of- the Board.— 'tlxifnlced" for his action. * " This concludsd the tmaiaesa.