SCHOOL COMMITTEES ASSOCIATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVIII, Issue 16829, 26 May 1919, Page 9

SCHOOL COMMITTEES ASSOCIATION.

MEETING, -ON SATURDAY. .... ■"'• : '~T7~~ '.• v A meeting of the South/-Canterbury. School Committees' Association was held in the Timaru Technical School on Saturday. v Present—Messrs- G; J. Sealev, president' (in the -chair), T. Black (hon. sec), W. G. Paul W, Dimcan, ;T. J. Patersou, ajid : T. P. .NV.ooding/ ; ,/•".' ' . ',. ; _,A" .;..- .' • . •'

The .chairman .said that .he had noi called a meeting sooner., because therehad not been sufficient - business to justify him in calling- members tor gether. If all school committee's would send along:•• their: grievances the Association yciili deal, jvvith them,' and a little more interest .would then be infused into-, their -work,- and meetings would 'oo . held more,, regularly. .At their./preyioVisJmee/ting.' jt.had Deerr decided to circularise alt South Canterbury local bodies asking them...to endorse the request for the're-establish-ment of the South: Canterbury Board of Education. All the local bodies had replied endorsingthe"proposal; and Messrs Craigic. Anstey, 'and Talbot had waited on the Minister, hut he had not given them much encouragement in the matter. .It seemed to him (the speaker) that they would notget their request agreed to until' they got a return to party government which he-hoped would' be soon. The •Association was in a good financial 1 .position, and it. would-.be necessary that day to fix the date of the annual 'meeting. A letter was received from the Waimataitai School Committee in reference to the smallness of the incidental grant, and suggesting that strong representations should be mado to the Department on the subject. The Wa.imataitai Committee also suggested that an effort should be made to. get the Department to agree to give subsidies [on nil contributions.

Air present expressed sympathy with these suggestions, and it was. decided that they should be brought before the annual meeting of the Association. The Pleasant Yalley School Committee wrote suggesting that the Association should protest against the proposal of the New Zealand Educational Institute that a National Council of Education *oe formed, in lieu of the present nine Education Boards. The .Committee viewed with alarm the continual drift towards centralisation. It was agreed that the matter should be discussed at the annual meeting of the Association. A letter was received from t'-"? Minister for' Education, stating that he could' not agree to th ; 9 request for the re-establishment of tho South Canterbury Education Board. It was decided to thank the Minister for his reply, but not to accept it as final. "Wheit we get a new Parliament we will get what we want," said M< - Diinffi.ti. (Trle-aiv hear.) Tho "W. E. A. wrote asking the Association to affiliate with it. ' It wns said 'that the "W.E;A- was a most deserving institution, but • that the Association could not afford ,the membership- fee at present. The"'Timant South School Commit-' tee wrote drawing, attention to the question of medical treatment for , school children, and forwarding the -following motion which had been passed by the Committee: That this Committee is- strongly■■• of ■ opinion that where medical treatment is ordered by the Department, the Department should provide such treatment free. The chairman said, arid all present agreed, that i?he Department should pay in cases where the parsnts coiild not afford to do so. '- It was decided that the matter should'be discussed at the annual, meeting of the Association. ;;... The chairman said it was the' ; in-

tention of Mr Peverill, of Christehurch, to oppose. Mr, H. D. Acland, as. repi-2- | sentative of the school com on the Canterbury College Board-of Governors. Mr .Acland .had. prpved: an. . excellent representative, and if ■the':; school, committees were wise | they would-stick t'i> him. (Hear, hear.)' It was decided- to hold;: the'.ahnual, meeting of the Association on: .Saturday:,. Juno, 14,; at' noqnr ,vr ' ■ The hope was expressed"that all the schools would . affiliate with,,.the,.,Associatidn. --"At- prescht 1 --forty-%ix :-'are affiliated. . . . '• ---'-Mr Paisrson referred- to . the necessity, for protisioji being, :niade:;,whereby children cquldhe examined for. .the proficiency certifi'catp, in r their .own ."schools, instead of "being 'sent 'to\ some Centre for this examination. ..... Ait. members agreed with the. suggestion, and it was decided to ;put it on the agenda .paper for the annual meeting. ...'; ,- .} : [.\. r, •-",■---.-: '■'■/ The chaimian ' nieritionwl; that lie .understood, the','Minister" : fpr Education intended ..to abolish all the Education Boards, .and; create larger school CQinmrljtees! powers. , "Mr"Paul suggested"'that" the" AssociaI tion should also discuss at the anmiiil ' meeting—the--desi'rablenoss of, making i the teaching profession more attrac- ' tire 'oy- offering higher . salaries... to "r«ubiT'''"t'eaeh>rs;"'aTid;.:.thiTs attract" tb-i .and; the : and.: girls to -the profession.—Agreed' t0.,"., ""' Mi* Duncan- said_-. that unskilled laboiir was now'better.paid than inatiy of the" professions- Potato pickers in i his district were' making up to £2 per day". ■•- -. ;- ■■'-■;■■' •■'■-■ ~! • ; , ; It was also decided, on .tlw"motion of Mr "Paid;; : that (the Government should adopt uniform ."school hooks published and .'supplied;: by the State. T-his:'being the Jast meeting ' of the Association for the year the chairman thanked members ..for their courtesy and co-operation during 'the year. ; A hearty vote, of .thanks was passed'to...the chairman fo,r.,his'.jibjß, I( cqnduct ...of th«';busiuess;-t)f,:the. year. • .-*