BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5457, 8 January 1896, Page 2

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

THIS DAY.

The North Canterbury Board of Education met to-day; present — 'Messrs E. Westenra (chairman), A. Saunders, T. W. Adams, H. W. Peryman, J. Eennie, J. W. Sawle, E. Meredith and the Hon W. Montgomery. An apology was received for the absence of Mr Munnings.

APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEE'S REPORT.

The Appointments Committee reported having dealt with the following business at a meeting on Dec. 23: — "The resignation of the infant mistress at Lyttelton West was received and accepted. A letter was received from the Hanmer Plains Committee in reference to the appointment of a mistress for their aided school. It was resolved to ascertain the qualifications of the teacher recommended. The Springston and Waikari Committees wrote as to the arrangements to be made for their respective staffs next year. It was decided to defer both cases till next meeting, when the average for the December quarter would be available. The question of school holidays, referred by the Board to the Appointments Committee, was considered. It was resolved to recommend the Board to inform the School Committees that the regulations bearing on this matter applied to regular holidays, but . that in fixing these holidays they were requested to take into consideration the number of irregular holidays^ necessitated from any cause. Examination reports were received from Mr Wood on Lowcliffe, Hindß, Flemington, Winchmore and Greta Valley ; from Dr Anderson on Harewood Eoad, Kaiapoi Island and the upper department of the Sefton School ; and from Mr Eitchie on Lismore, Mayfield, Euapuna and Ealing. 'At, a meeting oh Jan. 6,- --: the resignation of Miss Dawber, mistress at the Irwell school, and of Miss Atkinson,, assistant- mistress at Christchurch East, were received and accepted. The following appointment was recommended: — Hanmer Plains (aided), Miss Johanna M'Kenzie, mistress. The applications of the Akaroa, Springston, and Waikari Committees, held over pending' receipt of December quarter's average, were considered. It was resolved to recommend the Board to appoint an assistant mistress to the Akaroa school at a salary of .£6O, and ,. to allow the ..Waikari school a pnpil-teaoher. In the case of Springston, whose average was considerably below that entitling the school to two pupil-teachers, it was decided that .the Board could not depart from its scale. Examination reports from Dr Anderson were received on the Opawa and Burnham Schools. Applications for appointment as master at Barry's -Bay, and assistant mistress at Tinwald, were received . and considered. In addition to the recommendation previously agreed upon, it was resolved to recommend the Board to alter its present regulation so as to allow the School. Committees to grant holidays not exceeding nine weeks in the year, nor less than eight." BUILDING COMMITTEE'S REPORT, The Building Committee reported having granted an additional «£4 for repairs to the Kaikoura School. Ani application for repairs, &c, to the Halkett School was deferred for a year. Consideration of a letter from Eabbit Island residents was deferred •pending further .information. A letter from the Lyttelton Committee, stating that .the proposed scheme for reorganising the arrangements in the school was unworkable, was Preferred to the Inspector. .< /Oie Clerk of Works was authorised to .see to .jkhel Getman: Bay. School chimney.. /Tho, Flaiton , "Committee's- .appudation' for: a new pump was granted*. '*• Mr .Bobert Oakley, ■*. Overdnle, wrote, , suggesting that a small school would -be less expensive than conveying children to school. Mr Adams was requested to visit the district and report on its requirements. The Woodend -Committee asked thatthe repairs to the school might be done during the holidays. They were inf owned that there was not time to have the work done before Jan. 15, but that it should be done during the next h6lida.ys.' ln reply to an application for an additional half-exre for a girls' playground at : Tinwald; it was pointed out to the • committee that. the present site of two acres was sufficient for all purposes.- A letter from the Waltham School Committee; asking permission to spend _812 of the incidental fund towards the purchase ofi a piano, was referred to' the Board. The Clerk of Works was directed to report on applications from the Kaiapoi, Wakanui and New Brighton Committees. The Kowai Pass Committee was asked to forward an estimate of the, cost of re-papering the • master's house. 'The tender- of A. Palmer, for additions to Tthe house at Papanui, for the sum. of .£179 19s 6d, was accepted. The guaranteed flow at Addington being considered satisfactory, it was resolved to accept Mr J. Osborne's tender for a * deep well at the Addington School. Mr Munnings reported on the condition of the ornamental capping at the East Christohurch main school, and on the committee's application for new desks, &c. It ; was decided to remove the capping, which was shown to be in a dangerous state, and to supply the desks asked for. A new front gate, and renewal of some supply pipes that had become rusted up, were also authorised, tenders to be obtained for the latter item.

The report was adopted. . ' MISCELLANEOUS. * A - The Appointments Committee called attention to the inspector's remarks on the insufficient; accommodation at M'Kenzie. It was decided to ask the inspector to give his opinion as to the best way of dealing , with the difficulty, y On the report of the Clerk of Works, it was resolved to call for tenders for reroofing the master's house at Eiccarton, new porch to the Broadfield school, repairs to the school-houses at Springston and Pigeon Bay (main), and to the South Malvern school; also for repairs to the closets at Akaroa. It was considered advisable to defer the distempering of the school walls at Papanui till the had been covered with iron ; and it did not appear feasible to al-j-er the lighting of the dining-room at tiie Springston school-house. The question of proceeding with repairs at Lincoln, Rakaia and Lauriston was deferred. The application of the Waltham School Committee to be allowed to spend «£l2 from the incidental allowance for the purchase of a piano, was considered. The_ Chairman of the committee stated that by" strict economy and avoiding unnecessary expenditure in the past, the money was available for the purpose specified. Mr Peryman considered that the economy shown by the Waltham Committee was exceedingly creditable and the purpose to which it proposed to devote the funds a good one. He moved that the request be granted. Mr Eennie seconded the motion. Mr Meredith considered that whereas the action of the Waltham Committee was commendable, the granting of the request would be a precedent by which every I school under the Board would have a right [ to ask for a piano, to be paid for out of the incidental vote. The Chairman and Mr Sawle spoke against granting 'the application, on the ground that it would be sanctioning a dangerous principle. Mr Saunders contended that the expenditure was legitimately in the directionof education, as an inspector would report against a school if the children did not sing properly. The motion was carried. Mr Meredith called for a division, which showed:— Ayes: Messrs Eennie, Peryman, Adams, Saunders and the Hon W. Montgomery ; noes : Messrs Sawle, Meredith and the Chairman. The clause of the report dealing with holidays was altered to read "not to exceed eleven weeks nor less than eight." The master of the Marshlands School wrote, stating that the register was available at the monthly meetings of the committee. A petition was received from Hinds residents asking the Board to reconsider its decision -°b *° grant a school in the district, and, after discussion, the matter was referred to the Buildings Committee. Mr Sawle, pursuant to notice, moved — " Tliat the police be authorised to act as truant officers ou behalf of the Education

Board, and that teachers forward to tho Board quarterly the names of absentees." Mr Saunders said nothing could be done by dealing with the police direct, until application had been made to the Government.

The Chairman said he had ascertained that the police at present have had no instructions in the matter of dealing with truants.

Mr Meredith expressed himself as in sympathy with the principle of Mr Sawle'g motion.

The Chairman thought thatthe members required time to consider the best means of dealing with such a question, and on his suggestion the motion was allowed to stand over until next meeting. • The St Albans 'School Committee referring to the sickness which had prevailed amongst the teachers at that school considered that the reason could be traced to three sourcds— the draughty ijtate of the main school, the strain on the teachers consequent on the length of the main room, and the overtaxing of tho pupil teachers by their, having, in addition to teaching during school hours, to go through their own course of studies. The committee suggested that the amount of. preparation work which pupil teachers were at present expected to go through in four years Bhould bo distributed over five years.

The matter was referred to the Appointments Committee:

Other business was transacted, and the Board went into committee, after whicli the proceedings terminated.