EAST CHRISTCHURCH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9221, 28 April 1908, Page 4

EAST CHRISTCHURCH.

I There was a very large attendance of i householders at th© East Christchurch ! meeting. Mr J. S. Williams presided. ! The annual report stated that the i Bath Committee had reported that the j past session had been a very successful j one financially and otherwise. During the year the committee had suffered • great loss in the death of the headJ mistress, Miss Kate Baldwin, who for j nine years had influenced for gocd the characters of the elder girls. The Glou-

cester Street School, under the charge of Mr S. Owen, had been most satisfactorily reported Upon by the inspectors, the total number on the roll being 1140, a decrease of 88 as compared with tho previous year. There was now plenty of accommodation in the school, and a room in the infant department had beon closed owing to decreased numbers. The roll number at the South Belt School was now 98, an increase of five on the previous year. That school would accommodate 300 pupils, if necessary. The Phillipstown School, under Miss S. L. Robinson, had continued to hold a satisfactory record. The total number on the roll was 340, a decrease of ten for the year. The new school being built at North Linwood would take away a fair number, as a good many children resided in (that part of the district. By the end of the year there should be ample accommodation for^ all. The report received from the inspectors on the three schools had again been eminently satisfactory, and reflected the greatest credit on the efficient staff of masters. A good deal of time had been given by the headmaster during the pa6t few weeks to fire drill, by means of bugle calls. The school could be emptied in a minute and -a half if all the exits were used, and t\yo minutes twenty seconds if the children had to be brought out by one particular way. The average attendance of the last year had been greatly interfered with by epidemics. In common with all the other 'Christchurch schools the attendance had been low, and in consequence one teacher had been taken off the staff. At the annual sports gathering in Lancaster Park the championship shield had been for the third time _ in succession awarded to the East Christchurch Schools, so that the high standard of the physical training of the children was being well maintained. The matter of desks had received the earnest attention of the committee, and it was urged that the new committee should make a point of asking every candidate for Parliament whether he was in favour of the reform, and if so whether he would do his utmost to compel the Government to place sufficient funds at the disposal of the Board to provide single desks, i The balance-sheet showed that the receipts had been £468 ss, and the expenditure had totalled £466 13s 6d. The liabilities, which included £10 due to the No. 2 account, totalled £21 8s 4d. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. The following were elected members of the new committee: — Messrs John Jamieson, G. W. Butler, W. C. Aiken, A. C. Andrews, D. Lumsden and G. W. C Smithson, Dr Russell, Dr Inglis, ,and Mrs Williams. Dr Russell spoke in support of the adoption of the single desk system, and proposed a motion recommending the incoming committee to use its best endeavours "to have' single desks introduced into the schools of the East Christchurch district at the earliest convenience of the Education Board. The motion was seconded by Mr Black. 'Mr Aiken moved the following amendment— " That this meeting or householders of the East Christchurch school district expresses its approval of the North Canterbury Education Board in refusing to place the single desks in the primary schools." He stated that if the system were adopted at the East Christchurch School, the whole of the present playgrounds would have to be covered with buildings to accommodate the present number of pupils. It would require no less than £33,000 to furnish the schools of the North Canterbury district with single desks. The amendment was seconded by Dr Inglis, who said that generations of children had used the present type of desk and had suffered no harm. If the medical inspection of schools was properly carried out, as it would probably be in the near future, those children suffering from the effects of faulty positions could be rooted out, and proper means taken to remedy the trouble. Mr John Jamieson said that no member of the Education Board objected to the single desk system, but the difficulty was that if the system were adopted the present buildings would require enlarging and the N teaching staff strengthening. The cost of installing single desks in the North Canterbury district had been worked out as follows: 34 new rooms at £310 each, £10,540; 21. additions to schools at £180 each, £3780; extra furniture for 34 rooms, £476 ; removal of graded floors, £250, freight, cartage and charges, £150; 19,600 single desks, at 18s each, £17 ; £40; total, £32,836; less cost of 500 single desks now in use, £450; toal cost of installing single seating, £32,386. The estimated cost of installing dual instead of single desks was £18,129 4s. In addition to the cost of desks there was the question of staff. Some of tlie classes in the larger schools numbered seventy pupils. It would be quito impossible for ono teacher to take charge of seventy pupils seated at single desks with the usual alley space between. Mr D. Lumsden said that nobody expected that the whole cost involved should be undertaken immediately. What was asked for was that single desks should be installed gradually. The amendment was lost and the motion was carried . A vote of thanks was accorded to tlie staffs of the schools in the East Christchurch district.