HAMILTON WEST SCHOOL

Waikato Argus, Volume XXXV, Issue 5535, 17 February 1914, Page 2

HAMILTON WEST SCHOOL

ALTERATION OF SCHOOL HOURS. The usual meeting of the Hamilton West School Committee was held in the ( public library buildings last night. Mr W. Auld presided, and there were also present Mrs Henderson and Messrs McCrea, Whitaker, Pair, and Turbott, secretary. The Staff.

The secretary of the Department wrote that Mr V. S. Rogers had been instructed to attend the school as temporary first yea;' pupil teacher, in place of Miss Hewitt, who declined employment. Mr Worsley, headmaster, wrote stating that he had just received intimation of the appointment of two first year pupil-teachers in place of his two most experienced. Under present circumstances a pupilteacher must take charge of Standard 1., and, not one of the four now engaged in the schorl was qualified to do so. He would request that the board be urged to appoint an assistant .teacher in place of one of the pupil-teachers, as it was almost impossible to organise the school satisfactorily with the present staff.—lt was agreed, on the motion of Mr McCrea, that the letter should be forwarded to the Department, with a covering letter from the committee, stating the unsatisfactory •condition of affairs.--The chairman said that as a member of the board he would endeavour to see that they got, if possible, an assistant instead, of pupil-teachers. This was a matter for inquiry. It seemed to him a monstrous proposition, that a teacher should be left with 220 infants under her control, and not only have the teaching of them, but the teaching of the tfjchers as well. Another School Site.

Under date February 9th, the secretary forwarded the report of the chief inspector, recommending that, in view of the increase of population at .Hamilton, steps be taken to acquire another school site in the district, ' The Education Boaid would be glad if the committee would furnish their recommendation on this matter, and forward full particulars regarding the site recommended,—The chairman and Messrs McCrea and Tur-bott were appointed a committee to look into the matter of a site.

School Hours

A circular was lead'frcm the Board of Education with reference to the alteration of school hours during the summer months. The sessions suggested were 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 12 noon to 2 p.m. This, it was added, would exclude the hottest part of tlfe day. As parents and members became more, accustomed to the alteration, the board hoped that the necessary reform would be forthcoming. The afternoon session should not exceed 2.30 or 3. In some districts these hours might be made applicable all the "year round. —The chairman said these were the suggestions of a special committee of the board. There was, no doubt, an advantage to be had by having the children more in the open-air, and avoiding the hot hours. The difficulty seemed to be that the parents would have difficulty in arranging about the* mid-day meal, but the inspectors and some-of the other authorities felt that the" children 'should receive first consideration.— Mr Whitaker: That does not avoid the hottest hours of the day.—Mr McCrea; No, give them two hours for dinner. The proposal, he added, was not in the interests of the children.—The chairman said the recess should be longer, as they had children rushing home to swallow something i hastily.—Mr Whitaker: They should not encourage the children to take their meals at the school.—Mrs Henderson said she had seen dozens and dozens .of school children down town buying pennyworths of sweets and biscuits, off which they lunched.—Mr Whitaker: That is quite true. The parents give them 3d or 6d, and they go down there.—The chairman: I would favour the children getting an, hour and a-half.—Mr Turbott: They should not be allowed to go down the town at all. They should not leave the schooj except to go home.—Mrs Henderson: It led them to expect to have money to spend day after day.--Mr Pa>r; It is bad for the child.— Mrs Henderson: Of course, those who live at a distance would have two hours to spend at school, and would get into mischief, It is a big question.—Mr Parr: The majority would go home for lunch.--Mr McCrea moved; "That this committee is entirely at one with the board in desiring that the schools should be closed during the hottest hours of the day, but not in the way indicated by.the board's suggestions. The committee is of opinion that the mid-day recess should be extended to one and a-half or two hours."—Mr Whitaker seconded, and the motion was agreed to. It was resolved to send a copy to the Board of Education,—lt was further resolved, after discussion, to send a recommendation to the headmaster that the school hours be from 9 to 12 and from 1.30 to 3.30 during-the summer term, as an experiment The chairman favoured the infant classes being at school only half a day in summer time.—Mr Parr differed, and pointed out that at present they got out at 12 and 3.—The subject was then dropped.

Picnic, The chairman said he had communicated with Hamilton East and ' Frankton, suggesting a deputation to make arrangements for a combined picnic to Auckland Exhibition. Mr Dey, chairman of Hamilton Ejst school, wrote stating his committee would fall in with any arrangement made by this committee. —Mr McCrea did not favour the Auckland Exhibition as a picnic destination, as it was very like the winter show here, and the distance was too great. —Mrs Henderson thought 80 percent, had been to, the Exhibition in any case,—The secretary pointed out that the Oddfellows' Society excursion on 28th inst. would take many to the Exhibition.—lt was agreed to write to the headmaster, and consult him with regard to holding a picnic on the Lake Reserve. The Orakau Ceremony.

In connection with the unveiling of the Orakau monument, it was agreed not to support the request emanating from the chairman of the Winter Show that a school holiday should be given throughout the Waikato. Miscellaneous. The secretary of the Education Board forwarded £26 3s, as allowance to school fund for the quarter ending 31st March. The secretary of the Education Board wrote that the architect had been authorised to arrange for improvements to the lighting of one of the small class rooms.— Received. A circular from the board on the subject of school libraries was formally received. Accounts amounting to £7 Is 2d were passed. On the motion of Mr McCrea, the secretary was empowered to get fixtures for the infant lavatories.