WANGANUI TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 13923, 6 March 1913, Page 3

WANGANUI TECHNICAL COLLEGE

MONTHLY MEETING OF COMMITTEE. ■ The present Technical College Commit ; tee met fop the last Time last, evening, at' the annual election takes place this evening. ’There were present; —Mr F. M. Spurdle (chairman), Messrs D. McFarlane, McCarthy, J. C. Richardson, and Willis, Mrs Comyhs, and tfye Principal. Apologies were received from Messrs Knuckey, A. S. Thompson, W. /Swanger, and G. Sprigger.s. —. \ , TENNIS .GROUNDS.—It was reported: that the grounds .had been-practically completed ;at a cost of about J9O. Tin courts-were ready for playing; upon. PRIZE FUND.-—Thq prize fund realised about &YI , and the prize-giving function was a success. ■ , .

ATTENDANCE, DAY COLLEGE.—Tin (Principal reported that, the attendance at the beginning , of: this 'year was . not ‘ as; good, as was. expected, but had been, steadily improving since. ■ The day school was qtill on/the small side, owing to a number of young people being required for empoyment in the town, but these would.be enrolled on the College'rolls as compulsory, pupils in uic evening classes. ■■ -NIGHT CLASSES. —Mrs Comyns raised the question of compulsory classes for girls, and’ stated that. She objected to girls being called upon to attend the Colicgcat nighttime, and mentioned that it wa-s agreed last year ..that no young -girls Should under any. consideraion be in the buildings. The Principal explained that the compulsory clauses of the Act were not being enforced for evening classes so far as girls-wore, concerned; The classes for girls were being hold in the afternoons.

ELECTRIC LIGHT INSTALLATION.— An inspection of the electric light installation in the engineering workshop was made, and gratification was expressed at the excellent. manner in which the work had been completed. CEILINGS.—The secretary was instructed to write the Education Board asking that the-ceilings in the various rooms be attended to, especially in the cookery room, where a white dust falling from the zinc coiling interfered with Cooking operations. ' V -

(- PRINCIPAL’S fREPftRT.—The Princi- , .pal’s- monthly report was'as follows; Ati tendance; The number oF pupils enrolled i for. the' Day College is now 175, being an increase of 15 over last year. Several stuI dents are still td come. Two pupils i have received appointments as teachers. A number of donations have been received towards the library and general fund.— Building, Grounds, etc.: The Assembly Hall ventilation has been attended to. The ’ work was undertaken in view of the meet- ( ings held there by the New Zealand Centre | of the British Medical Association from j February 24 to 28. This -ventilation has ; been defective all through, but the mea- . sures adopted should do away with any complaint for the • future; The evening session opened on Monday, 3rd March’, and ~we ,have every prospect of a good year’s work. The compulsory classes are expected to be considerably larger than last year, and altogether the evening work promises’to entail considerably more organisation and work than in previous years.— Swimming Sports; ■These sports were ar- ' ranged for- Saturday-afternoon, February ■ 22, but were postponed owing to the iuj clemency of the weather, until February •i 26; - Mr Armour’s report concluded : “At.: ; this, the; last-meeting of the. present com•c mit’teo’,' 1 desire to- express my sincere :j thanks to-■all’'the 'members for the valuj able-assistance and adviccT have oh many occasions received in the discharge of my '‘ duties. 'There ia h'il’’'doubt that tlie. success of -the evening 'glasses is , due. in ho small measure to the zeal and activity of the members of the Technical Committee.’’

The occasion being the, last meeting of the committee, Mr Spurdle made a few remarks, thanking the members for their unfailing, courtesy towards him as their chairman during the •‘year. Mr McFarlane and Mrs Comyns ro---plied'on behalf of'fihe committee, apd both spoke -highly of the excellent manner in | which Mr Spurdle had conducted., the . meetings. . v . , EXAMINATIONS.—The examination results of the Technical College for the year i past were, regarded by the committee as j being .very satisfactory. The Principal stated that the whole of the pupils had sat on a. two-year course, and one boy who passed had been a bare twelve months at mathematics.. He-also staled that many schools of much longer standing than the Icchnical College had failed to gain as good results as the local institution. The number sent for examination was 21, of whom 16 passed as follows Senior Board scholarship, entered 7, 5 passed; matriculation, entered 3, :passod 2; Junior Civil Service, entered 10, passed 6; Senior Civil Service, entered 1, /: ; passed 1.