District High School

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXIV, Issue 129, 5 November 1930, Page 3

District High School

THE WAIPUKURAU COMpHTTEE

MONTHLY MEETING HELD.

The monthly meeting of the committee of the Waipukurau District High School was held at the primary school on Monday night, the chairman, Mr F. R. Logan, presiding over Messrs F. V. Ward, G. Tappin, W. Adams, and T. Thompson, W. W. Jamieson, H. M. Keir, F. B. Smart (secretary), and the headmaster, Mr A. C. Rowe.

Dental Clinic Subsidy. The secretary, Hawke’s Bay Education Board, wrote advising that the Department had approved subsidy for the completion of the Waipukurau Dental Clinic, and that the account was now closed. The secretary explained the position, and the letter was received. Application for Seats. A further communication from the same source, and written in reply to the committee’s letter of October 20th, was to the effect that the Board regretted that there were no long scats or forms available for supply to the school. The chairman said that it had been intended to procure the forms for the use of the school children, during the hot weather, the seats to be placed under the trees in the playground. It was decided after some further discussion to build seats around the base of the trees, several of the members expressing themselves willing to do the work voluntarily. An Account for Light. A letter was received from the Education Board’s foreman painter, Mr F. Major, in which it was stated that the writer had received a communication from the Board stating that an account for £1 3s 3d had been received from the committee for light used at the manual training rooms at the High School by the painters’ staff. As the, painters had to pay the amount the writer advised that lie would forward the money as soon as he had collected from his fellow workmen. The writer continued that as the account seemed very high, he wondered if the caretaken had used the light after the painters, as he kneiv that the caretaker usually did his cleaning at night.

A general discussion ensued on the matter and Mr Ward suggested that the committee pay he account and thou collect from the workmen. The secretary stated that he had received the letter and forwarded it to the. Hawke’s Bay Education Board, and the only thing that was worrying him was whether the comi tree had to pay the penalty owing in the event Of the account being over-due.

The headmaster said that the account had been incurred by the workmen occupied in erecting and fitting the building. As far as he knew the committee had not used the light. “It’s a question as to whose liability it is,” said the chairman.. Mr Adams contended that the committee was not liable, as the account was incurred whilst the building was not actually in use for school purposes.

The headmaster stated that the building was being used by the school, as the workmen moved out each Thursday, which was manual training day, and the pupils were taught in the building. .

After further desultory discussion the matter was left to the jurisdiction of the secretary. Headmaster’s Report. The headmaster (Mr A. C. Rowe) reported the attendance for October to be as follows: — Primary roll, 242 boys, 171 girls (413); average attendance, 228.7 boys, 159.4 girls; which is equal to 388.1 or 94.8 per cent. Secondary roll, 56; average attendance, 55.1. Mr E. Hurdsfield visited the primary school on the 30th and 31st of October. Proficiency examinations this year will be the same as on other years and will probably be held at the end of this month. Matriculation, Public Service, and Scholarship examinations will be held during November and December. It was stated by the chairman that there was an increase in the primary department’s attendance and a decrease in that of the secondary. The headmaster explained that the decrease in the attendance at the secondary department was customary at this time of the year, as some parents maintained that they could not afford to keep their children at school, and in view of this fact, he had found employment for fifteen pupils. Accounts. Accounts amounting to £ll 14s lid were passed for payment.