ASHBURTON.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1542, 26 April 1887, Page 2

ASHBURTON.

The annual meeting of householders m tha Bohool district of Ashburton was held m tha sohoolroom last evening. There was a good attendance, and the Chairman of Committee, Mr J. 0. Duncan, presided. Tho report of the outgoing Committee vu read as follows :—We have the pleasure to lay before you a report of our proceedings, during our year of office, m aooordance with '?*- th mL olaußQ of "The Education*Aet,K---1877." The average attendance for the past year has been, Boys, 155.473 j Girls, 153.805; Total, 309278 but of an average total on thrroll of about 410. This m comparison with' "* the average attendances of the other schools throughout Canterbury is a low one. During the'early part of our term of office, we settled the Hampstead's claim on the balance of out Incidental Expenses Fund, at the data of that ■■ --■ sohool being,constituted a separate disriot, agreeably to than Committee for £10. During -' 'X the year several necessary repairs to the buildings and other appurtenances have been carried out, the cost of whioh has up to • few. ' months ago been defrayed by the Central Board, Bince when all such repairs nave been a charge upon the Incidental Fund, by ordnf of the Minister of Eduoation, who is evidently practising economy to the colony m thii direotion. We are of opinion that the extra tax upon Sohool Committees' Incidental '■"'■' Fund will m time prove too much for that fund to bear, and will therefore be found im» practicable, and we are pleased to note thai.the Central Board have been remonstrating with the Government on the subject. The teaching staff has been very slightly disturbed. Miss Harband, the head mistress, resigned . some eight months ago, to fill -another ap- - pointtnent, and we had - her place filled by iliea Stewart, formerly of the flampateaa School, and a lady with whose charaote* wdability moat of you are acquainted. Just" . lately Miss Clarke, the infant mistress, alto resigned to fill another appointment, and we have now m our possession several appliafc* tions for the vacant post, forwarded through - the Board, whioh will be handed over to our; successors to deal with. The annual exaraiha* - Won,, whioh took place m October last, wm nota very flattering one, probably owing to the school not havingyet quite recovered the shock it sustained during the prolonged troubleT)i« - tween the majority of the 1885 Committee and the late Head Master, Mr Dempseyj and partly because of the change of Head Mistresses immediately before the examination and also b.eoause of the low yearly average attendance. At anyrate we may here state ■ that we were at the time advised by the Board that a progress examination would be held in~ six months, the examination is now -; due, and should oome off immediately; we ' hope and trust successfully. Thanks to thow who assisted m money and goods, we were enabled to give the children a rattling good treat m January last. At our last monthly meeting a petition from a meeting of house* holders m Allenton was plaoed before us, urging us to petition the Board of Education to erect a Side Sohool at Allenton, but as wo thought the matter of considerable import* anoe, we resolved, m view of your annual meeting being at hand, to ask you at this meeting for an expression of opinion m order to guide the Committee yon will eleot to-night m their decision; we therefore invite you, before we break up, to offer your new Com* mittee suoh guidance as you think proper. During the year we have tried two plans to - work up the average attendance to a higher level, firstly we threatened parents with the compulsosy clauseß of the Education Act, and secondly we prepared and issued Ist and 2nd class good attendance certificates 'm accordance with the 79 th clause of the said Act, and we think the latter- course will m time encourage the ohildren to a somewhat more regular attendance. In oonolusion we refer you to the subjoined statement of receipts and expenditure for the year now ended. The statement of receipts and expenditure showed the receipts to have been £1031 3s 8d and the expenditure £1001 8s lOd. With regard to the question of the erection of a side sohool at Allenton, which had been referred to the meeting by the Committee, it was unanimously deoided to request ■ the.-: incoming Committee to urge upon the Board of Eduoation the neoessity that existed for the ereotion of suoh a sohool. Mr Dixen asked the Chairman by whose authority the ohildren attending the school were allowed half a holiday on Friday last.,; The Chairman said that a general authority has been extended to the master to oloje; the sohool on holidays proclaimed by the Mayor. He knew there was a seotion of the community who were against horseraoing; he did not know whether they were a majority nor did he care (laughter). If they put a man m, as Mayor, to manage the affairs of the town and they did not fall m with his wishes they made an ass of him (renewed laughter). When all the business plaoes m the town were closed surely they did not begrudge the poor ohildren a half holiday. Mr Dixon did not want to argue the morality of horseraoiog, but he objeoted to holidays or half holidays being given the children on horseraoing days. The Chairman said that when he spoke he did not have horseraoing before his mind. Whether the ohildren went to the raoes or not was a matter for the parents to deoide. The sobools were not dosed because it was a race day but beoause it was a holiday. Nominations were then taken for the eleotion of Committee and it resulted as tol* lows: — J. 0. Dunoan •» ..73 E. Dimant .. ..67 J. W. Sawle „ „ 56 W. J. Siloook .. ..49 W. Craigheafl „ „42 B. Elßton .. „ 30 ' A. Cook .. „26 J. eteele .. ..SO J.W. Baker .. „19 ,- ; S. Gee .. .. .. 10 A. M.Pearson .. .. 0 The first seven gentlemen were declared elected. At a meeting of the Committee subsequently held, Mr J. C. Dunoan -was re-eleoted Chair* man for the ensuing yean