HAMPSTEAD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1823, 24 April 1888, Page 2

HAMPSTEAD.

The annual meeting of householders of the above district was held la the schoolroom last evening, about SO being present. Mr F. T..Mayo was voted to the ohair, and read hia report, as Chairman of the Committee, for the past year as follows :— Gentlemen, —ln laying before yon out report for the past year, we have to apologlee forlto brevity, There hna been little or nothing of a stirring nature to report on, mattera la conneotion with the sohool having gone on m a raoßt Batiafaotory manner, the wholo of the staff, from tbe Master dowD. viewing with one another to preaa tho children on In their work, with the reHult that a most gratifying report was reoalvod from the Inspector at the annual examination/ there being only eight failures m the school, which, yon will agree wHh ; your Committee, la most encouraging to aW, parents, teachers and ooholars. Balldinga —After many and very vexitloua delays, and very great inconvenience to the taaohera, the sohool waa enlarged by two rooms being added, and In September last we were enabled to take poaseaalon of them, greatly addiug to the convenience of all m the school, the Hatnpatead school now being one of the moat compact aohnola m North Canterbury. Grounds —You will doubtless . remember at the last annual meeting that 'your Committee recommended that the B>ard be asked to parchaso some more land, thia the Committee have striven hard to gefcj but are aorry to say that they have not suooaeded bo far. The Board have promised to do so as soon as funds will allow. The present ground Is so cramped that yonr OommUtoe deemed it Bdvi3able to rent a pieca of land for a play ground for the larger boy a. This has been laid before the Board, who, partly owing to the retrenchment at present being carried out by the Government, and other reasons, havo not granted our reqnest, and your Committee would urge on their successors -the necessity of still continuing to agitate for the space bo ranch needed. Attendance. — The number of children on the roll at the cotumsnerment of the year was 260, and now the number stands at 29Q, with a steady increase. This moat gratifying result la mainly due to the thoroughly conscientious and hearty way that the teaching staff have carried on their work, and to whym great credit is due. The staff now consists of Mr Mayne, head master, MlaaFawoett, miatrers,, Miss ShlrtoHffe, infant mistress, with threa pupil teachers, all three of which paaßod their examination with orodit to themaelvea and the school. Your Commlttoe would strongly recommend to their successors that they tgko steps to pace before the Board the very harah and unfair way that some of the taaehura 1 salaries have bean reduced. In reference |lo tho last, clause of the report the Chairman stated that ihe Commlttoo had been moved to niako the recommendation embodied therein on account of the very unfaic manner m whioh tho new regulations &a tQ salary fell upon one teacher ito their school, and one only • had till BuQerQ'l ra<Jttotion m a fair and equltablo manner the cnoe would ■ have been different, and the Committee mlghfhave allowed tbe matter to pass as an inevitable regnlt of general retrenchment. — Similar instances of Injustice had occurred m five schools m North Canterbury. — Tho evil had been mitigated for the present year by the Board of Education agreeing to reduce the smaller salaries by 10 per cent only m lieu of informing the regulations iv these cases. la addl- < tion to other reductions the teachera had lost their bonuses. The Chairman spok.in terms of high praise of the teacher* and general conduct of the school, which hsd afforded the Committee the great cb satisfaction and very much lightened ;

their own duties. Everything had workad well and smoothly to an extent that had r.mdered the Committee's supervision a pleasure and a labor of love. He would be glad to hear remarks from or answer the questions of any householder. 'Mr Pickf ord was satisfied soraa of the head teachers were overpaid. No qua'ified teacher should have lea? than £100 per annum for any m reoeipl; of mora he had no "sympathy. Ha would take from the high fnd give to the low. Mr Crooks moved and Mr Littleoott seconded the adoption of the report which was oattied unanimously, Mr Plckford wished to pay a tribute to the exoellent teaching of Mis 3 Shirtollffe, and thought especial praise waß due to her for the pains taken m teaohlng the children the rudiments of music. Mr Johnßon thought It would be sufficient if the children were taught to read and write well. The Chairman was Inclined to the same opinion but said that the rudiments of music were inoluded m the syllabus, and the teachers were bound to keep to and be guided by that, After some farther remarks by Mr Ward, Mr Johnson thought the business of the meeting should be prcoaeded with. The Chairman said the present was the only opportunity the householders had of meeting the Committee m open discussion, and although prepared to prooeed to busL ness he was very willing to hear any opinions that might be expressed. Mr Q. W. Andrews said the function of the Committee was the management of the aohool, and 11 was no part of their doty to dictate to t the Board of Education what should be taught, though he w»s of opinion that cramming with too many subjects had a bad effect, Me Crooks would like to go back to what had been said about the reduction of salary as suoh reduotlon might be taken as a reflection on the head mistreaa, and he would like to hear an explanation from the Chairman. The Chairman said the raduobbn was not on account of any fault or shortcoming on the part of the mistress, but simply the result of the new soale and regulations adopted by the Board of Education, of whioh he explained the working of it at some length, the salaries now being paid m proportion to the strict average instead of a working average an previously, Mr Crooks thought the incoming Committee should consider the desirableness of curtailing the holidays, they were a great deal too long. His children got no good from them, they only tore their clothes and forgot what they had learnt. The Chairman said the holidays were regulated by the by-laws of the Board of Education j they could not be more than eight or less than six weeks. Mr Andrews thought the holidays might be sub-divided Into perioJs of two or three weeks each, distributed through the year. Mr 0, Ward thought this would be unfair to the teaohere, who would.be too much tied to the place. Mr Fawcett considered the holidays too long at one time, and thought it would be better to let tha children have two or three woeka m the wiuter during wet and snowy weather, Mr Orr eug^estad that the election be proceeded with. Mp Plckford would be glad to hear a statement of attendanoa of Committee, The Chairman read it as follows :— Meetings. Mr Baker ... 12 Mr Mayo • ... 11 Mr Fawcett 10 Mr Huot 10 Mr Lsmb 10 Mr Orr ... 9 Mr Andrewe 9 Mr Hawson proposed a vote of thanks to the out-going Committee, which waß seconded and carried. The Chairman, Me Mnyo, thanked the meeting, and repeated the substance of his remark? m connection with the working of the school. The election of Committee resulted as follows :— « F. T. Mayo 48 P. Fawoett 40 Geo. Lamb ... ... „, 30 G. W. Andrews ... ... 26 By. Hant „, ,„ ... 25 A. Orr ... ,„ „, 22 F. Johnston, 22 0. Baker ,„ 20 R. Meaolem... ... „, 2 The first seven gentlemen were deoiared duly elected. The new Committee met to eleot a Chairman and transact other formal business. Mr Mayo was elected Chairman, »