EDUCATION BOARD.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 222, 19 September 1928, Page 11

EDUCATION BOARD.

TEACHERS AND POSITIONS. CHILDREN'S SAFETY FIRST MOVEMENT. At a meeting of the Auckland Education Board held to-day, Mr. A. Burns (chairman), presided. Regarding the question of eligibility to apply for advertised positions, of teachers who have resigned from positions before expiration of the prescribed period, the Education Department wrote stating that' where a resignation was due to illness or other sufficient reason, which in ordinary circumstances would justify a board in recommending the Department to approve of an early transfer, the board may forward the recommendation provided by the Act. In other cases, however, it should be understood that the teacher's obligations to serve would not be avoided by resignation.

The Department stated that after consideration it was found that it was unable to grant permission to relax the regulations in regard to the general question of conveyance of cripple children for distances less than those for which regulation allowance was payable.

With the object of eliminating preventable casualties it was announced that the Railway Department was organising a "Children's Safety First Movement, , ' and the board was asked by the Education Department to give its support. It was decided to accede to the request.

For six or seven years the Auckland Education Board has Lieen endeavouring to have the Education Department establish a metropolitan area extending for a radius of ten miles from Auckland Post Office instead of the present Auckland urban area, and also for the establishment of a similar metropolitan area at Hamilton. In reply to a further request in that direction, the Education Department stated that the question of amending present provisions for the election of education boards had been under consideration for some time. Owing to differences of opinion between those concerned, however, it had not ibeen found possible to do anything to improve matters. The subject would come up again for consideration, probably next session, when the question of amending and consolidating educational legislation would be discussed It was decided to protest against the claim of the Railway Department for additional payment for the conveyance of children to the Junior High School on account of the committee being granted permission to postpone the first term holidays for two weeks. The Education Department intimated that it was prepared to meet the extra expense involved, but it should be understood that in future any additional cost would not be met *by the department unless circumstances* were very exceptional indeed. The Railway Department pointed out that ..periods for which free school season tickets were available should be agreed upon, and it was necessary that fixed periods of availability should be determined beforehand. A letter was received from the Auckland City Committee stating that-in its opinion home work was unnecessary and undesirable. The committee asked the board to advise whether the abolition of home work in city schools was -practicable, and, if so, what steps should be taken to bring this about. The senior inspector was asked to report on the matter.