SCHOOL INTERESTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 08, Issue 91, 20 July 1945, Page 5

SCHOOL INTERESTS

COMMITTEE MEETS

GENERAL BUSINESS

The July meeting of the Whaka'tanc School Committee took place on Wednesday evening. Present •were Messrs J. W. Wilson (chair) T. C. Johnston, Rev. J. C. J. Wil r son, H. G. Da in ton, W. E. Armstrong W. H. Whittaker and J*\ W. Lysaght. An apology was received from Mr H. D. Paterson. The general business discussed touched on a number of points, and included the appointment of two newteachers to the staff. Miss; J.; M. Thornton will commence duties at the beginning of next term,, whilst Mr G. Gordon who is at present in the Air Force, has been appointed to the stall" of the High School. An invitation from the Borough Council inviting the School Committee to be represented on the committee to attend to the Peace celebrations resulted in the Chairman, Mr J. W. Wilson being appointed as representative on the motion of Mr Lysaght. The hope was expressed that other schools in the district would be prepared to join in with Whakatane in making for a day that would be remembered by the children. New Class Rooms With regard to the four new •class rooms projected (two at the High School and two at the Prim r •ary) the chairman mentioned that after three years of constant battling it might appear that iinality had almost been reached with regard to the permit. Mr Sullivan M.P. was in sympathy with the undertaking, and there was a chance that if the work could be commenced without undue delay, the new class rooms might be ready for the beginning of next year. Teacher-Drivers A discussion took place regarding the payment of teacher-drivers, employed to bring in the school children from the country districts by bus before school, and return them after school. Two drivers are based in Whakatane, and one in Edgecumbe and the discussion concerned the two men who are required to leave each morning from Whakatane and return in. the evening. One bus is garaged at Edgecumbe, and the other in Whakatane. The one garaged at Edgecumbe is used $o convey children to that school, and also to the Whakatane school. Both .drivers from Whakatane travel on the same bus till it arrives Edgecumbe, where the passengerr driver. takes over the second bus and brings it into Whakatane. lhe reverse procedure is carried out after -school. Both drivers from Whakatane are on duty for the same length of time, but payment is calculated on the number of miles driven. Therefore, the 'passengerdriver* receives only 6s, being two shillings less than the other man who receives Bs. The committee lelt that as both men were required to devote the same amount of time to the service, they should receive the .same amount of money, 8s per day. It was decided to put lorward this recommendation in a letter to the Board. Visiting Committee In reply to the advertisement for tenders for the sale and removal of six chains of fencing on the school property the committee accepted that of Mr D. Pearse (£9). It was decided to devote this money to the clearing of the. fence line and t hc rq-grassing of the area at the iront of the school facing Lovelock Street. The report of the visiting committee was received and a number of requests from various teachers attended to. The new visiting committee in the persons of the Rev. J. C. J. Wilson and Mr H. G. Da'in,ton was appointed, for the coming month. Relieving Teachers The question of relieving teachers was fully discussed, and it was suggested that perhaps representations should be made to the effect that it was very desirable for large schools such as Whakatane to be more lil* erally staffed in order to have the work of teaching more evenly distributed. It would also mean that relieving teachers would be available in the event of regular teachers ol classes having to be absent at short notice. Such was often the case, and the point was also stressed thai

these extra members of the staff should be fully experienced in order to be able to take over another teacher's work at short notice without unduly upsetting the routine of the class.