THE SCHOOLS FROM WITHIN.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1132, 20 May 1911, Page 10

THE SCHOOLS FROM WITHIN.

NEWS AND NOTES. The Mastcrton District High School Committee is applying lo- the Education Board for a ernnt of about .£SOO for the purpose of biiilttiiijt an assembly room. The average attendance at the Stratford Public School last week.was G2B. Of the total roll number 200 are in the infant room. There are about 25 children of school ago iff the l'iri Piri Block, ITawkc's Bay, but no steps appear to have been taken to provide them with education. Owing to the presence of n-casles and scarlatina in- Wiiipukurnu it is probable that the local school will bo closed shortly. Arrangements nro well inder way for the entertainment in aid of the Jlakotnku School funds. The committee has accepted the very kind offer of tho Ormondvillo Lawn Tennis • Mid Croquet Club to lend them the harem skirl worn at their concert cm Friday last. The chairman of the commiltco says he has received offers from several ladies at Makoluku to exhibit it. At a meeting of the Mei'.neo (11.11.) School Committee, held last, neck, the headmaster reported the roll number as 50 and the average attendance as iil.s. The balance-sheet showed :i credit balance of .£2 17s. 5(1. It was decided to ask tho ladies of Ihe district to make arrangements for holding a social and dance to procure funds towards tho purchase of a piano.

School-teaching in the back-blocks has its drawbacks. There is a young married teacher at Alfraltou (Wellington Education district), who lives, with his wife, in a domicile in which (states a contemporary). it Would be impossible to swing round a lull-grown feline. The Education Board has applied to the Minister for funds with which to erect a teacher's residence. The working beo recently organised in connection with Ohau School did some excellent work in improving the playgrounds. A largo quantity of soil was carted to the ground for the purpose of levelling off the playground. About a quarter ef an acre is being treated, and this, when finished, will be made use of for tennis, croquet, and other pastimes. Among those who assisted were Messrs. !•'. Hotter, A. Giles, J. Davis, J. Boyle, C. Saint, and P. M'Leav-ey. The ladies provided afternoon tta. At tho monthly meeting of the Lausdowno School Committee, held this week, a letter was received from the Wainoti Park Fireworks Company in connection with the Coronation celebrations, but it was not decided to move ill the matter. Tho headmaster (Mr. It. C. Drummondj reported the number on the roll to be 171, with an average for the past five weeks ot 116, Hie low average being attributed to tho prevalence of the epidemic of measles.- Tho committee decided to erect a fence around the school pardon, and also to construct a bicycle shelter for the use. of pupils' who ride to school. Reporting to his committee at its last meeting, the head-master of U'eoor School (Hawke's Bay), reported a quarterly average attendance of 51.5, a percentage of 83, which was much below the average percentage for Hawke's Bay. In regard to circular read at the householders' meeting about continuation classes, the headmaster stated that there was, to his mind, no doubt, that such classes would bo beneficial to many of the young people of this district, and possibly to some of the older ones, especially if care were taken to give instruction in subjects of everyday importance, such as arithmetic, English, geometrical and model drawing, shorthand. If continuation classes could not bo formed perhaps associated classes could be undertaken; aid could possibly be obtained from the County Council and other' local bodies, .The annual Opaki School picnic was held at Mr. Pierce Cotter's, "Burnside," last, week, and was'a great success. Tho events resulted as follow:—Kail-driving—Mrs. Bourke, 1; Mrs. Cotter, 2. High jump for boys-Vincent Uuick, 1 (Ift. Bin.); sack race (ladies)—A. Bannister,' 1; Miss Marryatt, 2. Long jump—J. Heuson, 1. Boys' race—D. Bannister, 1; H. Cooper, 2. Ladies' race—Kose'Honson, 1; A. Bannister, 2. Three-legged race—Monte Stone, Wigg, and Etipert Henson, 1. Girls' race —E. Perry, 1; Norah Bourke, 2. I'm race —G. Stonc-Wigg, 1; Monte Stone-Vig, 2. Committeemen's race—W. Henson, .1; K. Judd, 2. Big girls' race—Norrie Bourke, 1; Alice Buick, 2; Lulu Cotter, 3. Quar-ter-mile race—G. Mowbray, 1; E. Henson, 2.Dr. Aitken," accompanied by the district health officer, Mr. Gardiner, aild tho borough inspector, Mr. Perry, visited the Hastings District High School and tho Jlahora School on Monday last, when both schools were reopened after being closed on account of the scarlatina epidemic. A thorough inspection was made of all'the classes, and any children suspected of having the complaint were paid special attention to. A few children who had had scarlatina were sent home, and will not return to the school until tltey havo received certificates from a doctor and tho borough inspector.- A contemporary asks, somewhat pertinently, what use there is in taking the.w precautions if the Sunday Schools and library are unsupervised. ■Messrs. A. W. Hogg, M.P., and A. H. Vile, members of the Wellington Edu-cation-Board,' held an inquiry in Mr. W. J'. Saunders's residencolast week into the cause of tho lire by which.tho Saunders's ltoiid School was destroyed. Evidenco "given by Mr. lialph (tho teacher), a lad named Benton (the school cleaner), Mr. E. Saunders, Mrs. C. Benton, and Mr. Algie, jun./wont to show that the fire occurred some short while after the school was closed; that everything had been left in apparent safely by the cleaner of,the school; that;there .were, cracks in the fireplace, and that a heavy galo was blowing at tho time. Tho only possible theory - for ■ the outbreak was that fire had been communicated with the 'timbers in .-tho building through tho defects in the fireplace. Messrs. Hogg and Vile decided to report to the board accordingly, and to recommend that in future tho chimneys of small schools be built outside instead of inside the- buildings, and that, as n further seci-nty, chimneys be cemented or plastered on the inside.

' At'tho monthly meeting of the Patca School Committee correspondence from thcWanganui Education Board stated that as only one member from tho north was prcssnt at the last meeting of tho board, consideration of tho question of a new school for tho town was deferred till the next meeting of the board to bo held on May 17. Tho. headmaster reported that the school was opened after tho Easter holidays on April 24, but as only fifty per cent of the children were present, it was decided, after consultation with tho chairman, to close tho school for another fortnight to give the epidemic, a chance to run its course. On being reopened again there was an attendance of 139 out of a roll of 192—72 per cent. It was expected that tho-attendance wotild become normal again soon: : Mr. W.. Martin, one of the board's special instructors, has taken up the work of science teaching and the woodwork classes aro beinn; taken over by Mr. Htilbert. Mr. J Johnson took chare;o of tho High School'on April 24. Miss Marion An-' sell, ono of the High School scholars, has left to become a pupil teacher in tho Manaia School.