EDUCATION BOARD.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1274, 1 November 1911, Page 9

EDUCATION BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. Tho monthly meeting of tho Wollington Education Board was held yesterday. Thero were present: The chairman (Mr. E. Lee), and Messrs. J. Kebbell, H. Freeman, J. G. W. Aitken, W. Allan, A. H. Vile, and W. H. Field, M!P. Deferring to tho board's finances, the chairman stated that tho beard had disbursed to school committees for capitation, had paid up for a section of land at Ngaio, and had also paid some X7OO for rural teaching, for which tho sum of ,£"SO was now duo from the Department. Tho Department advised that the following grants had been authorised:— Beikorangi, ,£330 for additions; Otaki, .£3B for cookery-room improvements. Tho chairman (Mr. Lee) and the Chief Inspector (Mr. T. E. Fleming) wero re-electf-d as the board's representatives on the Committee of Advice of tho Teachers' Training College. WORKS TO BE UNDERTAKEN. Mr. W.-C. Buchanan, M.P., wrote suggesting that the inspector or tho clerk of works should repoit on tho need for a bridge to servo schoolchildren at Kaituna. The board directed that tho report should bo made. The board, on the recommendation of the "Works and Finance Committee, decided that application be made for grants tor tho following works:—Terrace School, altering floors in nine rooms, .£100; Nowtown, altering floors in s«ven room?, .£77. Concerning school sites, the following recommendations wero adopted:—Roscncath—That the board approve of tho application made for use oi_portion of the Defcnco E«serve. Ngaio—That tho board approve purchaso of sections on Crofton Downs. Kniwnrra—That tho board approve the purchaso of four acres at a cost of £100. Carrington—That tho Education Department be requested to adjust tho matter of site at Carrington with the Lands Department. Maranui—That the offer of ndditional land bs declined., Ihurauß—That the offer of a reserve be referred to tne committee for an expression of opinion; and that the committee bo empowered to construct a bridge, and to fence the reserve in tho way recommended by tho inspector, without cost to tho board. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. Mr. Vile reported that tho conference concerning an Agricultural School in the Wairarnpn, .at which ho had represented the board, had been held. Tho recommendation of tho conference was unanimous in favour of tbo agricultural education of children being extended. The prposal was to ask tho Government to extend agricultural education, and to evolve a scheme whereby this could be done.—The report was adopted. Tho chairman reported on the question of accommodation for the proposed rural course at Pctone. Ho said that the comtnitteo had given the matter somo consideration, and they had recommended that the Department be written to as to the need for accommodation at Petono for an agricultural conrsc, inasmuch ?.s tho Technical School was said to be unsuitably. It was suggested that two. rooms be erected, but there still remained the question as.to the site of these rooms. The board recognised that Price's Building was unsuitable. Tho committee, therefore, thought that if they could place the secondary classes in "suitable accommodation. Price's Buildings woidd defray part of the cost, and if the Department came to the board's assistance, the uccessary accommodation could" be, provided. The proposal was to build the new rooms on one of the sections bohind the Technical School. This would permit of the beard havinc control of its own classes, and would do away with objectionablo divided control.—Tho matter was further deferred for a month, pending negotiations for securing one of tho sections referred to.