THE SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 181, 20 April 1918, Page 2

THE SCHOOLS

COMMITTEES' ANNUAL REPORTS CLYDE QUAY. The committee of the' 'Clyde Quay School, in their annual report, state that tho hcudmasler, Mr. lostur, and ins stait" are to bo congratulated on tho very fine state- of etliiiiency which tho school enjoys, notwithsUmliiig tiie trying circumstances which have fisted. Tho number ou tho roll Jβ still very large, thero being an averagu roll of 735, against 758 averago attendance lust year. Tho -committee has drawn tho attention of the-'Education Board .to what i» considered'lo be an overcrowded condition iii tho sehuol. As long, however, as the Education Dcpartnipnt by regulation fixes ten square feet of floor-spaco,as sufficient for- each cliild.vHtHe alteration can be looked for in school condition. Eiitccn feet wou'd bo much moro iu the interests o[ lh t children's health ard comfort. '• Thero are J7li. children on tho rod in tho main school, so that on the ten feet basis (which is grossly inadequate) ihere aro ;jli more children to tho rooms than tho regulations allow, while on tho prowar rate, of twelve feet per child, thereis an excess of 108 children. Thero ore at present 230 children in tho infant Bchool, so that on. the tea feet basis tliero are 21 less than the number, and on a twelve i'eet basis, there 19 an excess uf 18. -In infant departments, practically even twelve feet is not enough lor freo movement of these little children. The committee is strongly of opinion that thero should bo an immediate return to at least tho pre-war basis of twelve feet per pupil, and that headmasters should by regulation, bo authorised to allow no more than tho regulation number of children in each class- . room. , .. Owing to representations from the committee regarding tho insanitary conditions of tho outbuildings, new up-to-date buildings are to be erected at the. earliest opportunity. Plans aro prepared and surveys completed for the erection in brick of these buildings, also shelters for tho infants. , , In their sports competitions tlie scholars did fairly well, securing tho lennia Championship Cup, but they failed to annex tho Buthie Swimming Cup. Tho committee ugaiu thauks the Ut| Corporation for a liberal supply of good books for the .'ichool library, and empnaeiso the great .value of this, generous action, and the keen appreciation qt tue scholars. They also express appreciation of tho action of the City Corporation in allowing the scholars tho free nee of the swimming I)aths for a I,mod ot year. TE ARO. The annual report of the Tβ Aro School Committee etatcs that the reports from tlio inspector show that the schools ate. still maintaining the high standard of previous years. The attendance for tho past twelve months has been good, and tneie has been very little sickness to report. The committee thanks the scholars for their efforts in patriotic matters, ably in raising &3 through the raffle of ~ a doll's house for (he benefit of soldieis in the trenches. Tho chairman, Mr. s M'Konzie, organised a concert, and sufficient was handed to the committee .to provide prizes for the scholars and a picnic at Day's Bay., The committee are , fully alive to the Necessity for more up-to-date schools of increased accommodation for tho district, and have lost no favourable opportunity to stress same. . The finances of the school are m a very satisfactory position.

ISLAND BAY. <

Tho annual report of the School Committee to be presented to the mating of householders on Monday next shows that in spito of conditions that are unfavourablo! Advancement haa been v made m ■ many directions. Expenditure has been kept within the bounds of income without curtailing efficiency in. any department under the control of the committee A most noticeable increase in the school roll has taken place of nearly twenty per cent., and with between nvo and sis hundred children now attending, tho school bids fair this year to rank in tho highest grade. . The committee have this year gone ahead in the matter ot » gotting one of the class-rooms prepared " so that moving pictures of an educational nature cau be. shown the moment the time is opportune for procuring the nlnis. The lantern has been installed, and everything tends to show that shortly . the children will be getting the benefit of the outlay which has all been met by donations. As the infant department and main school are apart from, each other, and music is part of education in both, it was found that a piano for each building was required. This meant that another hud to be procured, and this wns , , secured without drawing on the ordin(irv echool inoonie. . With regard to the new playing area, • the promises of donations to assist m , making this what it ought to be. (which will cost about .£SOO to complete) liavo come in well, and the committee are '. holding witk donations aud subsidy £"M, , with which to.make a good start on the work this year. , . .

KAKORI,

Tho annual report of the Karon School Committee states that during the year an area of nearly three-quarters of nn aero lias been added to the playgrounds. Tlio total amount exponded up to date is £IGG. It is estimated that an additional .£4O will 1» required to complete this work. A special appeal was made by the committeo to raise the estimated amount necessary to completo the nevr playgrounds, and the required amount ! was' raised within a few days. ■A. comi pleto list of subscribers is as follows:— Dr Platts-Mills,,Mr. T. Lewer.and Mr. ]?, A. "Wright, M.P., £5 each; Mr. G. Bradnock and Mr. James Mackenzie. £3 2s each; Raino and Sons, Mrs. W. Brad--lw'ck, jiin., and Mr. :Sid Short, £1 Iβ. each; Mrs. A. J. Hanan 'and Mr. A, Mackenzie. £1 cncli ;' Mr. A. V. Hewitt, 10s.; Mr. Honisley, 55.; and Mr. J. Cos-' lalU 55.: total,- .C 25 7s. .A .subsidy of £ for i£ on this sum has been applied for. TV patriotic , purposes, during the year tho school children have contributed the Bum of'£sß, which was duly forwarded Iα tho various funds. . Tho pnnoipal items are as follows:—Young- Helpers League, ,£36 35.; Soldiers' Christmas puddings, £8 125.; London Air Raid Fund, £U 18s.; Raotihi Fund, £1 Vs. 3d., in addition to articles of clothing, etc., and also additional contributions of flowers, eggs, etc., to Violet Day and other local' activities in aid of tho war funds. The committee, school staff, and children also assisted nt fho combined schools concert held in tho Town Hall. Tho attendance throughout the year has been good. Tho number nn the roll is higher, than nl: any period of the school's history. There has been n steady iucrqeeo during the last three yoms. Tho number on the roll at. tho* beginning of 1916 was 238; 1917 252; 1918. 203: and thenvernee nttendance for 1915, 229; 191G, 247; 1917, 263. It was worthy of special note that tho average attendance for tho last quarter of 1917 rose to 280.