EDUCATION MEETINGS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1083, 26 January 1883, Page 3

EDUCATION MEETINGS.

CLYI-E. The annual gtatutoiy meeting of house* holders for the election of a committee for the year 1883, was hel I in the Schoolhouse, o i Moitvlay evening last, the 22ml inst., at 8 pm. A good nimr er were present, of whom Mr Ceo. Facae was voted to the chai-. Tue chairman iu his opening remarks referred to the epidemic that had lately passed through the town and district, and th ou.h which the school had had to l)e closed for some months, and said, happily the dancer was now passed, and as the district conn! he said to be clear of the disease it was to be hoped pa-eats would see that their chi dim attended le ulaily. Bv a return held in his hand furnished by the schoolmaster, M' Stevens, the attendance, though increasing weekly, was far short of the average before tbe school was chisel ; individual ami collective efforts he said must he ma le in the interest of the school to raise the attendance to its former average, and he could not too strongly urge up, n those present to use their influence in that direction, A small attendance not alone reduced the standard of the school, hut was manifestly unjmt to the master and m sti ess. of whom nothing too favourable could be said. He referred to the successes of the school’s pn- ils, who had competed for the Provincial Scholarships—five having gained tbe junior in three examinations and tw.i of those again Paving seemed the senior—and slid as it was evident that Mr Stevens’ system of imparting knowledge was sound ami good ; no stone should be left unturned to secure him a large attendance of scholars. Tne Chairman then dwelt upon the treatment the Clyde School bad rece veil from the hands of the Education Board. He had had an opponnnity during the past few mom he of comparing o er schools throughout >he country with their own, and he could safely say it was the worst furnished of any he had seen ; he would not say the Committees had ne gleoted their duty in any respect, i-m it appeared to him they had not been siiffi.-it-nt.ly urgent in the appeals to the Education Board. It was clear to him that the school was deficient of many actual necessaries for the comfort and convenience of both teachers and pnpi's, and he ho(.ed the new committee, to be elected that evening, would be a little more d- mooatrative in their appeals to the Board than had betn their predecessors. Mr I>. McConnovhia asked on what system had the master and mistress be n paid during the time the school was closed ? The Chairman said he was not quite sure, tart he thought it was right n saying that it wag on the last month’s average attendance before the school was dosed. Mr 1). McConnoobie and others joined with him in saying that if such were the cise it was most unfair. He said through the epidemic.the last months attendance was a more than ordinarily low one, that was no fault of the teachers, and he could not hut think the Board should have been mine f dly acquainted with every particular 1 with the vi. w of the fullest possinle salary instead of the lowest lieing paid to the teachers. He perfectly agreed with the Chairman m saying that every praise should be given the teachers for th-ir conducting of the school, and he was disap pointed at fuller information not being able to i e supplied on tbe question he had referred to. The audited balance-sheets for die past year weie then read and accepted as corr ct. An unanimous vote of thanks was accorded to the master and mistress, M r and Mrs S'evens, for the able and satisfactory manner they had conducted the school, and the S -ervtary was instructed to convey same by letter The election of the Committee for the y oar n as then proceeded with and resulted as follows: Messrs Hickson, Nolan, Joss, Jeffery, lleoey, Hell, and F tche. T'he Chairman then read the notice as laid down by the Education Board that the first meeting of Commit ee was to be held in the Schoolhouse on Friday ri“xt, the 2G:h inst., at 8 30 p.m. The customary complim ntary votes of thanks to the letiring Committee and the presiding Chairman, ha- ing been declared carried, the meeting dissolved. ALEXANDRA. . The following is the report of the Alex anilrn Schi ol Committee fir the session of 1882, sit omitted at the annual meeting on Monday last: — In submitting their annnal report your Committee have pleasure in being able to report that the teachers have given the usual strict attention to their duties, as evidenced by the very satisfretory report of the Inspector at the recent examination, and while regretting that the mistress resigned at the end of the session, believe they have a very efficient teacher in her successor Miss Bowden. The number of scholars on roll at the beginning of the year was 107 ; entered during ihe year, 34; total during the ye-r, 141 ; number left during the year, 51 ; number on roll at end of the year, 90. Average during Ist quarter, 91 ; 2nd do, 79 ; 3rd do, 79 ; 4th 76. Yonr t’ommitree desire to call the attention of parents to the low average attendance of reholars at the present time, more particularly in the present state of tbe Board's finances, which, should the average attendance fall below 75, will lie sure to canse the school to lose their mistress. Your Committee some lime since resolved to adopt the compulsory clauses of the Act, and recommend their successors to pat them strictly in force, should the attendance not m wove. Th* receiot* ot expenditure for ths put

session (as psr statement attached) evidence that your Committee have beam very careful in expending the funds. They recently made another application to the Board tosubsidise the ereotion of n stone fence, hut were iinsuco°ssfulV owing to the state of the Board's funds. -We recommend our su?o-s<ors to renew t.iis application at an ear'v date. Your Committee have had reason to take exception to the manner the school has been ol»aned, and recommend that tenders be forthwith called for the proper cleaning, etc., of the school, and in the best interests of the scholars take steps to see that the contract .is faithfully dried ont. In resigning their trust your Committee hope that *h"ir sttoeessors will take stens to see that the sugies inns embolied in this report will he carried in’n eff.ot, and that the school will have a prosp ■ rous session. The following is the ahs ract of School Fund accounts for the year ending 31st December. 18S2 Receipts— B dance in bank an I in hand on the Ist, Jmuarv, 1882 £3l St 9d ; from E location Board (grants for or'inarv incidental purposes). £4l; total, £72 8s 91 F.xnend tore -de mine snhoo's and outbuildings. £l4 2s ; fuel for school use, £1 7>l; remits to bnil lings, f.-pces, and furniture, f.3 16s 41; advertising, £1 15s; total, £2l 0s 41 ; balance in hand, LSI 8s 51.