EDUCATION BOARD.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1932, 15 July 1869, Page 2

EDUCATION BOARD.

The half-yearly statutory meeting of the Education Board held in the Superintendent’s Office to-day, at noon. There were present—His Honor the Deputy-Superinten-dent, in the chair; Messrs Reid and M'Lean.

The Secretary reported that the following appointments had been made: —lsabella Hay, schoolmistress, M iddle District School, in the room of Miss Hercus resigned ; Margaret Fisher, pupil teacher, do ; John Stables, second master, South Dunedin School; Margaret Andrews, schoolmistress, Anderson’s Bay ; Janet Currie, WcsfTaieri; Khoda Scott, Queenstown; T. A. Sheppard, Teviot; W. Montgomery, Pleasant Valley; Andrew Murray, Mataura; W. Hay, Waiwera; James M‘Neur, Te Hoiika; James Orr, M rtoii; James M'Neil, Kijitangata! W. Hardy, Waireka; Ellen Battson, pupil teacher, North Dunedin Sehool. The Secretary also submitted to the Board the Grammar Schools Ordinance, which was passed by the Provincial Council last session, He had been asked by the schools interested to

furnish them with the requisite and he had sent copies of the Ordinance t< them. Those schools had, in terms of the Ordinance, forwarded applications to he coifr stituted grammar schools. The second seel tion of the Ordinance was as follows : “Thai Otago Education Board (hereinafter called 1 1 The Board’) shall on receiving an application in writing from any of the respective District School Committees of the Educational Districts of Tokoimiriro Lawrence Port Chalmers and Oamaru or from the District School Committee of any other Educational District which may from time to time be authorise ! by a resolution of the Provincial Council to make such application convert any Main' School in any of the said Educational Districts into and establish the same as a Grammar School.” It now rested with the Board to consider those applications. The Chairman thought that it would be better to refer the matter to the Executive. The Secretary explained that that was the usual course when a matter like the present involved an expenditure for the first time. The Chairman moved—“ That in the opinion of the Board gentlemen who had ‘attended a university should, ceteris paribus, be preferred to the appointment of head master of the proposed Grammar Schools.” He thought that gentlemen who had a university education should be preferred. Mr Reid remarked that it was very desirable that it should he so. The Secretary said that it was extremely desirable that the status of the head master should be high. Mr Reid : There can he no disputing that point. Mr M ‘Lean presumed that a great proportion of the teachers of district schools had attended universities. The Secretary : A large proportion of the teachers have, especially the teachers of schools that will be affected by this Ordinance. It was resolved that the applications of the Port Chalmers, Oamaru, Lawrence, and Tokomairiro School Committees be referred to the Government. A deputation from Highc'iffe attended, and was heard in support of a memorial praying for the establishment of a side school in the district. The matter was referred to the Government for their favorable consideration ; as were also applications from from Tatutarau, Shotover Ferry, and Kauri Bush, for the establishment of side schools. Mr J. Hughes attended on behalf of the Waitalmna School Committee, to support an application for some assistance in the shape of a sewing mistixss or female assistant. The application was made in January last, but the Executive then deferred its consideration, because they had not sufficient funds at their disposal. There were (51 children attending the school, and of this number a great many girls, who were required to be taught by a female teacher. The nearest schools were at Wethers tones, which was 15 miles distant, and at Lawrence, distant about nine miles. What was required was a mistress to leach sewing about three hours a day, and the sum required to pay her would he L2O or L3O. The Sectu tary said that the facts had been clearly stated by Mr Hughes. At the last half yearly meeting of the Board, applications from Waitahuna and other committee, asking for the payment of the salary of a sewing mistress wore were received. When those applications were considered, it was found that they involved a much larger expenditure than was provided for. The Executive, therefore, deferred the granting of them until after the Provincial Council met. The Provincial Council had met, and it was open for the Executive to consider the matter. It was not one application that had to be considered, but the probability that provision would have to he made for a dozen sewing mistresses. The matter was one more for th e consideration of the Executive than the Education Board. Mr Reid enquired if the Board was in a better position now to grant the application ? The Secretary replied in the affirmative. Mr Reid thought that the matter required very much consideration from the Government. He ventured to say that the it was quite possible the school would soon require a female teacher.

The Chairman agreed with Mr Reid. Of course retrenchment was very admirable in its plaqf ; but it was very out of place in the matter of education.

Mr Reid remarked that while they were talking of the higher branches of female education, the rudiments should not be neglected.

It was resolved to rccommcnt the application to the favorable consideration of the Government; and the Chairman intimated that it would be one of the very first taken into consideration.

On the suggestion of the Secretary, Tapanui was declared into an educational district ; but the application to raise the school to a common school was postponed until the Secretary reported as to its state. The application of the Weatherstones School Committee to have the schoolmistress’s salary raised was declined. A draft prospectus and bye-laws of the High School, prepared by the Rector, was submitted, and a committee, consisting of the Chairman, Messrs Rei i and M‘Lean were appointed to confer with'the Rector and the Secretary on the subject.