THE EDUCATION BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 2908, 14 June 1872, Page 2

THE EDUCATION BOARD.

At the special meeting of the Board today, there were present : —The Sup' rintendent (in the chair), Messrs Reid, Bradshaw, and Bathgate. A good deal of business was transacted, but we have only room in today’s issue for the following : —Two deputations from Kaikorai appeared in connection with the disputes which have arisen in that district. By the acceptance of the appointment of schoolmaster at Queenstown by Mr Macklin, the late teacher, and the expurgation from the minutes of all reference to that matter, it was agreed that that subject should be dropped, and the attention of the Board was given to the remaining question, whether or not Mr Greig was legally a member of the Kaikorai school committee. After some discussion, it was resolved that the Board should communicate with Mr Greig, with a view to ascertaining whether he held property and resided in the district; and it was intimated that, if he did not, the Board would hold that he was not legally elected. The Secretary to the Dunedin School Committee wrote, bringing under the Board’s notice the desirability of the Government contributing to the three Dunedin schools the same amount as they have hitherto done, at least until the fate of the proposed Education Bill is decided by the General Assembly. “To make up,” continued Mr Hardy, “ the additional sum required to carry out the Board’s resolution would compel the committee to raise the school foes, a course which they would much regret taking, for the space of probably a few months.” The Board resolved to adhere to its regulations. The following letter was read “You will already have gathered from my telegram that the application from the High School for affiliation to this University, which, as you inform me, was sent more than six months ago, has never reached me. It would perhaps be well to ascertain the date of the letter and the mail by which it was transmitted, and then to make enquiries at the Post Office as to the reason of the neglect. “I fear that the present meeting of the Council will have come to an end before tnat body can have before it the particulars required for enabling it to come to an immediate decision upon the application, and that therefore the question must stand over until next meeting. “ The Council has in the meantime been informed of the wish of the High School to be affiliated, and, in anticipation of the application being acceded to, there has been out of the funds available for aiding affiliated institutions, set aside a anm of three hundred pounds (L 300) for the purposes of any institution that may be affiliated in Dunedin.

“ bn the Dunedin High School, therefore, becoir iug affiliated, it is proposed to pay over the above amount on account of the current year, without prejudice to its claim for the next year, so that should the affiliation not take place during the current j ear, a sum of six hundred (L 600), in place of three hundred (L3OU), would be payable during next year. “There are, however’, two points to bo borne in mind in making any engagement on the faith of these proposals : “ First, the authorities of the High School should satisfy themselves that the institution is now capable, or at least will, when the application comes under consideration, be capable of fulfilling the required conditions of affiliation.

“ The object for which the grant is made being to increase the efficiency of the various affiliated institutions, the Council will feel bound to inquire from time to time how far the assistance afforded may have had this effect, and to make the continuance of the subsidy depend upon a proportionately higher standard of teaching being established and maintained. Should it, therefore, be found that no substantial improvement is effected after a reasonable time is allowed for making new arrangements, the Council would probably consider it to be its duty to withdraw, if not the whole, at least some part of the grant. “ I should be glad, in reference to this point, to be furnished with a full account of the subjects at present taught, the lecture rooms and appliances now available, together with information as to the addi-

tions and improvements which the proposed addition to the resources of the Institution will enable the authorities to .effect, v

“Secondly, it must be remembered that the regulations under which the Council is empowered to make payments have force only till the 12th clay of October next, the Governor having been advised to impose this limitation on his approval. The Council has, during the present meeting, passed new regulations, generally to the same effect as those to which 115s Kxcellency’s approval has been given, to come into force as soon as the existing regulations expire ; so that the sammode of appropriating the funds at the disposal of the Council will be continued after the above-named date, if these new regulations are confirmed. “ It rests however with the Government to determine whether His Excellency shall be advised togiveliisapproval to thisrenewal, and enable the Council to continue to assist the affiliated institutions. One difficulty rather of a technical nature requires to be removed before the Council can proceed to consider the question of affiliating the High school. The Council should be made acquainted with the constitution and functions of the governing body, under whose superintendence that school is conducted, as it will be necessary that all correspondence with this University should he carried in through such governing body. I have, &c , Henry John Tancred, Chancellor. Mr Bathgate : I do not recognise the Hew Zealand I'niversity. Consideration of the letter was post poued. , •