HIGH SCHOOLS’ AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 21752, 21 June 1934, Page 5

HIGH SCHOOLS’ AFFAIRS

board of governors meets The Otago High Schools’ Board met yesterday afternoon, there being present the chairman (Dr G. E. Thompson), Bishop Fitchett, Rev. E. T. Cox, Messrs D. T, Fleming, J. J. Mallard. W. R. Brugh, J. C. H. Somerville, and Mrs S. M. Park. NEW MEMBER WELCOMED. The- secretary reported that Mr J. C. H. Somerville had been elected to the board as representative of the parents of pupils in the place of the fate Mr J. C. Stephens.—The chairman extended a welcome to Mr Somerville, and said that they knew he would be an acquisition to the board. BOARD’S BALANCE-SHEET. The Auditor-General forwarded the board’s balance-sheet for the year ended December 31, 1933, duly certified.—Mr Mallard said that the secretary (Mr C. R. M'Lean) should be congratulated on having the balance-sheet returned without a “ tag.” In the six or seven years that he had been associated with the board, Mr Mallard said he could remember only one occasion on which the balance-sheet came back with a ” tag ” on it. FINANCIAL STATEMENT. The financial statement showed that receipts since May 15 totalled £2,291 14s 4d, payments amounting to £1,797 10s 1. Accounts amounting to £1,796 105,9 d were passed for payment. CONDITIONS FOR COUNTRY BOYS. Mrs I. E. Sainsbury (Abbotsford) wrote on behalf of country boys attending the Otago Boys’ High' School in regard to the conditions in which they had to have their lunch. Their lunch hour was a long one to have to sit about in the play shed. She suggested that some warmer place might be found in the school for them. The Rector reported that he had decided to _ allow the boys concerned to use their classrooms on days that were very cold and wet. This was not at all desirable, but there was no other way out of the difficulty. The rector’s suggestion was approved, and Mr Somerville suggested further that the janitor might supply boys coming from a distance w-ith cups of cocoa in the lunch hour at a small weekly cost. Perhaps a cocoa club might be instituted. This proposal was referred to the rector for a report, the chairman being given power to act if it was thought the scheme were feasible. RECTOR’S REPORT. ■ The Rector of the Boys’ High School (Mr H. R. Kidson) reported:— The total number of boys on the school roll is 760, of whom 281 are seniors, 461 juniors, and eighteen paying pupils. The corresponding totals for June, 1929-33 are respectively 706, 697,. 764, 768, and 729. A branch of Toe H. has been formed at the school. The members of the Dunedin Toe H group are taking up •enthusiastically the work of training the boys in the aims and ideals of the movement. The school orchestra has begun its practices. There are thirty-four boys with their own instruments, and another fourteen capable of playing in it if they had instruments. There is a good nucleus of competent players; and the success of the orchestra seems assured. We are grateful to Messrs Cbas. Begg and Co. for a gift of twelve music stands, and to the Old Boys’ Society for a dona..,tion. to the orchestra fund. The meetings of the Music Club, the Debating Club, and the Dramatic Society (which is now independent of the Debating Club) have been resumed, and singing is again in progress in place of drill on Friday afternoons. Winter games are in full swing. By closing down school a little early one afternoon a week and making use of the grounds in the city nearest the boys’ homes we have been able to give all boys who are fit a chance of playing one of tlve winter games. About 620 boys turn out each week. A party of boys, accompanied ;by two masters, visited Mount Cook in the iMay vacation, and took part in winter sports. A number of photographs which will be of great interest and value have been lodged at the school during the last few weeks. They include a valuable s.et of jubilee photos from the Old Boys’ Society, and a number of interesting ones which had been in the possessio'n of the late Hon. G. M. Thomson. During the May holidays the artillery section had a voluntary edmp at the Central Battery., Two masters and fifty-two boys attended. They had an interesting and enjoyable time in spite of the bad weather. The camp ended with a very successful dance. Forty-four other hoys attended voluntary courses at the Drill Hall. Reports on the behaviour of the boys have been excellent. .The school leaving certificate examination is being held for the first time this year. It gives a_ wider choice of subjects than the University entrance examination. While the new examination will be of great value as an alternative to the University entrance in schools with widely diversified courses we are afraid that the effect of the new examination on a school of our type will not be great. Bookkeeping will not be a subject available for boys in the modern forms, otherwise the choice of subjects will b.e much the same as for University entrance. It is important for the board and for the community to know, however, that the standard of the school leaving certificate examination is the same as that of University entrance (or matriculation). We feel that the department, in its desire to make the new examination as important in the eyes of parents and employers as the University entrance, has made the new examination too closely akin to it. It has made no provision, for example, for any consultation with the schools in regard to the candidates’ school records. PRINCIPAL’S REPORT. The Principal (Miss M. H. M, King) of the Girls’ High School reported;— The school reassembled on the assigned date, and the roll is 554. The attendance for the first term averaged 541. Since the opening of the terra there has been a ertaiu amount of sickness, chiefly colds, severe and otherwise, but this seems now to be subsiding. Withdrawals for the last_ two and a-half months are: —Positions in offices, 2; positions in shops, 5; home (health 2), 4; private school, 1; trades, 2; left New Zealand,,!. The telescope offered by Mr A. G. Gifford on extended loan

to the school has arrived from Christchurch, and is a very fine instrument. We are making preparations for its systematic use in the interests of observational astronomy. MR J. C. STEPHENS’S DEATH. The Principal of the Girls’ High School (Miss King) wrote stating that she wished.to place on record, both for herself and on behalf of the school, her sense of loss suffered by the community in the death of Mr J, G. Stephens, to whose influence and service to the community she paid a tribute. REPRESENTATION ON UNIVERSITY COUNCIL. The Registrar of the University of Otago advised that Mr W. R. Brugh had been elected a member of the University Council as representative of the secondary schools of Otago and Southland in place of Mr Stephens. Mr Brugh’s term'of office would expire on .lime 30, and it now became necessary for each board to nominate a successor. —lt was decided to nominate Mr Brugh R££<lin« __ CORRESPONDENCE. The Principal of the Otago Girls’ High School wrote that Miss Aitkeu had inaugurated a scheme for the provision of a glass of milk daily for girls whose constitution and vigour seemed to need building up. The cost was, in most cases, being met by the parents, although one mother had offered to pay for another girl as well as her own. The writer thought the girls would benefit considerably.—Noted. The secretary of the Amenities Society (Mr J. Ash) wrote that attention had been drawn to the crowding of laurels in front of the Boys’ High School. This detracted from the general appearance of the building as seen from the road. The society felt that if these laurels were judiciously thinned then the other shrubs would look better, and the whole appearance of the school from the road would be improved.—The Rector (Mr Kidson) reported that some thinning out and tidying up of the trees and shrubs in front of the school was necessary. He thought the only thing to do would be to give a landscape gardener general instructions and to give him a fairly free hand with details. —Mr Mallard suggested that Mr D. Tannock (superintendent of reserves) might be approached, and the matter left in his hands, this suggestion being agreed to. The Education Department advised approval of an expenditure of £SO out of endowment income to cover the cost of converting a room at the Girls’ High School into a staff rpom and the present staff room into a class room.—lt was decided to write to Miss King asking her to ascertain if the change was really desired.