FEILDING STATE SCHOOL.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 72, 24 February 1883, Page 3

FEILDING STATE SCHOOL.

MEETING OF HOUSEHOLDERS. In accordance with the advertisement, a public meeting «f householders was lield at the schooihowse, Feilding, on Wednesday evening last, for the purpose of receiving the annual report of the school committee for the past year, and electing a sew committee for the current year. : There was a very good attendance, upwards of 30 gentlemen feeing present. On the motion of Mr J. C. Thompson, /Seconded by Mr Macarthur, the Eev, J. Jones was elected chairman. The chairman then stated that the first business to be done was to consider the eepori and balance sheet of the retiring committee. He then called upas. Mr Waght, the Secretary, who read the {following report and balance sheet: — fieport of the Committee of the Feildiag STatbaal School for the year ending January 22nd, 1883. The retiring committee regret that they cannot «Cer to the general meeting a report flatisfaetorj is all respects . Their &erm«f office ha« presented a coincidence tof .peculiar difficulties such as is not Mkely to occur Again. Changes in the atafi of the school, aad ia the committee itself, aad an epidemic of measles necessitating ike closing of the school for aereral weeks, ami a very bad attendance for aeoasiderable period, all matters evidently beyond tke control of the committee and sfitomsly affecting the prosperity of tie scho»l during the ▼eae. It k .evident that only the most thorough aad praiseworthy assiduity oa the [ jpartof the head teacher and his subor«dinat£B could, wader these adverse circumstances, have produced the results shown in the recent examination. The committee would press upon the attention -of the meeting the urgent needs of the school »m several directions. A considerable amount of gravelling is meceasarjr about the school grounds, and the small sum «f £5, granted for this purpose %y the Board, olthocgh laid out Jto the best advantage, has produced an improvement which canaot be expected ] to meet the necessities of the coming winter, or wet season. ; The school buildings are in urgent j meed of repairs, but the most important meed -of afll, as affecting the health of tteachera and pupils, is ventilation. Indeed, jronrconuadttee have no hesitation an saying that «util this want is supplied the school •baildiogs jure unfit for their jpurpose. The very iuaitei means at the disposal of thecoaunittee has mot enabled them ito remedy this, and the Education Board Bias been aaabte or unwilling to respond to our urgent appeal During the year your committee have Sheld meetings, the attendance at which is as follows :— Rev. J. Jones, chairman, 11 ; Be*. J. Sadler, 2; Mr A.. K. T, Hauliain, 7; Mr Wbl. Gichard, 4; Mr W. Watts, 12; Mi H. Worsfold, 9; Mr E. H. Wiight, Treasurer aad Hon. Secretary, 14. Mr Haultain resigned office so near the close of Jth/j jear that it was not thought necessary to appoint a substitute. Mr Giehard has for some time been away from Eeilding, and therefore unable to attend. Be*. Mr Sadler has also bee* prevented toy other duties from attending through tiieyeae. JToseci. Jones, Chairman of Committee. Balaxck Sheet.

A. Dawbon, Chairman. Auditor. Mr Maearthur wished to know if the balance sheet hud been audited, and if to, up. to what date. Mr Wright said the balance sheet had been audited by Mr Dawson, and was made up to the 21st February, 1883. Mr Mscarthurthen asked that if the meeting had been held at the proper time (22nd Jan.) would there have been a balance. «heetP Mr Wright : ff p. The Chairman stated that as it was, the new committee would be able to commence their business from the 21st Feb., v 1883, instead of having to take over a % month of the old committee's accounts. After the report had been read and was under discussion, Mr J. Whisker entered the room and wished to know if it wu the annual report that was being discussed. Hie Chairman replied in the affirmative." Mr Whisker then asked the Secretary to read the report again ashe was not present at its fi' st reading. The Secretary complied with the request. y[ r "whisker then stated that he con«; sidexed ih# report was not complete, as it did not give the result of the recent examination ; neither did it state the number of children attending the school. He knew of many children who did not attend, and he considered that where parents did not send t,heir. children to

school tlie Ootnjralsory Kducalion Act should be enforced. In after years the children would turn round on their parents and complain of their negligence ia not providing them with sufficient knowledge. Hi' would again say that such laxity as he had mentioned was not stated ia the report, and he considered it (the report) very incomplete. Mr Wright *aid he considered that 7 gentlemen elected at a public meeting of householders should be competent to prepare a satisfactory report, which he thought had been done, Mr Whisker considered the school accommodation was insufficient for the w^nts of the place; that the system on which the education was carried on here was not National Education; that he had children of his own who could not attend school es the Oroua River was sometimes high, and for reasons best known to himself- Whether the teachers should be removed or a new system enforced he was not at liberty to say, but he thought that National Education should be adopted, Mr Macarthar said he thought Mr Whisker should not complain to the meeting of the Oroua River being high, as the school committee had not power to command the river, and, in addition to that, he considered Mr Whisker's excuse bad for not sending his children to school, as he lived on this side of the river. He (the speaker) considered he had the opinion of the meeting on his side in demanding from Mr Whisker the nature of kis complaints- As jet Mr Whisker had only made some rambling statements, and he<the speaker) thought it only fair to the committee that & complaint, if there was one, or any, should be laid before the committee in " black and white." Mr Whisker then rose to reply. He again, made a long speech oa the insuffiency of school accommodation, and the desirableness of enforcing the compulsory claeses of the Education Act. Mr Wright considered it would be a slur on the people of Feildiug to do such a thing as to enforce the Compulsory Act He thought the present system of education was very satisfactory. Mr Whisker again got en his feet to address the meeting, when Mr P. Thompson said he did not want to be kept all night listening to a lot of twaddle. He thought Mr Whisker should be called to order. As yet no business had been done. Mr Whisker then called for an aggregate of the attendance of scholars at the school daring the past year. The Chairman asked Mr Dowling to read an aggregate of the attendance to the meeting, of which the following is a copy: — Roil Numbers,

♦Measles prevalent Mr Whisker then asked for a report of the recent examinations. Mr Dowling said he was not prepared to produce such a report, but that it (the report) had appeared in the local paper. The report was published correctly, and if Mr Whisker desired to know the result of the examination, he could do so by obtaining a copy of the Feilding Stae. The Chairman thought, (as would be observed by the report, an epidemic of measles had compelled the committee to close the school for some time during the past year), that the working of the school had been very satisfactorily conducted. Mr Wrght proposed, and Mr Eade seconded, That the . report and balance sheet be adopted. Mr Whisker called the attention of the Chairman to the presence of others than householders at the meeting. He said Mr Dowling should not be present. The Chairman said that a rule had b«en passed by which Mr Dowling was allowed to attend such meetings as the present one. Mr Whisker then proposed an amendment, of which the following is an exact i copy :— That the report of the retiring committee be not accepted for t> e> following reasons: That the system of which the Education Board is carried on is not National Education, and the examination has not been of a satisfactory in cognisance to other schools, and that it is desirable that none but parents be elected on school com. mittees, and that a change of principle is desirable. The Chairman asked if there was any parson bold enough to second such an amendment, as it' contained three distinct points. Mr Whisker thought the Chairman should not attempt to turn his amendment into ridicule, especially at a public meeting. After some further discussion the proK>sition was carried and the amendment psed for want of a seconder. An election of committemen was then held. The following" gentlemen were elected: — Messrs • Towler, 28 votes; Watti, 24; Murray, 22; J. O. Thompson, 18; H. Worsfold, 12; Bray, 11; Foster, 8. Messrs Lucas, 'Lyne, Eade and Banger were nominated, but were unsuccessful in election. A vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the proceedings. '

B. G. Tl. Ist Or 126 136 262 2ndQr ... 125 137 262 3rdQr ... 125 132 257 4th Qr ... 134 135 269 Average roil number for year 263 Attendance. B. G. Tl. Ist Or 97 102 199 2ad Qr ... 80 87 167* 3rdQr ... 94 98 192 4th Qr ... 95 97 192 Average Attendance for year 188

Receipts. £ «. d. Balance ia bank, Ist Jan, 1882 311 2 Prom Education Board ... 50 2 0 Paieota contributions ... 917 0 * ' £63 ]0 2 Expenditure. Cleaniftg school, etc 26 10 0 Fuel for school use 3 7 6 Repairs to buildings, «fee. ... 7 0 0 Erection of closet at teacher's resufenee 2 10 0 Printing 2 18 6 'Advertumg 7 6 Btatioa«y 1 12 7 Maps, buckets, soap, &c. ... 3 2 6 Balance 16 1 7 £63 10 2 JosH&A Joins,