Feilaing School Committee.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 234, 6 April 1897, Page 2

Feilaing School Committee.

The ordinary tacntbly meeting of the above botly was he'd last evening. Present — Messrs W. Carthew (chairman), W. G. Haybittle (secretary), E. Guodbehere, R. J. Thompson, C. Bray, W. Spence, T. Wood, and Rev A. Innes Jones. Correspondence was read and dealt with as follows : — From Education Board, stating that ] Jas. Waits had been appointed pupil teacher at this school ; also stating there i were two applicants for the position of caciot at the school ; also asking for the I upi" ointment of an auditor to audit the school accounts; also that the annual meeting of householders and election of a i school committee would be held on Mon- ! day, April 26, and that householders I were required to roininate candidates on j or before April 19. From Inspector Bindon stating the school would be examined on May 4th ami sth. From F. M. Sp mile, stating he was a candidate for election to the Wangatmi Education Board, and asking for this coniLmttQ&'s support. Accounts anic.u iting to £3 15s 9J were | pa^ed for paymtv-it. | Resolved, on the motion of Mr Good- • ! bcliorc and seconded by Mr Thompson, ! j That Phcrbe Thompson bo recommended I for nppointmont as cadet. ! Resolved, Thai the chairman's action in recommending Mr G raliatu for appointment as auditor bo approved. Proposed by Mr Goodbcbere, seconded by Mr Haybittlc, That this committee vote for Mr Spindle to fill the vacancy on 'he Education. Board. Carried. The; headmaster reported that the attendance for the last month was 347, I the number on the roll being 400 ; for the year 1896 the per ceutage on roll i iva'i 85 ; for the year ISQO the per canta^e on roll was 65. There were now ten teachers on the staff. lie had re pointedly drawn attention to the matter of Sunday school picnics, and asked that all picnics should be held during the Chri.stmas holidays ; be faw no valid objection ; the mo.st convenient dav of the week could then be chosen. This year ouly two churches itlie Eng lish aud Scotch) tried to co operate with bun in this matter (to them he offered his best thauksi. The consequence was that the first seven or eight weeks after the holidays liicre was a picnic ©very wee):. Tins bad tbo very worst effect i ou the school aad on t!;e children. He thought that alter rive weeks' holidays the children m'.ght bo expected to settle down to steads work. Resolved. That Messrs R. J. Thompson and J. Wood be appointed a visiting committee for the mouth. Inspector Bindou's interim report was received. Dealiuj? with the organisation of the school he described it as quite satisfactory. The order aud discipline throughout all classes was excellent ; with the behaviour and earnest, well sustained attention of the pupils he was much pleased; whether the teachers or the " top pupils " bad charge of the classes the attention and discipline were commendable. Manners were excellent. The buildiDg, the ground and the fences were in good order ; the rooms were neat and clean, but might be brightened up sotncwlutfc. The registers, log book, etc., were correctly kept. He was pleased to be able to state bis complete satisfaction with the quality of the instructijn. The methods, too, were excellent and they were well carried out". The manner in which the jupils' help is enlisted was highly commendable ; for not only did it save much of the teachers' time in purely mechanical routine work, but it also le<] the pupils to take a cons-idorable amouut of interest in their work, and enlisted their sympathies by making them feel that they were something more than mere recipients of another's ideas. He confidently stated that all the teachers bad vastly improved in teaching and class management since he last saw tbem at work ; aud the bead master's practice of supervising all the work in place of tying himself down to one class was responsible for this. The meeting then adjourned.