EAST CHRISTCHURCH SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 157, 4 December 1874, Page 2

EAST CHRISTCHURCH SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The usual fortnightly meeting of this committee was held yesterday evening, in St John’s schoolroom. Present—Messrs Wynn Williams (chairman), Mitchell, Thomas, Jameson, Packer, Kirk, Dymock, and the Revs H. C, M. Watson, and W, J. Habens. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The chairman stated that the old St Andrew’s schoolroom in Lichfield street had been secured for eight months, to be used as a class room in connection with St John’s school, at £4 a month. A tender for desks, &c, had been accepted, Mr Jameson asked if the contractor had been paid for the fencing at the Bingsland school, as some of it was in a very unfinished state ? The water apparatus at that school had been again broken, and ought to be attended to at once. The cupboards inside, and the gates, required locks, and a notice board should be placed on the ground to prevent people from trespassing. With regard to the organisation of the school, there was not sufficient room there. When the sub - committee attended there were 290 children in the school with only room for 200, and when a separate class had to be examined, the master had to take it into the lobby for that purpose. The secretary was instructed to write the contractor with reference to the fencing and water apparatus. Mr Thomas said that the neighborhood of Bingsland was becoming more populated every day. Since the school had been erected some forty houses had been built in that district. It would be nearly necessary to build two more class rooms. Mr Mitchell, as a member of one of the sub-committees, reported a defect in the building of the South town belt school, it being 12in lower than intended. Mr Farr had staled that this defect was owing to the clerk of works having misunderstood him. The debris had not been removed, and the drainage was also very bad, without a possibility of remedy through that defect in the level of the school. The school had commenced with 120 pupils, and when visited by the committee there were 190 in attendance. The various schools required some repairs, and what the committee wanted was a handy man to do this work. The chairman said this was an awkward difficulty. It was useless looking to the architect, and they must only attend to these matters themselves. The Rev Mr Habens asked if Mr Farr had reported on the best mode of levelling the ground at the South town belt school. The secretary replied that he had, and the Board had also sanctioned the work. Mr Packer moved —“ That Mr Farr be called upon to have all the contracts of the Bingsland and South town belt schools completed at once.”

Mr Thomas seconded the motion, which wa« agreed to The following letter was then read : “ Christ’s College Library, *• November 25th, 1874. “ Sir,—l have been instructed by the diocesan education committee to apply to your committee to ask if you will allow re* ligious instruction to be given in your schools by ministers of religion or persons authorised by them, and approved by the committee as sanctioned by the Education Ordinance. ‘ I am, &c., “ J, Barton Acland, “ Hon Secretary. “ The Chairman of the East Christchurch School Committee*” The chairman said that he had taken upon himself to write to Mrs Haughton with regard to religious instruction being given by Mr Watson. He had visited the school one morning at five minutes to nine o’clock, and found some of the children there without any teacher, and rather revelling in the fact. When speaking to Mrs Haughton of the irregularity of the attendance, she said it only occurred on the mornings the children attended religious instruction at St John’s Church, Surprised at this state of things he had requested that lady to write him, which she bad done. In her letter Mrs Haughton stated that the Rev Mr Watson brought her the papers (one of which she enclosed), which were distributed by her among the children belonging to the Church of England. They took them home to be signed by the parents, and she then returned them to Mr Watson, who a short time after informed her that the children were to go to St John’s Church on Friday morning at 9 a.m. She did not remember the date when the children first went to St John’s Church for that purpose, but it was at the end of August or first week in September. As the forms given to her were addressed to the committee, and when she was told to send them to St. John’s, she certainly thought she was acting in accordance with their wishes. The following wag the form enclosed by Mrs Haughton : “ To the committee of the Bast Christchurch District School. “Gentlemen, —I hereby request that my child (or children) may be permitted to attend the religious instruction given by the Rev H. C. M. Watson, or the person appointed by him at the above named school.” On that morning he had visited the school, he found that at twenty minutes past nine none of the teachers had arrived, and the scholars in the school seemed to be in a complete state of disorganisation. On speaking to Mrs Haughton about the non-attendance of teachers, she told him that on the mornings Mr Watson gave religious instruction, the teachers did not attend so early. In consequence of the form which Mrs Haughton had enclosed to him, she thought she was acting perfectly right in permitting them to attend at St John s, Mr Thomas expressed surprise at seeing, for the first time, a form which had been addressed to the committee and had never been placed before them. He regretted to see that such a disingenuous course should have been adopted by any member of the committee ; and felt that every notice of that kind should first have been placed before them. The Rev Mr Watson said he-regretted the action taken by the chairman, who perhaps had acted in ignorance of his position. In giving the children instruction once a week, he was only acting under a resolution of the committee, and he believed that the existence of these forms to be signed by parents was known to every one. Mr Thomas wished to explain that he did not object to religious instruction being given, but it was the fact of one-third of the school attending to receive this without it being known by the committee. The chairman wished to point out that the resolution stated that the committee must be satisfied that the children were receiving religious instruction. He had been very much surprised to understand by Mrs Haughton’s letter that the forms were taken home by the children, then signed by the parents, andreturned to Mr Watson, who afterwards handed her the papers, informing her that the children were to attend for religious instruction, leading her to infer that, as he was a member of the committee, he was acting under their authority in doing so. The Rev Mr Habens said it was plain that Mr Watson had made one mistake. He had provided the children with forms as if from the committee, which had been signed by the parents and addressed to the committee, and Mr Watson had made the serious mistake of intercepting them, which he had no right to do. The chairman considered in doing what he had he was acting with full knowledge of his position as chairman of the committee. When he visited the school and found so many children absent receiving religious instruction, without the knowledge of the committee, he felt he was only acting right in wanting to know why they were absent. He could not understand how the language of the resolution could ;be distorted to meam that the children could receive religious instruction without the committee being first satisfied that they were receiving it. He would bow to the decision of the committee, but lie considered he was only doing; his bounden duty in wanting to know from Mrs Haughton why the children werepermitted to be absent on Friday mornings.. [Hear, hear.] If no other member would! move a resolution bearing on this matter he: would leave the chair and move one. The Rev Mr Habens wished to point out: that, if Mr Watson were quite correct in saying that his action was consequent on his receiving from the Diocesan authorities a copy of this committee’s resolution, it would appear that the resolution received by the Bishop in reply to a communication made by him as chairman of a meeting of ministers of all denominations, had been used in the interests of the Church of England only. Certainly he (Mr Habens) had not been favored with a copy of the resolution as Mr Watson appeared to have been. Of course, if Mr Watson were speaking under a misapprehension, these remarks would be without foundation, The Rev Mr Watson said he was not quitesure whether he had received a copy of the resolution from his lordship, but' he was; under the impression that he had not. Mr Kirk moved —“ That no children beremoved from the schools during school hours— i.e., from 9 a.m till 3 p.m on school days. That the ministers of religion be permitted to use the schoolrooms for the purpose of imparting religious instruction before the hour of 9 a : m in the morning and after 3 p.m.” Mr Jameson seconded the resolution with pleasure,

Mr Watson moved as an amendment — “ That this committee is prepared to sanction an arrangement with any authorised minister of religion to give religious instruction in the schools of this district for half an hour (to be appointed by the teacher) on each Wednesday and Friday mornings. Mr Packer seconded the amendment. After some further discussion the amendment was put and lost by 7 to 2, the mover and seconder only voting for it. The resolution was then put and carried. The chairman read a letter from the Board consenting to Mr Exall’s teaching at the Music Hall, also memoranda from the subinspector and inspector of schools, disapproving of the partition being thrown open between the two rooms at the Barbadoes street scliool Mr Habens said that Mr Restell and Mr Hammond seemed to labor under a misapprehension, as they supposed the committee wished to remove the chimney included in the partition, and this the committee had no desire to do. Some applications were received as male pupil teachers, and that of Messrs Exall and Morton accepted. Misses Dunnage, Williams, Innes, Morton, and Henderson were appointed female pupil teachers. It was decided that the schools in the district close for the Christmas holidays on the 11th December, the children to re-assemble on the second Monday in January. After transacting some routine business the committeeadjourned.