BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 221, 23 February 1875, Page 4

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Monday, February 22. The usual weekly meeting of the Board was held at 7 p.m. Present—Messrs Inglis (chairman), Duncan, and Maude. SCHOLARSHIPS. The examiners for the scholarships recommended that the 2nd and 9th of June should be fixed as the days for the examination of the candidates for scholarships. The Board approved of this being done. The date for sending in applications was fixed for Wednesday, May 19th. CLASSIFICATION. The Board of Examiners reported that they had placed Mr J. P. Montgomery in the third class, the grade to depend upon his efficiency in teaching. The Board approved of the classification. PUPIL TEACHERS. The Chairman brought under the notice of the Board the fact that several of the pupil teachers had failed at the recent examination, and suggested that they should be allowed to continue in the various schools until the examination in June next. The Board agreed to this being done. TEACHERS' EXAMINATION. The Board resolved that the school committees of those teachers who failed at the recent examination be informed of the fact; and that a Jlist of those who have passed the examination, and are unemployed, be forwarded to the different schools. NEW MEMBER. A letter was read from the Provincial Secretary, informing the Board that Mr H. R. Webb had been appointed as a member of the Board, in room of Mr Harman resigned. VOUCHEES OP THE BOARD. A letter was read from the Provincial Secretary, stating that the auditor was absent from Christchurch, hence the vouchers had not been passed. The chairman stated that the vouchers had been passed, as the auditor had returned to Christchurch. EXPENDITURE OP THE BOARD. The following letter from the Provincial Secretary was read : "17th February. " Sir, —ln reference'to the letter from> the secretary to the Board, dated January 22nd, in which the Government are informed that the sum of £7415 5s 7d is required for buildings, &c, and £SOO for contingencies. I have the honor to inform you that, understanding from you at an interview between the Government and yourself, that though the works named by the Board are urgently needed at once, yet they are not absolutely required for a month or two, and that no pledge in regard to them has been made by the Board; the Government considers that, notwithstanding any inconveniences which may occur in consequence of delay in proceeding with these <vorks, they would not be justified in authorising so large an expenditure beyond the appropriation so short a time before the meeting of the Provincial Council, and they further consider that in all probability the price of labor and material will be much lower two months hence than it is at present, whereby a considerable saving may be made. " The Provincial Council will meet in the beginning of April, when the above sum of £7145 5s 7d will be included in the Appropriation Bill to be submitted for the consideration of the Provincial Council. "In reference to the special warrant for £SOO, which the Board state they require for contingencies, I have the honor to inform you that his Honor the Superintendent will be advised to issue such warrant. " I have, &c, "E. Jollie, " Provincial Secretary. " Chairman Board of Education." It was resolved that a circular be drafted by the chairman to the various school committees, forwarding the information contained in the above letter. ARCHITECT'S PEES. A letter was read from Mr Armson respecting the statement that he had charged 7J per cent as architect's fees, and forwarding a scale of charges. The Board instructed the secretary to reply thanking Mr Armson for his courtesy in forwarding the scale of charges, at the same time expressing their opinion that the charge was excessive, as both in the case of Lyttelton and bt Albans he had had the whole of the work, and the Board were of opinion that no greater amount than 5 per cent should be allowed to any architect for school buildings. GERMAN BAY. A letter was read from Mr Gibbs, complaining that though his tender was the lowest for the erection of sohool buildings, it had been rejected, and referring the Board as to competency, to Mr Rankin. 1 A memo from Mr Bankin was read, and Mr Maude also spoke on the subject. It was decided that Mr Gibbs' tender for £398 be accepted, provided he find two substantial sureties for the due completion of the work. LINCOLN. A letter was read from the local committee, recommending certain alterations to the Lincoln school, comprising the substitution of four rows of desks, the erection of a new door to enter at the porch, and the arranging of the windows so as to open at the top. The Board declined to sanction the request for increased rows of desks, as it would reduce the floor space, which it was the aim of the Board to make as large as possible. » The request for the door was granted, and the other, respecting the windows, refused. LITTLE RAKAIA. A letter was read from the schoolmaster, asking permission to let the dwelling house adjoining the school, as he lived with his father ; if the Board objected to this would they allow of his putting a caretaker in it. The Board declined to sanction the course proposed, and the secretary was requested to forward the reply to the committee, referring the qupstion of a caretaker to the committee for decision. ROBINSON'S BAY. A letter was read from the Duvauchelle's Bay .committee, stating that there was a general wish on the part of the Robinson's Bay residents that the school site and house should be under the control of the Board. They had a site and a house offered to them, and recommended the Board to sanction the purchase of the same for a school house. The secretary was instructed to request the committee to send a tracing of the land for the information of the Board, and informing them that the Board is averse to purchasing old buildings, and would require ground plan aud elevation. , In any case the matter would have to stand over until the PouacU net,

WAITOHI PLAT. < A letter was read from the local committee, stating that Mr Mahan, of Timaru, had been appointed to that school. The Board agreed to sanction the appoint ment of Mr Mahan. An application was also received from the same committee, asking for grant in aid of school furniture. The Board agreed to make the grant as requested, subject to the usual conditions, and also to make the usual grant of books. AUGMENTATION GRANT TO TEACHERS. The chairman brought under the notice of the Board the question of payment of augmentation grant to teachers who had been engaged in England. After some discussion, the Board agreed to sanction an augmentation grant to the English teachers, according to their certificates, on the same footing as the other leachers. BARRY'S BAY. A letter was read from the committee, stating that they had accepted Mr Gibb's tender for the erection of schoolhouse for the sum of £199, and requesting the sanction of the Board to the same. The Board sanctioned the acceptance of Mr Gibb's tender as requested, so soon as the site is conveyed to the Superintendent, subject to Mr Gibb's finding two sureties for the completion of the work. CONTRACTORS' SURETIES. It was rPßolved that in future all accepted tenderers for the erection of sohool buildings be required to find two sureties for the due completion of the works, and that committees be requested to insert the same in all future specifications. HORORATA. A letter was read from the local committee respecting the prize fund. It was resolved to answer that the Board could not sanction the charging of more than cost price for books in order to swell the prize fund. TIMARU. A letter was read from the local committee suggesting that the election of school committees should be carried out in the same manner as that for Borough Councillors. The committee also forwarded a letter from the bank manager informing them that the sum of £54 3s lOd for interest on overdraft on building fund had been debited to the general fund. The secretary was instructed to reply that the Board could not recognise the payment of interest out of the general fund, which was for the payment of teachers, and must withhold its sanction to the payment of the sum of £54 10s 3d interest on overdraft at the Bank of New Zealand. The letter further recommended the appointment of some person to inspect the school buildings, grounds, &c, and report to the Board. He would also be able to receive from the committee a statement of their requirements, and report independently to the Board thereupon. It was decided to call the attention of the Government to the necessity which exists, in the opinion of the Board, for a professional inspection of the various schools of the province, and requesting them to see whether a remedy could not be devised. LYTTELTON. A letter was read from the Borough school committee, stating that the unauthorised expenditure (£170), had arisen from the cost of the water supply being three times greater than was anticipated, and also that though the committee knew the proper course would have been to apply to the Board for the additional amount, they thought that the extra cost of this work, together with other authorised works would not exceed the total amount voted by the Board for the Lyttelton Borough school. A letter was also read from the same committee stating that the Government had requested them to supply the information as to the cost of water tanks, cement flooring, Sec, which the committee had had used by the hard labor gang, the understanding being that the amount of the material should be returned to the Government. The amount was £123, which the committee requested might be paid into the Treasury at once. It was decided that the secretary request the Lyttelton Borough school committee to head in at once a detailed statement of their liabilities. BOARD OF EXAMINERS' REPORT. A report was read from the Board of Examiners, classing Miss Sarah Fee in the thiid clas3, the grade to be fixed as soon as her ability to teach shall have been ascertained. A certificate from Belfast was enclosed, classing Miss Fee in the first division of the third class. MALVERN. A letter was read from the local committee, recommending the acceptance of the tender of Mr Taylor, for £SBO, for the erection of school buildings. The Board considered the tender too high, and the secretary was instructed to reply that the committee should advertise for fresh tenders. The Board then adjourned.