CHRISTCHURCH EAST SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 341, 16 July 1875, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH EAST SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

A meeting of the Christchurch East School Committee was held last Thursday in St. John’s vestry. Present—Rev W. J. liabens, B.A. (chairman), Rev H. C. M, Watson, Messrs W. B. Mitchell, A. Kirk, W. Packer.

The chairman suggested that as there was so much business, that the present should oe treated as a general meeting. The committee resolved accordingly. The chairman, in distributing copies of the Education Ordinance, said that it appeared by clause 23 compared with clauses 18 and 22, that it was necessary for the Superintendent tocall a meetingand issue regulations for an election to the vacancy caused by Mr Dymock’s resignation. At least that was his (the chairman’s) reading of the Ordinance. It would be seen that the committee’s term ot office would expire on the second Monday in October, By clause 45 all rates were now paid into the Treasury, and by clause 48 the whole amount required for the maintenance of schools was to be paid by the Superintendent to the committees! In accordance with this a voucher

had been passed for the payment of all salaries for the current quarter, and of augmentation grants and other extras for the last quarter. The Minister for Education proposed to provide for contingencies in a similar way, and had asked for an estimate for the current half-year. As, however, the amount of the estimate was so nearly equal to the committee’s credit balance at the bank, it would perhaps be as well to ask that that balance might be treated as a grant for contingencies. It did not appear whether payment for buildings would be made in the same way, but a voucher had been passed for a progress payment to architect on account of commission.

With reference to the question of the '

erection of a bridge over the river near the East belt,

The chairman read a letter from the Minister of Education, to the effect that the Government did not think that they would be justified in using any part of the vote for education for building a bridge, and that they had no other funds applicable ; but that a large grant had been made to the City Council for bridges, Acc, and that he (the Minister) had written to the City Council on the matter '■

Mr Mitchell reported that a letter had been sent to the City Council with reference to the shingle for the South town belt school. The following letter was read from the Minister of Education :

“ Education Office, Christchurch, “July 10th, 1876. “ Rev W. J. Habens, 8.A., Chairman District “ Committee, Christchurch East School.

“ Sir, —I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th inst, informing me that Mr Coates has declined the appointment of head-master of Gloucester street school, and requesting my sanction to the appointment of Mr A. Loughrey, 8.A., to that post, with the me salary as Mr Coatea would have received. After carefully looking through correspondence between your committee and the late Board of Education, I have been unable to find any reason advanced showing why the head-master of this school should receive a higher salary than the head-master of other borough schools. “ Perhaps you are not aware that no master of any school in the province—with the exception of the Lyttelton school—receives a higher salary than £350 a year, including house rent, but exclusive; £of augmentation grants, &c.

“The head-master of the West Christchurch school receives £350 a year, with no allowance for house rent, and your request as to the salary, if sanctioned, would necessitate an additional £SO being paid to several other masters, for which there appears to me to be no necessity. “ For the above reasons I regret not being able to sanction the appointment of a master for Gloucester street school at a higher salary than £350 a year, which will include house rent, but not the usual allowances according to certificate and fees for training pupil teachers, “ I have the honor to be, sir, “ Your obedient servant, “ A. C. KnightS “Minister for Education.’*

The chairman said he wished to make two or three remarks on this letter. He had looked up the committee’s correspondence with the Board, as referred to in the Minister’s letter, by which it appeared that in May, 1874, a deputation waited on the Board to ascertain what scale of expenditure would be allowed; that the Board then asked the committee to prepare a scheme for consideration, which was done, and approved by the Board; and further that the Board sanctioned the issue of advertisements offering a high salary for a head master. Apart from the argument by which the committee might sustain its request, and referring now only to the points in the Minister’s letter, it might be noticed that the report gave in brief one of the committee’s chief reasons—viz, that the principal teachers should be the most efficient that could be secured; that the matter had been more fully submitted to the Board through the deputation which waited on the then chairman; that the committee had never before been called upon to justify a difference between the salaries in their school and those of other schools; that the school was intended to accommodate a much larger number of children than any schools with which the Minister compared it, and that even according to the letter under consideration, the head master of Lyttelton school was in a better position than that which the letter would permit this committee to offer. The following report from the deputation appointed to wait on the Minister of Education, was read ; “ Bast Christchurch School District, July 12th, 1875. “ The deputation appointed by the committee was received to an interview with the Minister of Education this day, and beg to report as follows: 1. “ The deputation asked whether the clause in a letter from the Minister to the chairman, under date July sth, 1875, and reading as follows: —“ Both being subject to any alteration in the scale of payment which may very possibly be hereafter made,” was to be taken as indicating a policy of reduction in salaries. The deputation pointed out the difficulty ol the position ’in which the committee would be placed if it undertook the responsibility of offering certain salaries to teachers, in some cases it may be, brought from other colonies, while a probability existed of a reduction in the salaries at which they were engaged. “The Minister replied that he only desired to reserve the power which he thought ought customarily to be reserved, of revising at any time the scale of payment, a power of which the committee even might at any time be glad to avail itself, in any re-distribution of the classes and teachers. He admitted that the word “ very ” in his letter, might be taken to convey a meaning beyond his purpose, and assured the deputation that the Government did not at present intend to propose any reduction of salaries. 2. “The deputation having first secured Mr RestelTs approval of Mr Mountfort’s plan for four rows of desks in the large upper rooms, and of the originally designed position of seats in the class rooms, submitted the plans showing accommodation for 890 children, assuming that 180 out of this number could be provided for in the two smaller rooms behind the main building, the estimated cost for the 890 being £BO4. “ The Minister remarked that the school was understood to be built for 1000 children, and he would like to see the plans modified so that the full number could be received. He added that as the plans had been prepared according to regulations made by the late Board, and also with the advice of Mr Bestell, there would probably be no difficultly

about obtaining leave to call for tenders so soon as the plans were adapted to a school ox 1000 children. , , . ~ , 3. “ The deputation explained tne resolution referring to the grant of £5 for gravel as being inadequate had been passed under a misapprehension, and that it had since been found that for this purpose only £5 had been asked. They then showed that the necessity for the work of levelling done at Bingsland had been urgent, and that much yet required to be done. The Minister agree to pass a voucher for the payment of £22 12s as requested, a sum which includes the charge for laying shingle as already provided for in the vote of £5. It is to be understood that this voucher will count in reduction of any grant to be made hereafter for levelling. 4. “ The Minister referring to the proposed purchase of land in extension of the site of the Gloucester street school, said that having all the offers of land before him, he could not but recognise the difficulty of arriving at a decision as to what land should be purchased, and he would be glad if the committee would endeavour to decide the question, keeping in view that the sum available for the purpose was about £I2OO. 5. “The Minister also referred to a letter he had written to the chairman, declining to sanction the engagement of Mr Loughrey on the same terms as those offered to Mr Coates. The deputation intimated that they would not wish to enter upon this subject until the letter had been considered by the committee. At the same time they urged some arguments in favour of the terms which had been sanctioned by the Board of Education. “Wm. Jas Habbns, “ Chairman of Committee.”

The chairman said that as no other record was available of the interview, he had written to ask the Minister of Education to say whether this report was a fair record, but the Minister had not as yet replied; Mr Mitchell said that he could not see that the Minister’s reply to the deputation was consistent with his letter. It was a most important subject, for if what the letter seemed to imply were to take place, it would very materially interfere with the action of the committee in endeavouring to procure superior teachers. It appeared to him that the letter received with regard to Mr Loughrey’s appointment was in the direction of the letter of last week, regarding which the deputation waited on the minister. The Rev H. C. M. Watson said that the chairman’s statement would show what steps the committee had taken to secure a high class of teachers, and now the Minister of Education wished the committee to abjure the steps they had taken to improve the status of their schools. The chairman said he apprehended the first question to be considered was whether they agreed with the views of the Minister of Education or otherwise, and if they disagreed therewith, to draft a letter setting forth their views to the Minister of Education. Rev H. C. M. Watson moved—“ That a letter be written to the Minister for Education detailing the facts and considerations on which the offer of so high a salary for • the head master was based; urging the necessity of its allowance in order to the efficiency of the schools, and begging that the matter be reconsidered.” Mr W. R. Mitchell seconded the motion, which was agreed to unanimously; and the heads of a letter to be written to the Minister of Education were also agreed to. The committee then proceeded to consider the question of furnishing the schoolrooms so as to provide increased accommodation. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Mitchell, seconded by Mr Kirk, that Mr Mountfort be authorised to call for tenders, subject to the approval of the Minister for Education. The committee then proceeded to consider the question of purchasing additional laud for the purpose of increasing the size of the school site in Gloucester street. It was resolved, on the motion of the Rev H. 0. M. Watson, seconded by Mr Kirk—- “ That Mr Mitchell and the chairman be authorised to make recommendations to the Minister for Education for the purchase of the land.” The chairman reported that Miss Matthews, who had been teaching at St. Andrew’s School-room, had been compelled to resign

through ill health. Miss Matthews’ resignation was accepted, and it was decided that Mrs Woodford be appointed to take charge of the St, Andrew’s

School. It was resolved that the masters of the various schools be requested to furnish an inventory of the school furniture and effects, the property of the committee. After the transaction of some routine business, the committee adjourned.