EAST CHRISTCHURCH SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 425, 22 October 1875, Page 3

EAST CHRISTCHURCH SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

A special meeting of the East Christchurch school committee was held at 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon, in the vestry of Trinity Church, Present —Rev W. J. Habens (chair man), and Messrs J. S. Williams, J. P. Jameson, J. Colborne-Veel, and A. Kirk. The chairman said he had called the meeting that afternoon as three of the members of the committee had engagements during the evening which would have prevented them attending, and some matters of importance to be considered made it necessary that the meeting should not lapse. He had to mention that he had reported his election as chairman to the Minister of Education. Mr Kirk, as one of the sub-committee appointed for that purpose, reported having visited the South town belt school, and that the maps, pictures, &c, required by Miss Anthony would cost £3 ss. Blinds were also required for two large windows in the school, as at some portions of the day the heat through them was so great as to compel the removal of the children to another part of the room. There was also a dangerous well enclosed now by the fencing in the playground, 4 feet wide, and about 20 feet deep, which would require to be filled in. The chairman said that as the committee had no funds to obtain the maps, &c, required, and to fill in the well, an application would have to be made to the Minister of Education. The committee approved the proposed expenditure, the chairman to communicate how the expense was to be met, and confer with the sub-committee. Mr Kirk said that the drain referred to at the last meeting was now in hand. The chairman mentioned that in his letter to the Minister he had referred to this, but no reference had been made to the matter in the reply he had received. The chairman reported the arrangements be had made for supplying the place of a junior teacher determined on at last meeting. He (the chairman) had received an intimation from the Minister of Education that a voucher for £620 had been passed for payment to Mr Allen, contractor. Relative to the office of caretaker for the main school, the Minister in reply had written that from amongst numerous applications received by him for the position of caretaker for the Normal school he had selected one at £65 a year with neither cottage nor fuel allowed, and suggested that an effort might be made by the committee to obtain aman for the Gloucester street school on similar terms. He (the chairman) had only received the letter previous day, and until the committee met he thought it would be unadvisable to insert an advertisraent calling for applications. A number of applications had, however, been received by him already. Mr Bray and he had drawn up a list of the duties of the caretaker, which it was suggested should be hung up in Mr Parker’s registry office, where it might be seen by all intending applicants. Since this question had been raised by the Minister, he had seen Mr Tancred, who told him that the West Christchurch committee had given their caretaker £6O or £65 a year, with house, fuel, and candles, but they could not get the man to stay, as he found the work so heavy, and he (Mr Tancred) did not think £BO a year enough. Mr Jameson thought it would be a useless waste of money advertising if they could only give £65, without a cottage, He would suggest that an advertisement be inserted in the papers, asking applicants what they would undertake the duties for, but £65 a year, without house and fuel, was so ridiculously small that he would not support any proposition for such a salary, as for that sum they could hardly expect the work to be efficiently performed. After some further remarks it was resolved that the chairman wait on the Minister of Education, and see whether he will consent to £65 a year with cottage and fuel ; if so, the appointment to be advertised for, and if not tenders to be called. Consideration of the applications received was held over, The chairman reported that Messrs Bray and Thomson had made the necessary arrangements to have the Gloucester street school cleaned.

It was decided that a reply be sent to an application from Miss Reese desiring to teach at Bingsland school, that no vacancy exists at present. The chairman said that as instructed by the committee he had written to the Minister of Education to learn when the instructions to the committee came into force, and had received a reply that the instructions to school committees came into force from the date of their publication in the Government Gazette.

Five tenders for painting Gloucester street were opened, and that of Messrs Wood and Connal was accepted, subject to the approval of the Minisier.

The chairman was asked to confer with Mr Mountfort, as to revising the plans for the main school lavatories, or to call for fresh tenders for same before Thursday next. The chairman said it would perhaps be as well to postpone consideration of the rogu lations sent in until the next meeting, but as the committee would have to act as their own rate collectors, he had prepared a question which he intended submitting to the Minister of Education, with a view of obtaining the desired information before they discussed the regulations. It was as follows : —“ Whether clause 47 is to be read as it stands. ’ “No person shall be liable to pay inrespectof his children a greater annual sum than forty shillings or whether this is to be interpreted as applying only to children between six and thirteen years of age ; and so, that for children under six, and over thirteen, the regulation charges are to be made irrespective of the forty shillings ?” In reply to Mr Jameson, the chairman said that the committee was instructed to collect 10a a year from children under six years of age, and 5s a quarter from those over thirteen years.

Further discussion on this matter was postponed until next meeting. The chairman, in reply to a member, said he did not know whether the functions of the committee had been altered since the last eh ction. A letter of thanks was read from Mr Flesher for the use of the Bingsland school one night last week, when a service of song had been held therein. Letters were read from the Education office stating that certain amounts had been placed to the credit of the committee, and that vouchers for augmentation grants, imprest payments, &c, would be paid as soon as passed by the treasury officers. A letter was read from Mr Andrew Duncan, asking the committee to take into their consideration the advisableness of establishing a side school at Phillipstown, pointing to the distance the children had to travel in wet weather to the Barbadoes school, saying that a chapel had been erected there, in which a Sunday school class had been formed the previous Sunday, which was well attended : that this building might be used as a schoolroom, and suggesting that a meeting of the inhabitants be called to obtain an expression of opinion thereon. In the remarks made by the committee the suggestion was generally approved, but further consideration was adjourned until next week.

A plan of the drainage of the Gloucester street school grounds was sent in by Mr Mountfort, and after inspection it was decided that Messrs Bray and Thomson confer with the architect as to carrying out the work, The committee then adjourned.