SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 566, 11 April 1876, Page 3

SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

CHRISTCHURCH EAST. The meeting of the householders in the educational district of Christchurch East, for the purpose of electing a new school committee, was held yesterday evening, at the school buildings, in Gloucester strce\ Owing to the inclemency of the weather there was but a small attendance. Mr J. Col-borne-Veel opened the proceedings by stating the objects of the meeting, and reading the Superintendent’s letter of appointment, in virtue of which he presided.

The chairman read the report of the committee as follows : “ In accordance with the 20lh section of the EducaPou Ordinance, 1875, the committee submit the following report of their proceedings and statement of accounts for the six months that have expired since the date of their election in October last. During the time that the present committee have been in office, their ordinary meetings have been held as usual every Tuesday fortnight, and no meeting has lapsed for want of a quorum. The accounts now pr< sented have not been audited. The Ordinance provides that in future the accounts shall be made up and audited by the Provincial Auditor for the calendar year from the Ist January to the Blst December, and the accounts for the half-year ending March 31st—those laid before the present meeting—are directed to be forwarded to the auditor by the 30th April. The committee have no doubt, however, that the accounts row before the meeting are perfectly accurate. The total receipts, including £l3l 12s 3d, the balance in hand at the beginning of the half-year, have been £2669 6s; and the expenditure under the several heads stated in the account, £2495 Is, leaving a credit balance of £179 os. Hooking back over the time that the present educational system has been in force, it will be found that, exclmive of a sum of £1327 Is 2d for buildings, sites, and permanent apparatus—which strictly belong to an account kept by the Education Office, but for convenience has passed through the hands of the committee—and of rents, a charge arising from the necessity for temporary accommodation while schools were building, amounting to £lO4-7 3s 7d, the coat of maintenance for two and a half years has been £6594 4s 9d, or at the rate of £2637 13s 'od a year; £SO is represented by a stock of hooks for sale to the pupils. Of this £659 4 4:-* 9d, the district has coutributed £2639 4s 3d by two annual payments of rates, and £22 Os 2d by way of subserption for prizes. The balance, viz, £3933 Os 4d, has been supplied by the Provincial Government. The great event to be recorded during the past six months has been the completion of the main school in Gloucester street, which was formally opened on November 18tb. His Excellency the Governor was at the time on a visit to the province, and at the request of the committee consented to perform the opening ceremony. The schools which had been temporarily carried on in the Music Hall and other places, hired for the purpose, were then closed, ard the children transferred to the central school. Final delivery was taken of the budding during the last month. The total amount expended on the building and school furniture, together with the cost of fencing, levelling, and formation of playground, &c, is £9968 17s Bd, to which most be added architect’s commission, a sum of £IOO due for fittings not yet received from England, and some smaller sums that will be required for additional furniture and levelling of an extra piece of ground lately purchased. These additional amounts will bring up the total cost to about £10,400. The site, extending to nearly three acres 2 18-16th, cost £8262 10s. So that the entire expenditure from first to last on the main school in Gloucester street, including purchase of land for school and master’s house, caretaker’s cottage, fencing and levelling, cost of construction, furniture, and everything required to equip the school in perfect working order, has been about £18,700. The school is built to accommodate 1000 children ; the total outlav is therefore at the rate of £l3 14s per child. As was remarked ou a former occasion by the Rev VV. Habeas, it was stated in the House of Commons, in the debate on the education vote for 1875, that the cost per child of the buildings of the London School Board was £ls 7s 2d. Of other buildings and works, besides those in connection with the main school, the committee have not much to report. The fencing and drainage of the grounds attached to the Bingslaud and South town belt schools have been satisfactorily completed. There are three other matters as to which the commi tee much regret that they are not in a position to make any definite statement, namely, the completion of the master’s house at Biugsland, the acquisition of a site for an infants’ school adjoining; the main school in Gloucester street, and the establishment of a school in Phillipstown. The committee think it exceedingly desirable that these works should be undertaken without delay. Application for the necessary funds was made in December, and has been’frequently repeated, but no positive‘’answerhasyet been received. The Minister for Education has placed the items on the estimates of his department, and there is reason to hope that they will be sanctioned ; but the estimates have not yet come under the consideration of the Executive. The number of children in attendance at the main school in the first fortnight after its opening was 1054. During the last March quarter the highest number on the books was 1232—viz, 660 boys and 572 girls. The average attendance was 807. The number admitted during the quarter who had not previously attended was 325, and the number of those who left was 136 ; showing a balance in favour of the new comers of 189. At Bingsland seboo 1 , the highest number on the books during the quarter was 236, and the average attendance 143.8. At the South town belt school, the number on the register was 236, and the average attendance 109.3. The total number of children attending the schools under the charge of the committee during the quarter was 1632, with an average daily attendance of 1060. The committee are glad to be able to report an increase in the average attendance. During the year ended September 30th, the average did not quite reach 60 per cent, of the total number on the school books ; but during the last six months it has risen to 66 per cent. This improvement is partly attributable to a system lately introduced, by which every child who fails to attend during any one morning or afternoon is required to bring, on a form supplied for the purpose, addressed to hia parents, an explanation in writing of the reasons of hia absence. The use of these forms has already had the effect of checking truant-playing, and will, it is hoped, tend to encourage that

regularity of attendance without which the schools cannot be expected to accomplish the result to which they would otherwise be equal, The concentration effected by the opening of the main school, besides saving the heavy <xp°nsos incurred for rent, has had the further effect of enab ing the committee to economise teaching po ver. The number of teachers engaged, which was thirty seven at the date of the last report, has been reduced to thirty, viz, ten certificated and twenty pupil teachers ; being one teacher to every fifty four children on the rolls, or one to every thirty five of the number in actual attendance. They a r e distributed as follows : —seven adults and fourteen pupil teaehers at the Gloucester street school ; two adult and three pupil teachers at Bingsland; and one adult and three pupil teachers at the South town belt school. The committee desire to acknowledge the assiduous attention of the teachers to the discharge of their duties, and the very satisfactory way in which the schools have been conducted. The schools have been inspected from time to time by members of the com mittee, who are able, from their personal enquiries and examination, to beav testimony both to the efficiency of the instruction and to the progress made by the pupils. The committee take advantage of the absence of their chairman, the Rev W. J. Habens, to publicly express their indebtedness to him for his able and indefatigable exertions, which have much facilitated the work of the committee, and very largely contributed to the advancement of the educational interests of the district ” Mr Flesher moved the adoption of the report, which was seconded by Mr Newman and carried.

The el ction of committeemen was then proceeded with. The four retiring members were Messrs Thomson, Bray, Mitchell, and J. 8 Williams. Of these only Mr Thomson stood for re-election. The following gentlemen were nominated ;—Mr Thomson by Mr Jameson ; Mr A. Bose by Mr Sandsteiu ; Mr Farr by by Mr Aiken ; the Rev H. C, M. Watson by Mr Jameson ; MrG. Leslie Lee by Mr Woodford ; Mr Flesher by Mr Sandstein. On the show of hands being taken the numbers were : Thomson B 5 Rose Farr 11 Lee 9 Flesher 9 Watson 6 The numbers for Mr Lee and Mr Flesher being equal the chairman gave his vote for the former, and declared the show of hands to be in favour of Messrs Thomson, Bose, Farr, and Lee. No poll being demanded the four gentlemen named were declared duly elected. Mr Flesher spoke in favourable terras of the effects of the committee during the past half year, and proposed a vote of thanks to them for their services. The motion was agreed to by the meeting, and acknowledged by the chairman on behalf of the commi'.tee. A vote of thanks to the chairman te.minated the proceeding s; WEST CHRISTCHURCH. The meeting of the householders of the above district was held last evening, at seven o’clock, in the Lincoln road schoolroom. Mr W. Gavin occupied the chair, and read the Superintendent’s letter authorising him to preside. After reaiing the advertisement calling the meeting, the chairman cdled on Mr H. J. Tancred, chairman of the committee, who read the following half-yearly report and statement of accounts: “Report of the proceedings of the West Christchurch Schoo' Committee for the six months ending the 10th April, 1870. in accordance with the terms of the Education Ordinance, 1875, this meeting has been called for filling up the vacancies in the committe caused by the retirement of four merab/rs, and for receiving the report of the proceed ings of the committee, with a statement of the accounts. The retiring members of the committee are—Messrs Craig. Harris, Bjotb, and Professor Bickerton, who are eligible for re-election. Since the last meeting of the householders of the district, the school in the northern portion of the district has been withdrawn from the control of the commit tee and has been placed under a separate management as a Normal school. This change has brought with it a certain amount of disorganisation in the remaining school of the district, by causing certain changes in the teaching staff of the Lincoln road school The higher rate of salaries of the teachers in the Normal school has held out an inducement to some of the teachers in the Lincoln road school to offer their services as teachers in the former of these institutions. With regard to the school now held in the Normal school buildings, which is now no longer under the committee, it will only be necessary to say that after its removal from Durham street, the better accommodation provided in the present Normal school building had the effect of rapidly raising the number of children under instruction. At the end of September of last year the number in attendance at the Durham street school was 370, with an average attendance of 227 50 The last quarter’s returns give the number on the books 686, average attendance 374.6, being an increase in the whole attendance of 216, and in the average attendance of 147. The attendance at the Lincoln road school also shows very satisfactory results. At the commencement of the period to which this report relates, the whole attendance during the preceding quarter was 804, the da-ily average 449.6. During the last quarter the whole attendance was 864, and the average 574,7, an increase in the number on the books of 60, and in the average daily attendance of 125. It will be seen from this that the number in regular attendance has been steadily on the increase, and has made increased accommodation absolutely indispensable. To meet this want, steps have been taken to carry into effect the proposal alluded in the report of last October, and to provide a building for the instruction of the younger children, and so set free a portion of the main building for the others. The committee, in consultation with the Provincial Architect, decided upon a plan for a separate building, and, tenders having been called for, the Provincial Government, at the suggestion of the committee, recom mended the General Government to sanction the necessary expenditure. It is hoped that the work will be proceeded with at once. The cost of the building should, as the committee believe, be borne wholly by the Government. It will be remembered that the district has already contributed as its share of <,he cost of build'ngs, not only the sum payable on account o; the erection of the Lincoln road school, but also its share of the cost of the erection of the Normal Bchool buildings. gat the Nunnal School buildipga hare now

been taken out of the hands of the committee an 1 the district has lost all those rights of control and management which were the equivalent for the contribution of the ratepayers. The Normal School being no longer a dis'rict school, the committee is of opinion that the sum contributed by the district towards the erection of the buildings, ought in some form to be returned to the district, or at least that the district should receive some benefit as an equivalent for the benefit of which it has been deprive d It has been proposed to the Government that this claim should be satisfied by allowing the district to take credit for the sura contributed by it towards the erection of the Normal school buildings, and that this contribution be considered the contribution of the district towards any buildings which may be required for the purposes of the district in the future. The committee hag secured for the use of the school, a right-of way to the entrance at the back, which affords facilities to several of the children. The drainage of the roads lately formed in that direction has also been attended to, and the stagnant water which formerly threatened the health of the children has been got rid off. On the suggestion of the City Council, strict instructions have been given to refuse admittance to any children coming from dwellings in which the existence of any contagious diseases might be apprehended, while at the same time disinfectants have been u r ed on the premises themselves. It is believed that these precautions have done much to ward off sickness. The present teaching s'nff of the school is as follows : One head master, three masters, four male pupil teachers, one head mistress, one infant mistress, one mistress, two assistant mistresses, and nine female pupil teachers. The accounts for the six months ending March Hist are herewith submitted to the meeting.” The statement of accounts for the halfyear ending 31st March, 1876, showed the receipts to have been £2021 17s sd, and the expenditure £IO3B lls Id, leaving a credit balance in the Bank of £B3 6s 4d.

Mr Tancred said that in previous years the accounts had been audited by the Provincial Auditor, but there had not been time during the present half-year to have this done, nor did the Ordinance require that it should be on that occasion, but in future years would have to be first submitted to that officer and audited.

Mr Craig said he would like to know from the committee whether any official application had been made from a clergyman of any church for permission to come into the school during the last six months. Mr Tancred replied that he was not aware of any such application having been made. Mr Bowie said that he was not sure whether any application of the kind had beeu made within the last ha’f year, but an application had been received by the committee from Mr East, a minister of the Epis cooalian Church,

In reply to the chairman, Mr Craig saidhe would have to be satisfied with the answer given, but he was assured that an application had been sent by one clergyman. In reply to Mr St'elc it was stated that about twenty boys and ten girls living outside the district attended the Lincoln road school.

On the motion of Mr Goodman, the report was adopted. The nomination of members of the committee in the place of Professor Bickerton and Messrs Booth, Craig, and Harris, the retiring members, then took place, when the following gentlemen were declare! to be elected: —Profess >r Bickerton, and Messrs W. Dunford, G. Booth, and W. Gavin,

This conc'ud'd the business, and after a vote cf thanks to the chairman, the meeting separated.

The late DrErskine, one of the ornaments of the Scottish National Church, was a clergyman of deep and earnest piety. One day, when something had occurred to irritate him and to put him into so violent a passion that language seemed to be denied him for a time, Christianity putting a curb on the refractory tongue, the beadle rather archly queried: “Would an aith relieve ye, sir ? ”