EAST CHRISTCHURCH SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1431, 16 September 1878, Page 3

EAST CHRISTCHURCH SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The newly elected school committee of the East Christchurch district held their first meeting on Friday night, at 7.30, in the com-mittee-room within the school buildings. All the members were present. The Chairman (the Rev. H. C. M. Watson) read the following statement: On entering upon the duties which devolve upon us as the school committee for the East Christchurch district, it is necessary that wo should take a general survey of the field of our operation. Accordingly, I felt it would be well to place before you to-night some information us to the extent and nature of our work. In company with the headmaster I therefore visited during the week the several schools placed under our supervision in this large district. They are, as you are aware, live in number, and are divided, in some cases, by a considerable distance from the main school. In these five schools IGSI children are receiving instruction. As the number under instruction in the whole of Canterbury is only 13,022 it will be seen that the schools under our care educate considerably more than one-eighth (787) of the school going population of our National Schools. The number of teachers engaged in the instruction of these children is thirty-five, and the amount of money paid in salaries is £2933. .But as there arc salaries paid to several caretakers (with house allowance in two cases), besides considerable sums spent in repairs, the total amount disbursed by the committee in each year is not less than £3300. These facts show the responsible position which we have been elected to fill. A cursory inspection of the school grounds and buildings snows that, there is a good deal to be done to put (hem into a suitable condition. Some of the buildmgs are in bad order, and the school grounds, with one exception, are in an equally bad state. 11l one school —the South town belt—it is quite impossible for the children to get upon the play

ground after a little rain. In the main school the girls’ play ground is unsuitable. It should bo separated from the street and the boys' play ground by a high railing, Calisthonic apparatus should bs provided, and, if possible, a separate entrance obtained from Armagh street. Portions of the severs] school grounds should be planted. There arc many other points to which mention might bo drawn, and these are mentioned generally for the purpose of indicating the direction in which improvements can bo made. I would suggest that the headmaster should he requested to furnish a careful and detailed report of the condition of both buildings and grounds, with a view to their improvement wherever necessary. A slight glance at the internal condition of the schools reveals the fact that the teaching staff is insufficient, at least, in point of members. This is made still more apparent by a comparison of the West Christchurch staff with that of our own schools. The former school witli 935 pupils, under one roof, has a staff of twenty-four teachers, costing £2135 a year; while the East Christchurch district, with 1654 children in five separate schools, has a staff of only thirtyfive teachers, costing £2933; that is, the classes in the East Christchurch schools contain each an average of nearly nine children more than the classes of tho West Christchurch schools ; or, to pub it in another way, if the latter school is only sufficiently officered by its present staff, the other things being equal, require seven and a half additional teachers to put us upon an equality in this particular. Strictly speaking, wo should require even more, as our t eaching is conducted in five different buildings, widely separated. As showing tho economical and possibly parsimonious arrangement of the East Christchurch schools, I draw your attention to tho following facts: —Tho total cost of tho educational staff in the Canterbury district is £2 14s sid per head, of those under instruction, or a total of £35,448. The cost per head in East Christchurch is only £1 16s s£d, wore tho whole cost of Canterbury on the same moderate scale, the total cost would be £23,739 ; or £11,709 less than is now spent in salaries alone, or were tho East Christchurch schools to receive an allowance proportional to tho general average, t hey would bo entitled to an additional sum of £I4BB. These facts speak volumes, and show that wo have some claim for consideration should we require a few hundred of pounds to increase the efficiency of the schools under our care.

The committee then entered upon tho consideration of the work before them.

Mr J, M. Wheeler was requested to continue to act as secretary to the committee during their term of ofllce. A resolution was passed requesting the head master to bring up a careful and detailed report of the condition of tho several school buildings and grounds, accompanied by such suggestions as he thought desirable. Sub-committees were appointed to visit and report upon the various schools :—The Main school, tho chairman, Messrs Farr and Harris; .Bingsland, Messrs Candy and Henderson; South town bolt, Mr Ayers; Phillipstown, Mr McDougall; each sub-committee being authorised to deal promptly with any requirements that were of a pressing nature. Messrs Farr and Ayers were authorised to attend to the necessary repairs of the cottage on tho South town belt. The secretary was requested to furnish a report, shewing the names of tho teachers employed in the several schools, their classifications, their duties (including the number of children in tho several classes), and their salaries.

Mr Thomas Taylor was appointed auditor, in the place of Mr McDougall resigned. After dealing with several other matters connected with the internal management of the schools, and passing accounts to the extent of £32, tho committee adjourned until tho first Friday in October.