BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2025, 20 August 1880, Page 3

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

The Education Board for the district of North Canterbury held its ordinary bimonthly meeting yesterday afternoon, at three o’clock. There were present—Mr J. Inglis (in the chair), the Rev. Charles Fraser, Mr H. R. Webb, and Mr Cunningham. The chairman’s statement of appointments made and expenditure authorised since last meeting was read and approved.

The Chairman said that a number of letters from committees had been received that day, and he had not had time to examine into their contents. He was understood to deprecate the custom of sending in such communications on the day of meeting. At the suggestion of Mr Webb, the letters wore allowed to stand over till next meeting.

Beports of inspectors on certain schools in ;he district were laid on the table.

Re the reduction of eateries, a letter from the Government was read as follows : Education Department, August 7th.—Sir, —l am directed by the Minister of Education to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3rd inat., with reference to re-adjustment of Board expenditure. I am to refer you to sections 8 and 43 of the Education Act, which clearly point out the purposes for which Education Boards are required to make provision out of the Board fund. The special additional grant of 10s per attendance hitherto made by Parliament in aid of school committees’ expenses being now withdrawn, regulation No. 2 of the Order in Council relating to payment of grants to Education Boards necessarily falls into abeyance, and Boards must now fall back to a greater extent upon tho ordinary statutory capitation grant for defraying committees’ expenses. The Act leaves it to Boards, in the exercise of their own discretion, to fix the particular payments to be made to school committees out of the ordinary Board fund, but the recent decision of Parliament that a reduction of 10 per cent, shall be made upon all salaries, pay, and wages provided for out of the public revenue, clearly indicates to Boards the mode by which funds may be provided for by them for maintaining the efficient working of schools under committees. Circular No. 58 already explains that reductions are intended to be applied by Boards propertionably and fairly to every branch of their their service, and especially points to the salaries paid by the Board in respect of management and inspection, and by training department, and to the cost of administration generally. Tho subsidies for inspection and training hitherto paid by the Government will remain the same for tho present, on tho distinct understanding that reduction shall be made by tho Board on the salaries and expenses of these divisions of the service. But Boards will be informed shortly of certain conditions which Government intend to attach to the receipt of these subsidies. I may mention that the 10 per cent, reduction on tho salaries of the Civil Service, including the Minister of Education’s department, dates from the Ist inst. To the Secretary of the Education Board._ It was resolved that the letter be received and considered later on.

Certain agreements of pupil teachers were ordered to have the Board’s seal attached, and certificates of training wore granted to certain students.

The following letter waa received re scholarships examinations from Mr Malcolm : Normal School, Christchurch, August 15th— g ir> —X have the honor to submit the report on the examinations for the Normal School Scholarships, which were held on the 4th, sth and 6th inst. The number of competitors was 19 (seven males and twelve females), in the work of examination I was assisted by Professors Brown and Cook, of Canterbury College, and J. V. Colborne-Veel, Esq., M.A. I append a table of the marks assigned by the different examiners to each candidate in each subject. I would strongly recommend that scholarships be awarded to the first six, although the percentage of marks is not so high in the case of the sixth as is desirable, yet Miss Henderson did well in all subjects, except geometry and history. I have, &c.. H. Malcolm, Principal The Secretary Education Board. The table referred to in Mr Malcolm’s letter showed the following to be the order of merit and the total number of marks gained out of a posable 800[; Percy Kime, Brookside, 521; John C. Allan, Normal School, 475; Marion M. Allison, Normal School, 428 ; Cecilia Ross, Girls’ High School, 414; Mary Yeysey, Kaiapoi, 403; Christina Henderson, Ashburton, 309 ; Arthur J. Mayne, West Christchurch, 350; Margaret Milsom, Lyttelton, 319: Abel Webber, Sydenham, 308; Florence Blake, Templeton, 307 ; Thomas Pole, West Christchurch, 286 ; Francis R. Watts, private student, 289; Ada Seager, Normal School, 282 ; Emily E. Jenkins, Lyttelton, 249; Anno Spenco, East Christchurch, 240’; Martha J. Blytb, East Christchurch, 220 ; Selina Norton, Woodend, 235; George Quartermain, Ashburton, 206; James O. Taylor, Sydenham, 199. , , , , The report of Mr Malcolm was approved. A letter was read from a pupil teacher at. Ashburton, desiring to be released from his agreement, as he was going to remove to Invercargill. The request waa granted on tho recommendation of Mr Mainwaring. Mr Andrew Dunn wrote to the Board, complaining of the working of the Normal School, and informed the Board that he had forwarded a statement of the case (as put by him) to the Minister of Education.

A petition of residents of Ashburton Forks, in favor of Mr Gideon Soott remaining in charge pending hie examination. The Board agreed to consider the matter. Mr Goodeve applied for two months’ leave of absence, and Mr Gillingham’s name was suggested as a fit person to relieve Mr Goodove. The Board agreed to allow the leave asked for, conditionally on a suitable substitute being found. The Board then considered certain tenders for school improvements and transacted other routine business, went into committee afterwards, and on resuming adjourned.