ASHBURTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2178, 17 February 1881, Page 4

ASHBURTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

A special meeting of the members of the above was held last Monday evening, to consider the advisability of changing the teacher. Mr Velton moved, " That a letter be written to the Board of Education informing them that this committee agrees with the report of the Inspector (Mr Edge) as to the inefficiency of the present schoolmaster to conduct the Ashburton school." Mr Kodder seconded the motion. Mr St. Hill characterised the action taken as unmanly, and was sorry to see members of the old committee stultify themselves. He moved, as an amendment, " That, in view of the fact that the Board of Education has ordered the school to be examined in three months, and thus, in a great measure, taken the matter in their own hands, the action proposed by Mr Felton would, in the opinion of this committee, be unfair to the master, Uiicourteous to the Board, and detrimental to the interests of the school, and that no further action be taken till the school is next examined." From a report presented by the master, it appeared that the present teaoher took possession of the school in 1878. In the following November the sohool was examined, and 58 per cent, of a total of 205 pupils passed. In October 1879 230 pupils were presented for examination, and 77 per cent, of them passed, showing the sohool had made considerable progress. The following is an extract from the inspector's report:—" The attendance at this sohool has increased considerably during the past year, and additional accommodation is now urgently needed. Another pupil teaoher is required. The discipline and order have im proved. Out of 230 examined in standards, only about forty were presented in standards they had previously passed under the old regulations ; this of oourse indicates a praiseworthy anxiety on the part of the teachers to advance their pupils. No sohool in North Canterbury passed more than two in Standard VI. Ashburton sohool is specially noted, along with two others, as teaching extra subjects. Had the pupils been kept in lower standards when the new regulations came in force the percentage of passes would have been greater, and the work lighter for the past year." No additional accommodation had since been given. Instead of an additional teaoher, whioh the inspector said was urgently required, the trained pupil teachers left, and their places were taken by pupil teachers of the first year, after considerable delay. Besides, the average attendance had increased from 339 to 419 during the year, and no additional accommodation or no additional teacher was given. After a long discussion the amendment proposed by Mr St. Hill was carried, and the original motion declared lost.