BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2687, 17 November 1882, Page 3

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

An ordinary bi-monthly meeting of the North Canterbury Board of Education was held yesterday at 3 p.m. Present —Mr John Inglis (chairman), Messrs G. Booth, W. Montgomery, A. 11. Cunningham, H. W. Peryman, S. C. Parr, H. J. Tancred, H. R. Webb, and the Eev. C. Fraser. The business transacted by the chairman since the last meeting of the Board was submitted. It stated that Miss Elizabeth 11. Calvert had been appointed mistress of Leeston side school, and that Messrs Jas. E. Connor and W. Halo had been appointed masters of the Stoke and Leithfield schools respectively. The report was approved. Messrs Raine, Hamilton, O. Wansey, Grouse, Campbell, Kato, Hawker, Walker, Hodges, and Carew, residents in the New Brighton school district, attended as a deputation, asking the Board to give Mr DeTroy a further trial of twelve months. Prior to its reception, a letter bearing on the subject from the chairman of the New Brighton school committee, approving of the Board’s action in this matter, was read. Mr O. Wansey, in introducing the deputation, said that since the last deputation waited on the Board a meeting of the inhabitants had been held on a requisition signed by fifty-two householders. At this meeting thirty householders attended, and discussed the subject. Mr Corser declined to attend, and Mr O. Wansey presided. Mr De Troy was present, and stated that the had attendance precluded the children getting up in the standards. The committee had never spoken to him regarding the Inspector’s complaints. It was agreed at the meeting, that as Mr De Troy had now an assistant, aud nearly all the householders were in favor of his remaining, that the Board be asked to allow his retention of the mastership of the school. Another member of the deputation mentioned that “lots of the children” were kept at home attending to cattle, and that the weather sometimes prevented their regular attendance, as 'they would have to come ancle deep in water. The school books showed that the absence of some of the children extended to a period of seven weeks, and this acted prejudicially to the master. The Chairman said the Board would consider the matter, and the deputation, having thanked the Board for its courtesy, withdrew. The Inspector’s reports of the state of the school for 1880, 1881 and 1882 were referred to, as also correspondence with the school committee. After considerable discussion, the Board agreed to adhere to its former decision. A deputation from Bromley then waited on the Board. Mr W. Attwood said the bad ventilation of the infants’ schoolroom, and its insufficient size, brought them to urge that it might be rectified. Mr Lambert had seen the insufficient accommodation, but nothing had resulted. The mistress had that day written stating that, unless an alteration was made, she must resign her appointment at Christmas. The alterations and additions were urgently needed, as all other schools were too far distant to allow of the children attending them. The Chairman replied that the delay arose from want of funds, but that would be shortly rectified, and then the matter would receive attention, and that if possible the wox-k would be done during the midsummer holidays. The deputation thanked the Board and retired. A letter was road from the Secretory of the Christchurch Branch of the North Canterbury Poachers’ Institute, asking the Board to purchase a number of Professor Bickerton’s model of the earth for the use of the schools under its control. It was agreed to defer the matter till the Board had seen the model. The Board’s architect wrote, asking that a dumpy level he purchased,-as recently whilst at North Loburn he had to resort to spirit level, &c., to determine the level of school site. Consideration of the matter was deferred. The North road school committee wrote, asking that a dividing fence of corrugated iron be erected, the adjoining occupier being willing to pay half cost of a legal fence. ...It was agreed to sanction the erection of a 4ft 6in post and rail fence, with barb wire. The report of Mr Peryman as to the state of the North Lobura school site was next read by the chairman, and it was decided to write and ask the school committee what would be the cost of making an open or rabble drain around the building, and also of filling up some rough places in the playground. With reference to certain repairs, &c., at Pigeon Bay school it was agreed that the sum of £46 for painting and papering, &c., be authorised. The Chairman had a notice of motion from Mr A. H. Cunningham, but as he had received copies of a pamphlet from the Education Department “On the Prevention, &c., of Contagious Diseases,” for distribution amongst the various schools in the district, Mr Cunningham would no doubt see the advisability of not bringing on the motion. It was agreed to authorise certain alterations, &c., at Tinwald School: also to allow the fees to teachers attending Professor Brown’s Saturday lectures, regular attendance to be insisted upon. The Board’s further consideration of ths arrears of salary due to two of the lady teachers at Lower Heath cote School was asked by a letter from the school committee, but the Board decided that no reasons had been adduced why their previous decision should be reversed. The chairman of the Mandeville Plains School wrote, taking exception to the inspector’s report of the last examination of that school. The master also wrote very fully in explanation of certain causes leading to the result, and also calling attention to the improvement in the school since his appointment seven or eight months since. The Board declined to interfere with the inspector in the discharge of his duties. Mr H. K. Webb desired to call attention to the suitability of Mr Potts’ now book, « Out in the Open,” as a reward book for scbolars. Three letters from Mr Palmer, master of the West Melton School, were not received, on the score of irregularity. The Board then went into committee, and on resuming adjourned.