CANTERBURY EDUCATION BOARD

Hokitika Guardian, 10 September 1917, Page 1

CANTERBURY EDUCATION BOARD

FRIDAY, Sept. 7th

At tin 1 meeting lii'lcl at Christchurch there were present .—Messrs C. H. Opie (chairman), T. \V. Adams, G. \\ . Aral itage, AY. A. Hanks, J. Jamieson, J. Griniinond. G. S. Howard. J. aze, A. Povorill and W. if. Hamilton. On the recommendation of Inspector Yuli-ntiije, it was agreed to re-open the Westbrook household school, and to approve of the appointment of .Miss 0. Hen von as teacher.

Resignations accepted included : Swede's Mill, .Miss M. Hogan, assistant mistress; To Kinga, Miss N Crowe mistress; and Miss C Nicholas, 'laraliuikuti. mistress.

On the recommendation of the Senior Inspector, transfers were agreed to, including:—Koitorangi Miss M. O’Donnell, mistress, to To Kinga. A letter was received from the Department to tin' effect that detention of teachers in quarantine was regarded as coming properly under the head of sick leave, and that the Department was unable to make any special grant to recoup the. board for its cx]M‘nditnie in these east's. The Department added that certain proposals were. now under consideration in regard to the grant for relieving teachers, under which if adopted, the funds at the disposal of education Hoards might he increased lo enahle-thcm to meet existing liabilities, and to secure for teachers a somewhat more liberal scab' of sick leave and pay than had hitherto been the ease. AOItICVLTHIK COMMITTEE.

The report of the. Agriculture Committee stated that Mr. W. A. Banks was eleeted chairman for the ensuing year. Since last meeting applications had been called for the position of assistant agricultural instructor for the West Coast. There were five applicants, and the committee, after having gone carefully into their qualifications, 1 recommended that Mr. Hedford Moodie. with a lid certificate, should lie ap pointed, provided lie passed a medical test, and that Mr. John M. Connell, with a C. certificate, be placed second in the list. The report was adopted.

The Callaghans Committee was grant ad permission to invest the committee’: funds in the War Loan.

Accounts amounting to .C 2588 fis lOd were presented and passed for payment. Mr. Bignoll lecoiiimeuded that Mr. J Donaldson be appointed commissioner with Mr. O. Da Hard at Xga-hero. 'Che appointment was approved.

Mr Crimmond repotted the Minister had promised if it were possible, .o in trod nee legislation to give effect? To the board’s wish that North Canterbury should have, direct representation bn the Hoard. It was agreed that representations should be made to all the Canterbury members of Parliament. The Canterbury Trades and Labour Council forwarded copy of correspondence that had passed between the -Minister and council, regarding incidental allowances to committees.

Mr. .). Grimmond moved that a return he placed before the Finance Committee at its next meeting;, of the travelling expenses allotted to each member of the board, and to each employee of the board, and also the post of the Buildings Department, since August, 101 (11 After some discussion the motion was agreed to. The Mayor of Hokitika forwarded a copy of resolution passed by the citizens of Hokitika, advocating that a Day of X ational Prayer Do set apart. It was resolved'to support the propos-

The Hokitika Committee wrote declining to assist in erecting the shelter sheds applied for by them at the previous meeting. The letter was received.

Inspector Valentine reported that new blinds are required for the residence at Marsden, and that the kitchen which was unlined and leaking, needed urgent attention. The Foreman was in structed to carry out, at once, necessary work up to ;CTo. The Boss Committee applied for a grant of £'•"> 10s towards the cost of repairing fences and draining grounds, estimated to cost .L'lfi 10. Resolved that the request be granted and the Commit tee be thanked for the interest it is taking in the school grounds. Foreman to be instructed to have 2rooms in school - painted during the first school holidays. The Westland County Council staled that a permanent title to the proposed new site for the school cannot ho obtained. The letter was received, anil a. copy sent to the School Committee. A letter from the Committee suggesting that the painting of the school he done when the building is removed, was read and received.

The Department wrote declining to grant Woodstock permission to sell the teacher’s residence at Woo<|stoek. The letter was received, a copy he sent to the School Committee, and that inquiries he made whether a tenant can he obtained for the residence. The Department to he informed that the Board does not intend to expend money on the maintenance of the builidng. Drainage of school grounds at Hokitika were authorised to be carried out. Cost .CD-I 11s., Wall ventilators to ho provided in several of the class rooms. Cost £l3 Foreman to do the work. The Foreman to he instructed to have Callaghans school painted. Foreman to have'- wood shed at Stafford repaired. 'Committee to lie congratulated on the clean and tidy condition of the school room. Kiimara Junction Committee’s attention ho drawn to state of school grounds. Foreman to attend to decaying hoards on out-buildings.

Foreman to attend to repairs to buildings and out-offiees, also to improve urinal, at Mananui. New blinds are to he supplied at Arahura Road School.

Inspection reports -were received from Mr. Valentin? <?» Callaghans,

Mnnauur, Stafford, Dilhnans, Euatapu, Knmara Catholic, Rangiriri, Knmara, Woodstock Kaiueri, Dnngaville, Mars<lon, South Beach, Arahura Bond, Kuniara .Junction, Lake Kanieri, Dobson, schools.

In connection with the Knmara Catholic school,, the Inspector’s report stated there wore some disappointing features in the work to which, no doubt the managers will call the teachers attention.

The La: Fontaine Committee recommended the appointment of the relieving tbacher. It was pointed out, however, that this would disorganise the transfers recommended in this and two other schools. It was agreed to adhere to the proposal to appoint Miss K. .1. Donovan.

In reply to a request by the Hokitika Committee, it was agreed to inquire of the department as to what salary the Department would approve being paid in the case of probationers (who are not replaced) on leave of absence. Applications for transfers wore received .'including Mr. .1. Mefluigan from Otira, and Miss .1. M. Wylie from Ross.

A letter was received from the Department agreeing that the present arrangement under which salary of one of the pupil teachers of Hokitika District High School was paid by the High School Board, should be allowed to continue until Die end of the year. SCHOOL BOORS.

With reference to the letters received by the Board from the Beckham Kaiapoi and Rangiora Committees recommending a reduction and more uniformity in class books and less frequent change, the 'Senior Inspector reported as follows. (1) “Neither the Board nor Inspectors for some considerable time have recommended any changes. Indeed lit tin- present lime to endeavour to secure uniformity would be putting parents lo expense for uniformity could only be obtained by striking off some of the books now used. To do tbi> at the. present time -would mean tliai supplies could not be obtained. (')) Parents moving from one district to another are not called upon f-u another set of books, as when asked for these are provided free.

(;i) The School Journal in many schools is used as the miscellaneous render. This supplimeiited by the continuous readers winch have also been supplied free, of cost, renders the purchase of further reading books unnecessary.

(•I) Changes have only been made at very long intervals. (f>) There are only two sols of Arithmetics published in the Dominion and to select one would give a monopoly to the oilier.

(()) Only one sot of (Jeogralipies is published so that no extra expense could possibly bo ■incurred by children moving from one district to another, even if they were not provided for as mentioned above.”

The report was received. Mr. White Truant officer for tho West Const Schools reported 22 absentee lists lmd been sent in and ol ordinary and M final notices issued. Personal visits had been made in o(> eases and a number of schools visited. It was reported that in this district sickness was very prevalent. Three months additional leave of absence was "ranted to Miss Willetts (Hokitika:).