CANTERBUBY EDUCATION BOARD

Hokitika Guardian, 10 June 1918, Page 4

CANTERBUBY EDUCATION BOARD

The Board met on Thursday at Christchurch. The business dealt with included the following:

Congratulatory. —Mr C. H. Opie (chairman) referred to the elevation of one of its members, Mr J. Grimmond, to the Legislative Council. - B*e spoke of the honourable gentleman’s work on the West Coast and of the important part he had taken in advancing educational matters. Mr Opie trusted that Mr Grimmond would be long spared to continue Ins activities and extended to him the hearty congratulations of the Canterbury Education Board. Mr ,). Jamieson,' in endorsing the Chairman s remarks said that the honour bestowed on Mr Giimmond showed that public men were sometimes rewarded; 3he Board had been honoured by the appointment of another of its members years ago, m the person of the Hon C. A. C. Hardy, who had proved one of the most enthusiastic educational workers the country ever Mr Jamieson wished the Hon J. Grimmond all success in his sphere of duties as a Legislative Councillor. Mr Grimmond responded briefly. Technical Account. —The Supervisor of Manual and Technical Instruction su bm ilt ed ft stfttemen t showing details of the deficit on the technical account. The debit balance immediately after the amalgamation of the Board was £3,451 8/2 and on the 30th April hist £3,729 9/10. He pointed out that the over-expenditure on buildings amounted to £bl<’, and the sum of £4BO was really recoverable or should have been charged against other accounts. When this is tiken into consideration it would be seen that the fund in the aggregate is in a much better position to-day than it was at the amalgamation. —Resolved that the transfer of amounts wrongly charged to -the technical account be left in the bonds of the Chairman of the Finance Committee and the Supervisor to ad just..

School Garden Fences. —lt was decided to recommend to the Agricultural and Technical Committee that wherever possible it should ask school committees to meet the cost of garden fences out of locally raised money together with the Government subsidy on same. Barry town. —Mr Bignell and the Hcu Grimmond submitted a report on their inquiry into Mr Bourke’s complaint, exonerating the mistress, Miss By all, from all blame, and recommending that the child, Charlotte Bourke, be re-admitted to school on the promise of good behaviour Approved and Commissioners thanked for report, copy of which would be forwarded to the School Committee and ilr Bourke.

Dnnganville. Tie highest tender for the purchase of the teacher's residence for removal was £3 10/. Resolved that no tender he accepted but that, after consultation with the foreman, the Board offer to purchase the old building from the Department for £3 10/ and utilise the material in repairing work, etc. Cobden.—Application to be made to the Department foragrant of £IBO for the erection of an additional room at the school.

Jack’s Mill.—Application to be made to the Department for a grant of about £IOO for the removal or the Kaimata School to Jack’s Mill. Hari Hari. —Mr Adamson to be informed that unless he replies within fourteen days to the Board’s offer to purchase part of his land as an addition to the school site, the Board will take the land under the Public Works Act,” the Department to be informed of the Board’s intention to take the land.

Resigimtions. Resignations received and accepted included :—Blackball, Mr J. A. Wickes (master) and Miss H. Leitch (pupil teacher).

Tiansfers.—The transfers of Annie E. Kelly, probationer’, from Blackball to Bromley, and Miss A. Bourke, probationer, Ross, to Blackball, were approved. Probationers and Pupil Teachers.— A letter was received from the Department, notifying an increase of £ls in the salaries of probationers and of £lO in the case of Training College students. In the case of pupil teachers the increase ranges from £5 to £ls, according to whether the pupil teachers are obliged to live away from home or not. The Department further reported that for the current year probationer appointments might be made up to July Ist, in order to secure as many young persons as possible for the teaching profession. It was agreed to advertise the remaining probationer vacancies at the higher rates.

Unoccupied Class Rooms The Department to be asked what it considers should be don 6 with the unoccupied class rooms in connection with certain schools on the West Coast, such as at Goldsborough, Stafford, and Taylorville.

■ South Beach—Mr Grimmond reported that arrangements had been made to have the spouting, etc. at South Beach repaired.

Kanieri—On Mr Grimmond’s recommendation a grant of £lO was made to the Kanieri School Committee towards the cost of the l’obuilding of the wash-house at the residence.

Humphreys—The Committee asked that the school be painted. - Resolved that the foreman report on the application. Jack’s Mill—ln reply to the Board’s application for a grant for a new school, the Department asked what assistance can be obtained in the district towards the cost of the erection of a building of a more temporary nature than that proposed. Messrs Jack Bros offered to build the school at a bed-i’ook price. It was decided, in view ot all the circumstances, to recommend that the school building at Kaimata, which is, unused, be removed to Jack’s Mill, and that application be made to the Department for a grant for this purpose.

Assistant Agricultural Instructor, West Coast—lt was agreed to appoint Mr C. S. Slocombe, assistant agricultural instructor on the Coast, l at a salary of £3OO per annum. Hokitika—Messrs Andrews Bros wrote refusing to accept the reserve on the usual conditions laid down by the Board. They wished a lease for eight years, as a considerable sum would have to be spent by them in clearing' gorse, etc. —Resolved that the letter be referred to tlie Hokitika School Committee

Supervisor’s Report—l beg to submit my monthly report with regard to the manual and technical work for the month of May. Since last meeting all manual training centres have been closed down for a fortnight during the term holidays. Teachers’ classes at the School of Art also have not been held for two Saturdays. Teachers’ . classes at Greymouth have been suffering from the loss of Instructors, as an Agricultural Instructor haß not yet taken charge on the Coast. Messrs Wickes and Valentine have managed to keep the class going up to the present, but they are unable to do so any longer and it is proposed to drop agriculture till another Instructor is appointed. Mr Fossey who has been taking the drawing, has left Otira, and it is suggested with the Board's consent, to ask Mr de Berry of Hokitika, to conduct the class till the end of the term. Mr de Berry is agreeable to accept the position at the same remuneration as was paid to Mr Fossey. As Mr Wickes will be leaving Blackball shortly, to take charge of the Pleasant Point D H.S., it will be necessary to appoint some one in his place to supervise the classes and attend to the correspondence etc. Mr Valentine suggests that Mr J. T. Wilson of the Grey D.H.S. be appointed co take up the work done by Mr Wickes.

No reply has yet been received from the Department with regard to the proposed manual training build- ; ing at South bridge. In connexion ' with the buildings at Hokftika, the Department lias agreed that the Board should call for tenders for the building, and that an application should be submitted for a grant in = aid in accordance with the lowest tender. Plans are being pushed I ahead ns quickly as possible, and j tenders will be called forthwith, j With regard to Greymouth, the De- j partment has again written stating j that it does not consider that there : is sufficient land available at the j present site to provide for possible ! future developments, and suggests j that the Board should make enquiries as to whether a lai'ger area, suitably j situated, is obtainable. In accordance j with instructions from the Chairman I of the Board a reply has b'-en sent ; stating that the Boaid considered that three-fifths of aa acre, which is ’ the area available, would provide . 'sufficient land accommodation for the ; requirements of Greymouth for j some time to come, and the leases of j the remaining sections of the block j will be up in 29 y. ars; further that j a larger area of land suitably situated ; could not be obtained in Greymouth j at present, except at a big price, j Again, were another site chosen, and j

another building erected, it would not only add greatly to the cost, but it would also be extremely awkward carrying on manual and techircal classes in two separate buildings. The Supervisor’s Report was adopted. In connexion with the teachers’ classes at Greyinouth, it was agreed to appoint Mr de Berry to take the drawing in place of Mr Fossey, and it was also agreed to appoint Mr J. T. Wilson to supervise the classes when Mr Wickes leaves the Coast to take charge of the Pleasant Point District High School.