CANTERBURY EDUCATION BOARD.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 February 1920, Page 4

CANTERBURY EDUCATION BOARD.

The Canterbury Education Board met on Friday. Present: —Mr E. H. Andrews (chairman), Hon J. Grimmond, M.L.C., Messrs C. S. Howard, AV. A. Banks, J. Maze, G. AV. Armitage, J. Jamieson, AV. P. Spencer, H. J. Bignell, and A. Peverill. Mr Aicken reported that since the old school site at Aicken’s is to be leased, it should be fenced.—Resolved that if the site requires fencing, this is a matter which should be settled between the lessee and. the Public Trustee, who acts for the adjoining owners. The Department wrote declining the Board’s application for a new school at Cobdeu.—Resolved to recommend the Department to erect a new wooden building on the new site. The Paroa residents offered £5 lor the old school building at Dillmanstown, so that the material might be used for tho erection of a hall at Paroa. —Bosolved that the offer be declined, as B e building may be required in the t’utiue; the Kurnara School Committee to be asked to exercise a supervision over the building.

The fencing of the site at Cobden as recommended by the foreman, to be carried out, cost £6B. The, Agricultural Instructor to be asked to arrange for the sowing in grass of the part of the site that has been cleared. In accordance with the foreman’s jeconimendation it was decided not to purchase the cottage under offer for a teacher’s residence at Camerons.

Messrs M. J. Fogarty and Co. wrote agreeing to accept the Board’s terms regarding the leasing of the offices at Greymouth.—Received.

The Board’s statement of receipts and payments, with Auditor-Generrl’s endorsement regarding members’ travelling expenses was received. All application for establishment of a household school at Tetaho for Mr W l . H. Chinn’s two children was referred to Mr Valontine (Inspector), application to be made for the usual grant if the report should be favourable. It was agreed that if the residents of Okarito would guai’antee free board and lodgings, the Board would advertise for another teacher for this school. STAFF. Appointments approved included:— Blue Spur, mistress. —Miss M. J. Harcourt.

Hokitika, assistant mistress.—Miss G. M. Aitken. Kumara Junction, mistress. —Miss C.‘. M. Junes. Swede’s Mill, sole mistress. —Miss C. Kerr. Commercial Instructor, Greymouth.— Ernest J. Young, Petone. Applications approved included:— Greymouth, assistant mistress—Margaret ID. Virtue and Mrs A. Wise. Swede’s Mill, sole teacher.—Dorothy Laishley. llotomanu, sole teacher.—Mary J.; Maloney. Pupil teachers appointed included: — Cohden. —Elizabeth Williams. Greymouth.—Elsie N. Smith. ' Hokitika. —Clara E. Evans. Resignations accepted included:— Miss A. M. Condon, sole mistress, Mabitahi.

Leave of absence was granted to Mrs M. M. Thomson, mistress at Stafford, for one month, and to Mr W. D. Mackay master at Woodstock, for two months. A letter from tho Wellington Education Board was considered. If, was resolved to affirm the principle that holidays should ho uniform throughout tho Canterbury Education District. It was also agreed that before deciding ns to when the term holidays should commence and end, the Teachers’ Institute •njmuld he asked to make suggestions. J>rpssmaking Instructress, Coast.— Mrs Thompson sent in her resignation.

It was recommended that no permanent instructor be appointed in the meantime, as there are not sufficient classes on the Coast to occupy the whole time of an Instructor, hut that Missii Roche be appointed to conduct the classes in dressmaking taken in connection with the rural and commercial courses at Greymoutli at a • remuneration of 10s per lesson. This is the amount paid at other centres. Mr Bignell recommends Miss Roche. A local instructress could also be appointed at the same remunera-tion-to do the D.H. School work at Hokitika. If the . above suggestion is carried out the efficiency of the work will not be interfered with and the Board will effect a considerable saving.

Tlie Department has not yet made the necessary arrangements for taking over the carrying on of Teachers’ Training Classes throughout the Dominion, and. asked tho Board to carry them on in this district for another year.—The request was agreed to.

CLOSING OF SCHOOLS. The Secretary (->lr Laiie) reported. The closing of all the schools, without any preliminary warning that such a. step was contemplated, after having been open for a .few days, has created, serious complication in regard to a large, number of teachers. In the published report on AVednesday morning of Dr Makgill’s statement, it is pointed out that had the schools been open lie would not have considered the position suffi-. ciently serious to have warranted the closing of them. It was generally known, at least in Christchurch, that most of the schools opened on January 27th, and the remainder, with very.few exceptions, on February 2nd.

At this time of the year, owing to the. resignations in December, a very large amount of relieving work ‘has to he arranged, No fewer than ninety teach-, ers commenced temporary work on February 2nd. A number of them have come from long distances, whilst some have been sent over from here to the AVest Coast. The question arises as to. wliat steps are to be taken in regard to these teachers. Are they to be in-, structed to remain in the vicinity of their respective schools, or are their relieving engagements to be cancelled? They are, of course, entitled to salary for some period. The order of the Health Department closing the schools gives no information as to how long they are to remain closed, this now he-, ing dependent upon whether tho influenza decreases or increases in severity. I cannot refrain from pointing out that a, great deal of inconvenience would, have been prevented, and a large expenditure avoided, if the Health Department in Wellington had issued the order to close earlier or given the Beard some intimation that such a course might have to be taken. In many cases the’ permanent teachers have travelled, long distances in order to resume their, work, whilst parents generally have also returned from visiting their friends so. that their children should be ready for school. ,

The chairman (Air E. H. Andrews) said that-he knew nothing of the closing, of the schools until he saw the notice in the newspaers, hut at the same time lie was not prepared to say that the Health Department was not justified in the action it had taken, and it was best to err on the safe side. -The last epidemic had proven] that there was more danger of infection among adults than among children, and if it was necessary to close schools,*, surely it was moj e necessary to prohibit the congregation of adults in entertainment houses and elsewhere.

Mr J. Jamieson said there should be no doubt about paying the salaries of temporary teachers during the closing of the schools. They should be paid just the same as salaries were paid during the 1918 epidemic. Ho congratulated the Health Department on tho action 'it had taken in closing the schools immediately on the indication of danger, because prevention was always better than cure. Discussion lapsed without any resolution being passed on the matter.