Canterbury Education Board.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 October 1922, Page 4

Canterbury Education Board.

Tho Board met on Friday 20th. inst when the following West Const business was done :

Attendance—Mr White’s report indicated that the attendance had been very satisfactory, with few exceptions, due to sickness. Blackball —Estimate to bo prepared and applications made for a grant to improve the sanitary arrangements. Upper Koiterangi—Resolved time is inopportune for prov iding a " c " school. . Mananui —Advice was received from the State Forest Department that H school site had been included in a proposed Fire District. Rotomanu— Clearing reserve and repairing shed was referred to foreman with power to act. To TCinga—Foreman to report on fcravelling" the school ground. ” Kaiata— Erection of woodshed autlio- ' * Gveymonth Technical High School equipment —Mr Bignell, the Architect and the Hoard’s foreman were directed to (provide equipment for the new building and have everything m readiness for opening the school m beginning of February next. Normal School-The Board disagreed with the Department’s suggestion that one vear students who showed inability to benefit by the training should be released and placed a s junior nssistants in the ton'll schools. As there arc some 30 students still out of employment and 127 more complete their two year course this year, the supply of trained teachers is more than meeting the demand ns far as the Canterbury Board is concerned, and those students unable to lienefit by the full course of training should he advised to enter some other vocation.

It was resolved the the reserve at Aickens be leased to J. Evans for 5 years, rent free, on condition that it be cleared and laid down in gTass.

School supplies—Owing to lack of funds it was resolved to discontinue procuring supplies unless the Department advanced £3OOO for the purpose. Buildings Maintenance—Resolved to protest at the grant of £17,555, a decrease of £1593 on the previous year which was inadequate.

Accounts amounting to £3158 0s 9d were passed for payment. Mr Johnston’s report on agricultural work indicated increased interest by the children, stated funds got from sales of produce and prizes won are being used to purchase apparatus such as magnifying glasses, and there is quite a number of entries for the Agricultural clubs.

Greymoiith Common iai Class lias 21 pupils in the evening and 20 in the day, and there are 19 studens in the engineering class, 251 girls take cookery

and 234 boys take woodwork. At Hokitika 08 gills tae cookery and 00 boys take wo'.divork, the alteration in train arrangements having cut out a number of pupils. The work dune is on a par with that of other eentios and tho instructress in dressmaking is giv-. ing every satisfaction. The Appointments Committee reported they i egret to notice the large number r.f reports in which the work is characterised as not above “very f. ir” and they fear from this that the work in the Board’s schools is deteriorating. The senior inspector to be informed if this is not the case the Board would he glad of a report setting out the reason and the possible remedy. It was further agreed that in all eases in which the quality of the. work is marked as “moderate’’ or “moderately fair” the Secretary shall ask the head teacher for an explanation.