CANTERBURY EDUCATION BOARD.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 September 1923, Page 4

CANTERBURY EDUCATION BOARD.

The Board met at Christchurch' on Friday last. Present —.Messrs 11. ;J Bignell (chairman), W. P. Spencer, T. Hughes, W. A. Banks, J. Maze, 11. Wild, 0. W. Armitage, C. S. Thompson, J. G. Gow, and IC. IT. Andrews. A renewed application was received fur the removal of the Callaghans school to Upper Koiterangi, it being understood that the £SO in hand would be sufficient t.o meet the expenditure The Senior Inspeteor intimated his willingness to recommend the proposal to the Department if the school could he established without, expense to the Board.

A letter was received from the Lake Brunner Saw ml II mg Company on liehalf of the residents of Bell Hill asking that a permanent teacher might be appointed. It was agreed to ask the residents to furnish the necessary particulars regarding the number of children and distances from the nearest school, Mr MeCaskill, Inspector of Schools te he also asked to report. The Buildings Committee reported that a plan was received from the Railway Department showing the site sel apart for the Otira School. The matter was referred to the West Coast members and foreman to report. Application had been made to the Department to proceed with the rebuilding of the Ivumara school. AGRICULTURE AND MANUAL.

The Agriculture and Manual and Technical Committee recommended that a letter he sent to the Department stating that the Board considered agricultural instructors should ho paid extra if they gave instruction to teachers’ classes oil Saturdays, inasmuch as the amount of travelling they had to do in connexion with their work fully occupied their time for live days of the week, although the actual hours taken up by giving instruction might he small.

It was decided that an application bo sent to tbc Department asking fur a grant to purchase tools for all schools taking up agriculture for the first time. In the ease of those schools mentioned In the report where the tools had boon lost, it was recommended that fresh ones he supplied, to be paid for out uf the Boards funds, and that loiters be sent to tlie* head teacher and chairman of each school refiuesting that, for the future, better provision should ho made for the safe custody of the tools. It was recommended that letters of commendation bo sent to the* chairman and headmaster of the Brebbleton school expressing tin* Hoard’s appreciation of the good work that had been done in connexion with the school gardens, and gelting the grounds in order round the new school.

As the inspectors had now agreed that all schools of grade 111 and upwards should take agricultural science for proficiency certificates whenever the ground was available for practical purposes; the commit tee recommended that the Senior Inspector lie asked, when allotting grading marks, to take special Hide of the work done by !eac-hers in connexion with elementary agrieult lire. Resignations accepted included : —- Blackball. Miss E. McNight, assistant tnisLross ; Greymouth, Mr ,1. F. Wilson, first assistant master, and Miss E. 11. Allison: Totara Flat, .Miss M. Vigors., sole teacher. The Appointment Committee reputed;: -“Willi reference to the recommendation referred hack by the hoard to your committee in legat'd to the screening of i.*dtteai ional pictures, it was agreed as a preliminary step to ascertain the views of tln> Headmaster,’ Association in regard to the general duration value of the pictures and as to its experience of the working of the scheme, with any other information that would be of value to the bottl'd, including the question of admission fees. A letter from the Vox Film Corporation, submitting a proposal for the screening of educational lilui' in connection with the scliool'. was allotted to stand over until next meeting." The report was adopted. APPOINTING TEACHERS. A letter uas received front the Department stating that the SolicitorGeneral hail advised, as regards appointment of teachers, that (I) Where the board and the senior inspector did not consider any of the applicants sufficiently well Qualified the position may be read vert ised ; 12) That the words as nearly as may be equal claims to appointment ” refer only to (andidates who appear mi the list under the same graded number. With regard to No. L’. your committee consider that Hie interpretation of the provisions of the Act is not in the

true interests of education, and that tlie* hoard’s delegates to the coming conference support this hoard's previously expressed opinion that when candidates are not separated by more than live points on the grading list, and are suitable in every way, edit-

ealiou boards should lie allowed to torward on not more tlnin three names to the c-o!)iiiiit(c-f. Mr T. Hughes, in moving the ;ulo|i lion o| the report, said tha there Hern two mutters in tin* appointment of teachers which had caused the board some anxiety. It had decided to net .-'fiine interpretation of the Act. The Department’s interpretation of the lirst clause was fair. The second clause permitted of the hoard sending only one teacher forward. The recommendations of the committee were the belief of the hoard that the system was not in the interests of education. •• The Hoard should support it and support it strongly," Mr Hughes said. " Personally I am convinced that the system is not in the interests of edit-1

cal ion.” I.Mr K. FI. Aml rows: 1 tliink that wo should solid a very strong protest, as well, to tlio Department and a report . that tlie alterations should ho made |at once. It i.-, very noticeable, sir, that I all the hoards are protesting against I this system. Mr It. Wild: Are they? Mr Andrews: Yes. Air G. W. Arm it age: Auckland is very strongly in favour of it. Continuing, Air Andrews said: "I don't consider that the Solicitor-Gen-eral’s interpretation os far as law is concerned is correct and that is what wo. want altered. We should battle for this alteration. It is noticeable that old teachers are, perhaps, among the strongest opposers of this system. I am not interested in the teachers hut in the welfare of the children. The system is militating against tlie welfare of the children.” .Mr ('. c . Thompson said the hoard ! should support this most strongly. lie moved that a deputation from the heard should wait on the Canterbury Ar.P.s’ Association so that the Af.Ps’ views might be enlarged by the time the matter was brought before the j House. ATr R. Wild said that any proto* the hoard made would not he strong enough. He seconded Ahr Thompson’s motion. The report was adopted, and Afr Thompson’s motion was carried.

A SUGGESTED VISIT. “If money is spent on the board’s visit it. will mean pounds to education on the West Coast. Education in the district will get a fillip and benefit and we will not- have the disappointment that has been expressed from the Coast-—we know they are not right—and their saying that they are not getting the deal which they got

from <1 smaller hoard.” This was one of the arguments used by Mr E. H. Andrews in unsuccessfully endeavouring to get the Board to make a trip to the West Coast, and if possible hold a meeting in Greymouth. Air 11. AVild urged that educational matters on the Coast should be inquired into. He moved that Messrs T. Hughes, AY. Brock (an inspector), and the chairman (Air H. J. Bignell) should inquire into the establishment of a school at Little "Wanganui, or in the alternative, the means of transportation to and the necessary enlargements at rlari Hnri.

Air C. S. Thompson objected to ATr Hughes making the trip. Air E. H. Andiews: It will open up a. big question. This board used to allow committees of its members to visit certain districts, some going to the" Coast, some to the north, and some to tbc south. At certain times, visits have been paid so that members mat know their district. AVe have a big district —not that we ashed for it—and every member should know something about it. Unless he does, lie will know nothing about the matters which come before this hoard. 1 question whether half the members have been theile. If the Department puts on us the onus of administering this big -district then they should recognise that money should be spent for members to get a grasp of the whole posi turn. Air 11, ,1. Bignell: It is said that no member can have expenses paid unless he is attending the board's meetings. Air Andrews: Oh! yes, but such visits are provided for.

Air Bignell remarked that he would like to see every member, who mid not been there before, go to the Coast. ‘I quite agree with Air Andrews's remarks as we are always voting in the dark.'" said Air AY. B. Spencer. Would it lie possible for the board to meet once in t Ireynioiith, and once in Titnaru ?” Air Andrews: No. A board must meet in the town where it has its offices. The Nelson Board used to meet once in Nelson and then down the Coast. That led really to the provision in the new Act which prevented that sort of thing. There is certainly provision lor visits to he made by the board.

Alt* H. C. lame, the secretary, said that under the Act of 111!!), a board meeting must be held at its head-quar-ters. or. if the Aliii'iter’s sanction were given, in any other town in the district Air Andrews: We have the Alim"--ter here this week so why not pul the question before him to allow ns to have oil! meeting in Greymouth. "What til.out. the cost?” asked a member.

"It will not be so much now that tlit* t rains are running ihioitgh." toplied Air Andrews. ‘‘lt will he a splendid thing for the schools and. of course, the nfficsiuls will have to he taken through.” Air G. AY. Armitage -asked if it were intended to go to Hnri Hnri. as it. was like going back into the ranges. Air Wild: It is a very important matter.

A motion that the Minister should he approached to allow the hoard to hold a meeting in Gieymoutlt was moved by Alt Andrews and seconded by Air Thompson. Air W. A. Banks said that lie was not in favour of the proposed change. The strain on members would be heavy. He declared that it "us n wise provision of the Department in making hoards hold their meetings at tl'.cir head ollices. Before long. the West Coast aml South Canterbury would be making applications for re-w boards.

.Mr Andiews agreed to withdraw liis motion so that the hoard could have a talk to the .Minister about the

The motion originally moved by Air Wild was amended to read that Messrs Bignell. Hughes and one of the ittsppi.'trrs should visit South Westland to leporl on the needs of edileaiion. Tile board carried the motion.

BFTI.DING ( OAIATITTET'

Kiimnra Temporary repairs authorised.

Blue Spin '—'Foreman to g t .| paint inj. inside and out done as soon as possible.

Koilerangi l.'pper- Application to g forward to Department for iransfe of Callaghans school building to no proved sili’ at Oppor Koilerangi. Koitorangi Lower -To remain an tlinrised to proceed with repair.-, (i school building. Little Wanganui - .Mr Hughes (Chairman of App'-iiitincnisl. Mr Afnze (Chairman of Buildings), and Air Thompson (Chairman of Kina nee) to visit the district with an inspector and icport as to building an additional school at Little Wanganui or consolidation at Hari 11 mi.