CANTERBURY EDUCATION BOARD.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 July 1927, Page 4

CANTERBURY EDUCATION BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Canterbury Education Board was held at Christchurch on Triday. - Those 'present wore—Messrs AY. |\ Spencer, R. AA'ilil, AY. }l. AA'iusor, E. 11. Andrews, C. S. Thompson. AA'. A. Banks, .7. Cow, ,1. Maze. (i. W. Arniitage, AA’. Johnson and T. Hughes.

Appointments confirmed included:— Barrytown, Hiss E. Duggan, sole teacher; Koiterangi. Yliss It. 11. AA’ild. sole teacher.

Resignations accepted included: — Evan’s Creek. .Aliss Id. Jones; Koitcrangi, Yliss .1, S, Sloane.

The transfer was approved of Elizabeth Bell, Kurnani to .Mackenzie or Kgahere. The Canterbury School Committees’ Association asked that a conference he arranged to discuss the matter of unemployed teachers. Tt was resolved that the request he complied ulith. Air J. Ylocidio, chief agricultural instructor reported as follows The Director of Education, Ylr T. TiJ Strong, and our senior inspector, Ylr YlcLend. are both in favour of all solo charge schools for taking elementary agriculture (gardening) for nature study and as science for Standard VI. In certain districts where there is a movement afoot in favour of consolidation, T havo been leaving the matter in abeyance if there was any expense attached in the matter of gfencing.—The reported was adopted. Reference was made by Mr YA’ilfl to the condition of the secondary department of the Kaikourn School. Ho moved that the Board endorse the application for new accommodation. Ihe building, he said, was in an unsuitable place, under the brow of a hill.

and fjhouTd lie taken away from this terrace and attached to the main school. The resolution was lost, an amendment .being carried that the Board write again to the County Council, asking it to grant a five years’ lease, so the Board could do something with the building.

Three months’ leave of absence to Mr IT. J. Bignell was granted and Ihe Board passed a vole of sympathy with him in his illness.

YYlien the Minister of Education was in Canterbury recently, a good ileal of publicity was given to the fact that there was a scarcity of members of the Education Board at the opening of the new school at Hawarden, the chairman (Ylr AA,. I’. Spencer) being the only one present at the I unction. Mr R. Wild said that, as Hawarden was in his district, he should have been there. On the motion of the chairman, the board went into committee, and a lengthy discussion ensued. YTr YA.insor said he would like it reported that he had promised Afr AA'ilil that he would take his place, but the reason he did not attempt, to do so was because he thought it was going to be a small function and the chairman would represent the hoard. ‘T will take all the blame and will apologise to the board,” said Ylr AA insor. AA’ben the hoard resumed in open meeting. YTr AA’. A.. Banks moved :

“That, through certain inadvertence, members of the hoard were unable to meet the YTinister, lull: they disclaim any discourtesy to him.”

~ AA’hen discussing the Buildings C’om. _ mitteo’s report Ylr C. S. Thompson s asked leave to raise the question of the Government’s attitude to the Board in regard to its requests tor ~ grants for improved accommodation. . This was given. , An . emphatic protest should ho eii- > t-eretl, he said, against the way the -, Education Department was treating ,• the Board. Every request lor :\ grant , was answered by referring it back to . the Buildings Committee with a rc- , quest that it should he dealt with in I ils order of urgency. “There is no f such thing as order of urgency, said Mr Thompson, “when so many schools I arc overcrowded.” They should receive j the grants all together. The Goveni- , merit was shelving the question, lie de- ' dared. Tt was just gaining time. Early . in the financial year the Board had aL promise that it would receive a grant for Rangiora. The Minister, the Hej partment’s architect, and the Board members bad inspected the- school there, and everybody agreed that it I was in a bad state and needed lvbuild- ! i„g. yet they knew nothing official up to tho present. “Let them put the [ knife in somewhere else,” he urged. C Education should be regarded as a ’ matter of first importance, and the needs of primary schools should be regarded as of greater urgency than j those of secondary schools. Tn this cold weather classes were being taken in corridors at Shirley and AYoolston. ' Tho position at. Woolston was particularly bad. 1 YTr Thompson also stressed the need fc of now buildings at Bromley, Elm- ’’ wloqd,. AddingtqnS, Tim am Most, ' Rakaia., Phillipstown. anil Lin wood. ‘ an d of a teacher’s residence at Ktl--1 linchy. He moved that the secretary ' write to tho Director of Education, asking him to come to Christchurch at ; the earliest possible moment to discuss 1 the question with the Board and view ’ tho position as they saw it. ’ | YTr K. TL Andrews: YA'liy not the Minister? Members: Oh! Ylr AA'. Johnson: The Minister side--1 steps. ’ YTr T. Hughes seconded the motion The resolution was carried. ’ Ylr AA'. A. Banks said it might be ’ necessary to send a deputation to AA el. 1 lington, but members did not disco-? ; this statement. Reconsideration was given to the ' proposal to erect, a portable school building, in view of the suggestion that the Bukekuva School, which is only 8 I miles away, and at which there are only 4 pupils, be shifted to Evans Creek. It was ultimately decided to inform the Department that as the Bukekura School is an old one and would cost approximately £IOO to mine it. to Evans Creek, it is deemed nd- , visable to proceed with the erection of a portable building at the latter place. Correspondence was received from tho Committee regarding the destruction b v tiro of the newly erected fuel shod at the school. Yfr H. .1. Bignell-ad-vised that he had made enquiries and a . the facts were as stated by the Committee he was of opinion that there was no necessity to hold a formal invostigation. It was resolved to inform the Department of the fire and to apply for a grant for the erection of a new shed. fn view of the Department's intimation that funds will allow for the erection of only one residence in this district this year it was decided to inform the Department that the ease of AYataroa is the most urgent, an amended plan of a building costing not more than £750 to be submitted to tbe Board by Friday. The .Department wrote acknowledging tbe Board’s application for tbe erection of a teacher’s residence at YTt. Somers, and asking that as funds will allow for file erection of only one residence in this district this year the Board decide which ease is the most urgent. Tt was resolved to reply that Yft. Somers’ claim must give way in place of that of YVataroa. "With reference to the proposed erection of a teacher's residence in Tvillinchy district, as funds will not allow for the erection of more than one residence this year, it was resolved to inform the Department that Killinehy’s claim must give way to that of YVn taro a. 5