CANTERBURY EDUCATION BOARD.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 March 1928, Page 4

CANTERBURY EDUCATION BOARD.

CHRISTCHURCH, March 24. The Canterbury Education Board met yesterday. Present : .Messrs C. S. Thompson (chairman), AV. A. Banks, 4. Afazc, O. AY. Ai milage, AV. H AYinsor, A. G. (low, E. H. Andrews. AY. .Johnson. R. H. AVilcl. T. Hughes and AV. P. Spencer. Appointments confirmed included:--Kokiri. .Miss C Cotter, sole teacher: Tot nra Flat. Ali-s A. Higsou. sole teacher.

Resignations accepted included. ' Grey mouth, Aliss J. B. Brown, assistant mistress; Stafford, Aliss L. Honey, sole teacher. A letter was received from the New Zealand Educational Institute suggesting that the hoard impress upon tlie Alinister the advisability ol utilising the services of surplus teachers to reduce the size ol classes. The' Department submitted a statement showing tho position as at present. ( 1 lie' statement indicated that the supply would not he more than .sufficient to meet the requirements of the various districts, although at present a number had not been able to secure permanent appointments.) A letter was received from the Education Department stating that it had been informed that no fewer than 18.009 copies of a certain series of unauthorised hooks had been brought bv primary school pupils at the direction of their teachers, and further that a second publishing firm was endeavouring to torce into the schools other unauthorised hooks. Such action not being in accordance with the Ordcr-in-Gcnincil relating to authorised books, tlie Department desired the Board to ascertain the extent to which parents had been put to an entirely unnecessary expense in purchasing hooks that in all probability would he quite unsuitable next year. The chairman said that tho Department had some ground for making the siatenu'iit. He know that there were some of those books in uso in the district. The rule could lm carvied too far. however, and if if were made too rigid it might mean that a good book would be lost, probably the trouble was that the books were not revised often enough. He bad seen a copy of tlie book and it was quite a good one, and might yet be added to the list. There was no objection to the book as it was, so long as tlie parents did not have to bear the expense. Air Banks said that the liook was a splendid grammar and the host he had seen. If this were withdrawn by the Department, it would be a great pity. Inspector At’Lood said that the Department was not publishing books. It intended to make a choice when the new syllabus was out A Pi- Alackay (AVest Coast) reported having visited twelve schools and seven parents, and sent notices to five. The reports were adopted.