CANTERBURY EDUCATION BOARD.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 May 1929, Page 2

CANTERBURY EDUCATION BOARD.

The Board met on Friday at Christchurch, Mr W. H. Winsor presidin''. Present:—Messrs W. A. Hanks, 0. AV. Armitage, E. H. Andrews, H. J. Bignell, AV. Johnson, J. G. Cow, R. AVild, AV. P. Spencer, and C. S. Thompson. A letter was received from Air J. Al.nze, tendering his resignation as a member of the Board for reasons of health. It was decided to grant MiMaze three months’ leave of absence before accepting the resignation. The Appointments Committee re-poi-ted that the Department advised that a meeting ofAthe Council of Education would be held on June 12th, and asked! for any matters for consideration. It was resolved to recommend the establishment of District Hgili Schools at Hawarden, Mackenzie and Rakaia. It was reported that the conference had definitely been fixed for May 28th30th. Air AVild asked that Air Andrews should take his place, and the suggestion was adopted. it was reported that no elections had been held at various schools, including Bruce Bay, Aloana, AVallis Siding, Rewanui and Runanga. It was decided to write to the committees asking that elections of committees he held. Appointments 'confirmed included : Cobden, Air R. Gallop, assistant master; Koiterangi, Upper, Miss G. R. Goade, sole teacher. BUILDING COAIMITTEE. Bell Hill.—A letter was received from the Department intimating that a grant had been approved for the extension of the school building. Blackball.—ln accordance with a recommendation from Alessrs Bignell and Wild, it was resolved to apply to the Department for a grant for the purchase of an area of five acres for the reception o-f the proposed new school. Ivokatahi Lower. —A letter was received from Al.r AA 7 . .1. Johnston, Agricultural Instructor, drawing attention to a dangerous corner at the road intersection between the school grounds and the hotel and recommending that the Board dedicate a piece of land to the County Council to enable the latter to round off the corner objected to. It was resolved to ask Alessrs Bignell and Wild to take action after consultation with the School Committee. Xgaliere.-pdVlr H. J. Bignell reported that this school was much in need of a fuel shed and that a creek running through the property required attention. It was decided to instruct the foreman to deal with these matters at a c-ost not exceeding £2O. j> iir o a< __A letter .was received from the Committee asking that the children’s shelter hall be lined to keep out the cold and draughts during inclement •veather. The cost of this work is estimated at €4O, and the Committee requested that the Board find half the expenditure.—A grant of £2O approved.

Taylorviilo.—The Committee wrote thanking the Board for its efforts in obtaining a grant Irom the Department for tjie erection of a shelter shed. The foreman’s report for the: month was received and adopted. REPORT. Air J. Brown, chief agricultural instructor, imported:— Visits to Schools. —In the filteen school days since the last meeting of the Board,:. 1 visited 30 schools, ineluding 9 AVest Coast schools and 13 Peninsula schools. The work is progressing satisfactorily at the schools visited • excepting at Dobson, where little iffany regular class teaching lias been done since the beginning of this year. Air Chamberlain has been in charge as relieving teacher. This is not the first time we have had trouble with relieving teachers neglecting the nature study and agriculture class work. There is no excuse as a definite programme of work is issued to all schools for each term.

Establishment of a Garden at rlay.lr.rville.T7- Fencing material lias been authorised for a ffarde.ii at this school to be forwarded as soon as the Committee are prepared to erect same. The Committee, however, is inimical to garden work heinff carried on at the school at all. The new teacher is doing very good class work and would use a garden to good purpose. Perhaps a judiciously addressed appeal to tae Chairman might result in getting the Committee to move in the matter of erecting the fence.

It was decided to depute Mr H. J. Hignell to interview the Committee regarding this matter. Edging for Plots at Hokitika T).H. School.—Very good work is being done in the gardens and with the environment generally at Hokitika. On my recent visit there the Head Master made a request for edging for the plots which, on account of the necessity lor drainage, are raised almost a foot above the level of the paths. As the two gardens—primary and secondary—would require something like 18(10 running feet, the cost would-be prohibitive and in any case the life' ol the edging would lie a matter of a few years only. 1 suggest that the Head Master he advised to the effect that the Hoaid, while recognising the good work done so far in the gardens, regrets that it cannot see its way to provide the edging asked for. It was agreed to instruct Mr Geo. Uignell (Hoard’s foreman on the Const) to'"supply the Hokitika District High School garden pots with 1800 running feet oxl heart rimu complete with pegs. I Hokitika, Dressmaking Instruction. was agreed to recommend to. the Department’ the appointment of Mrs Woolhouse as dressmaking instructress at the Hokitika District High School.

Airs Cropper was recommended for appointment as sewing mistress at Koiterangi Lower. AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTOR. Air AA r . H. Johnston reported for the month of April-Alay:— “ 1 beg to submit my report on the agricultural work of the West Coast schools visited between April 12th and ai.ay 10th. Forty four schools ranging from Waiho in the South to lnnngah.ua Landing in the North were inspected and given the necessary guidance in connection with the work for the year. “I also inspected the root crops of the West Coast Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs. Alost of these plots are in the neighbourhood of the schools concerned, and do not make it necessary to do much extra travelling. “ Under these new conditions laid down for this season, there are fewer plots in the competition than there have been in previous years. The wet weather conditions at the time of sowing last year made it impossible, for some schools to get the work done, and in a few eases the 1 same conditions caused total failure. The remaining plots, however, are widely distributed through the district, and should provide valuable data in connection with Swede growing on the Coast. The plots at AVallis Siding, Humphreys and Moonlight are showing the host so far.

* “ I enclose snaps of Humphreys and M oon fight plots. “■ In the majority of our own schools the work is being carried on quite satisfactorily, and there is a general desire on the part of teachers, pupils and committees to make a success ol the work. There stilt remains, however, the necessity for eradicating the idea that anything is good enough. “In my individual reports 1 have indicated that improvement is necessary m all the work at Arntika, Woodstock, (Kira, Nelson Creek and Koiterangi Lower. At the two latter schools the neglect of work lias taken place during the time the schools have been awaiting appointment of permanent teachers.

“ J would recommend that Hnrrvtoivn he supplied with a small gate for its plot. “ I interviewed the Chairman oT the Kokatahi Lower School Committee and impressed upon him the necessity ol co-operation with the teacher in the matter of ground improvements. He was in agreement with me, hut said that lack of, funds was the chief drawback. Again, if work was to bo done it always fell on the shoulders of the same one or two.”

Mr W. IT. Johnston’s report was read and adopted. Jt was agreed that the attention of the relieving teachers at Nelson Creek and Koiterangi Lower be drawn to the unsatisfactory nature of the garden work during their terms of office at tlioije schools. Hurry town —The supp’v ol a small gate for the school garden at Hurrytown was approved. Kokatahi Lower. depute Mr |H " ‘ j''° Chairman of the t i.n.m. a, ao.n.i-

tnlii regarding the desirability for ground improvements at this school. OPEN AIR SCHOOLS. Open Air Schools were discussed, when the Board rescinded a.resolution stating that all new schools should Te of the detached type. The resolution rescinded was passed on June 19th, 1925, and was as follows:—“That this Board, being strongly in favour of fresh-air schools, will in all future buildings have new schools erected in detached units or as much in accordance with that principle as the. Department will permit, and that tiie Board accept with appreciation the offer of the British Aledical Association to co-operate and make suggestions on the hoard’s plans, which offer he made use of by the board’s architects.”

In moving that the resolution be rescinded, Air H. J. Hignell said that lie thought that the resolution had been forgotten by most people. The subject had arisen at a meeting of the Buildings Committee, when it was 'found that there was no opportunity of giving Kaiapoi a choice of types for a new school. Since l.nnt resolution had been carried, nineteen schools had boon built on the block plan. Tiie Hoard should never have passed the resolution. Instead of having the right to decided on the types of schools to be erected, the Hoard had, l),y that resolution, given that right away. The West Coast was not suitable for openair schools, and with that resolution oil the hooks, new schools on the Coast must he of the open-air type. The Hoard had given away one of the small powers that it had. He had no particular objection to open-air schools, as open-air schools of one or two rooms were all right. Mr Winsor added that- the league would not admit that the Hoard had done anything to improve the schools. Tho Hoard had improved on the Fcnda I ton typo, and it also had another type at Oxford. With regard to a statement made hv Mr Hignell, that the Minister of Education had said that the Kumara school was the best, the chairman added that Air Hignell knew that the average Minister would sav Unit at every school lie visited. He wished to say that he was not antagonistic lo the Open-Air League, hut lie thought that the lady wlm made the statement at Gisborne was very misguided, but that she-hud had the courage of her convictions. Personally, ho would boost open-air schools, provided that it could he proved that, they were not inimical to the children.

In reply to questions’, the chairman said that his ruling was that the resolution permitted tho erection ol schools of other types than detached units. The Hoard had a perfect right to erect a block typo school at Kumnra, because the Department would not tolerate open-air schools on the West Coast. T In* resolution was rescinded by eiglit votes to two. Mr Hignell moved that the chairman j-,iii| city numbers prepare a resolil-

tiou for submission to the nepet meeting of the Board, setting ' out the Board's views on open-air schools. The motion was carried.