HOKITIKA SCHOOL COMMITTEE

Hokitika Guardian, 8 March 1932, Page 2

HOKITIKA SCHOOL COMMITTEE

§| ; DENTA.L CLINIC MAINTENANCE

The Hokitika District High School met last evening when there xwere present Messrs A. C. Armstrong A. McDbugall, R. J. Pedder, |$V. H. •Shannon, H. |W. R. Sweney, %. J. Breeze, F. Chesterman, J. Conning and the Rector, Mr J. L. IpMenzies.

iNurse F. E. James reported that :<r !567 operations, were performed during Ajhe month, the number of new' patients nine. Children from the Hoki'tiConvent, Kanieri, Humphreys, WoodJstock and Ei.ihinu schools .had. been ■treated. 9 ' Mi' F. (H. Clark wrote thanking the Committee for appointing him as- caretaker of the : choul. The Canterbury Education Board wrote

to the Committee in connection with ..matters, and said that the isnggestions made were not. likely to meet with much 'support from the Committee’s side. -South Spit.—Although the children were not really entitled to conveyance capitation, being under the requisite distance from the Hokitika school, the Department had agreed to pay for the currant year. Blue Spur.— As this service was costing more than would a sm li school the Department' had .-asked Clot the old school be reopeneci. ; Thi; s.cp would probably, invplvo stonie hardships on Mr Coupon, but it : was difficult to see how the expenditure of ajo tit. £loo as <against, £95 per annum for seven pupils could be justified. TEA Board wished to know if there was a possibility that the parents might be prepared to find the differs#, or any portion of it?

;jlr Richards .‘-.aid the whole, solution rested upon the question of the Boaid opening the s< iiool at Blue Spur. As a committeeman lie would not ask tin* parents to pay Janything toward the conveyjuice. He movejj,, the Com-niitfeo-cannot zee its-Aw®# l1 ’ to a.-.k the 'parents to pay in this reopect. The motion was seconded by Mr Redder and carried The chairman, reporting for the visaing committee, said that there was a mi.irked imp oveniont <ui the schoo 1 Authority was given for the purchas'd of several necessities. In connection wil.ii the■ dental tr<\.fcinent in Schools in ISoidh Westland, members were of the opinion that the Committee should got. some definite in Itimation in writing <as to how they stood 'in the uuuixr, expressing ct..-,-satisfaction that this Committee should bp responsible for the whole of the dost? tor the district, amounting <» £6O per annum.

Mr Richards said the Committee was involved to the extent of £6O annually and he did not think that Hokitika should provide a clinic for the whole of /the district.

The secretary suggested .that the Committee should pay £3O, and that the 'Depart raiewt should find 'the remainder of the amount, .The chairman said that he was sure that the schools in South Westland would contribute something towards expenses.

Mr • Breeze said that Nurse Pifct had been South for four months, but the committee did not know what schools had been treated .

Messrs Shannon, Breeze and Redder spoke on the subject at length, and it was finally decided that.the Department be written to asking that the Hoki tika dental clinic district be defined, and refusing recognition of Nurse Pitt’s levy ia s the nurse was not under the jurisdiction of the Committee. .Mr Sweney moved that the school be closed during Easter week, but opposition was expressed by the Rector, who said that he .saw ,no reason why holidays should be thrown at the pupils. The days were not necessary and interfered with ithe work at the school. The tendency to-day wa s to heap too much on the children. He strongly opposed that the Wednesday should be granted that' they might go to the races, and stated that Monday and Tuesday were the only two days required by statute. It was finally decided that Monday Tuesday and Wednesday be granted as holidays, 'the latter day being granted as the Committee considered that there was considerable danger from race 'traffic along Hampden .'Street on that day.