EDUCATION BOARD

Hokitika Guardian, 20 November 1933, Page 2

EDUCATION BOARD

MEETING AT CHRISTCHURCH

! The Canterbury Education Board | met on Friday morning. Present wer. e Messrs W. P. Spencer (chairman), W. A. Banks, R. Wild, J. W. Preen, C. S. Thompson, G. Benstead, S. R. Edison, S. Baird, J. J. Huntly, S. Smith, LI. J. Bignell, and G. W. Armitage. | An application was received from the Blackball committee for the establishment of a district high school. It was resolved to obtain the necessary particulars and to recommend the application for the department’s favourable consideration. It was resolved to state, in reply to the Hokitika committee’s representations, that the board did not consider that circumstances warranted the establishment of an intermediate school

at present. The Railway Department advised that- it had been decided that children travelling to dental clinics should be charged the .same, rate as picnic parties.

| In reply to the board’s representations, the Minister expressed regret j that he could not approve of the emI ployment of additional assistants exI cept in special circumstances. It was ! resolved that tile senior inspector be j asked to try and arrange for an additional assistant at Hokitika and SUCh other schools as Urgently required additional tetiohel-g. Concerning inspection reports, received during the year, it was re- ; solved that the board > convey to teachers its congratulations on the good standard of .efficiency reached, . The department advised that a grant j had been approved for the strengthenj ing and remodelling of the main, school ; building at Greymouth. | Humphreys committee’s request for replacement of front fence at residence was deferred, Mr W. H. Johnston , agricultural instructor reported . that most of the month had been spent 011 the West Coast, and there was still about three j weeks’ work to do. He had distributed seed .and fertilizer .to the 40 competitors''in the Bovs’ and Girls’ Agricultural , , Club: Competitions;, and ' had inspected some, of the plots.,- The fertilizer necessary for these - plots • has been generously supplied } and freight paid, to'Greymouth, by: Messrs Kempthorne, Prosser and Co. Ltd." The plots, are scattered in the fanning districts

from' Gronadim in the north to Wataroa and Hafihari in .the south. . Tfie class . and . outdoor work .•of the - school visited Is generally, speaking of a very satisfactory - stand(ircL The. .’teaching- of science has,- in my opipion, improved in most of the .schools. Mr Irwin is also of this opinion.-, 1 : .

j Concern at the disorganisation caused by continual transfers of teaciiI era ..from one school : to-.aiiother was ex-, pressed by ineinbors.. It was said thA i the compulsory tranfers. under the system of grading schools not Only broke the continuity to desirable ill. the control of ji school, but was also a considerable expense, to the country. Mr G, Roustead, who instituted the debate said that coinplusory transfers cost the board last year £65; this .year the cost would be £l5O, owing to the raising of the school age. In 1931 the

cost of transfers to the Dominion was £IOOO, but this year would be more than £3OOO. It should not fje beyonu j the ingenuity of man to devise some • means of. avoiding these' , transfers, j They were disorganising school work, i Mr A. McNeil, senior inspector, ; agreed that the interests of the schools | would be better served in most cases jif teachers’ terms were longer. Continual change Was detrimental. The Education Department and everyone concerned had been trying to, piurde out some scheme that would not adcl to the education vote, and it should not be imposible to discover some remedy. The problem was recognised by the department and if the board could evolve a solution, the department would be very glad to have it. The question was referred to the appointments committee to bring down a proposal.