LOCAL SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Kumara Times, Issue 1038, 28 January 1880, Page 2

LOCAL SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

annual election. The attendance of householders at the school-house on Monday evening for the purpose of electing a new School-Committee for the ensuing year was, in consequence of the inclemency of the weather, .very small, there being only twenty-five householders present. Mr R. J. Seddon was voted to the chair, and read the following report of the out-going committee ; Report of the Kumara School Committee for the Yeah ending 2Gtii January, 1680. The Committee elected by the householders of the district in Jauuaiy, 1879, consisted of Messrs Seddon, Wylde Drummond, Campbell, Bain, Munyard, and Birch. Mr Birch having left the district, his place was filled up by the appointment of Mr Malloy. During the year the Committee have had 28 meetings, at nearly all of which every member has attended. Several visits hate besides been made by the Committee to the Greenstone School, and to Westbrook, with the object of establishing a school there. At the first meeting, Mr Seddon was appointed Chairman, ami Mr Wylde Honorary Secretary and Treasurer, The following gentlemen have been nominated by the committee for seats on the Education Board, viz,, Messrs Broad, Wylde, and M'Whirter, kumara school. Soon after taking office, considerable trouble was caused to the Committee by the resignation of the head master and two assistant teachers, all members of the same family, and tbe withdrawal by the Board of a third assistant teacher and it was feared that the interruption of the school work and the difficulty and delay in obtaining an efficient staff would act injuriously both on the attendance and the progress of the pupils; but the Committee have the pleasure of reporting that they Lave eveiy reason to believe that they have succeeded in obtaining the services of a thoroughly competent staff of teachers, and that the attendance, instead of falling off, lias increased, the number on the books at the present time being 294. Tbe late examination, moreover, proved that most satisfactory progress Las been made by the pupils. The average attendance fur 1879 was 216.5, against 211 for 1878, and the per centage of passes for 1879 was 98.4, against 95 for 1878. Two of the pupils also passed the examination for pupil teachers, and have since received appointments in the school. It will be seen that this school stands very high both in attendance and passes, as out of 744 schools in the colony at date of last reports, only 21 exceeded the Knm.ira School in attendance, and the per cordage of pusses is probably unsurpassed in any school. GREENSTONE SCHOOL. A considerable change has taken place in the Greenstone School during the year. The teacher, Mr O’Neil, having resigned, was replaced by Mr Bussle, who has succeeded in raising the average attendance up to 404 pupils. The old school-house having become so much out of repair as to be unfit for use, the Board, on the recommendation of the Committee, purchased another building, which, with some alterations, has been made suitable for a schoolroom and master’s residence. The Committee are much pleased with the manner in which this school is conducted by the present teacher. WESTBROOK SCHOOL. ' In compliance with a requisition from the inhabitants, the Board has assisted in building a school-room at Westbrook, which is now ready for use. The Board has taken steps to obtain a permanent teacher, and the Committee have in the meantime placed Mr Coles in charge of this school. staff of teachers. The staff of teachers at present employed under the Committee is as follows ; Knmara—T. M. Wilson, head teacher ; F. Cato, Mrs Horneman, Mrs Williams, assistant teachers; Robert E. Wylde, Miss Howe, pupil teachers. Greenstone—H. Bussle. Westbrook—G. Coles. requirements. The Committee hope that their successors will succeed in obtaining an enlargement of the infant class-room in the Knmara school. The attention of the Boaid has several times been called to the urgent necessity of this alteration, but hitlietto without effect. The Committee have also endeavored to induce the Board to make the play-

ground suitable, by leveling and sowing it with grass j but although, some months since, a promise was made that tenders should be called for the work, nothing has been done in the matter, and the Committee feel that it is far from creditable that so large a school should be without a play-groUud. ACCOUNTS. Appended to this report is a state* ment of accounts, duly audited, shewing that the receipts have been £127, and the expenditure £122 Os 4d, leaving a balance of £4 19s 8d to be handed over to the new Committee. All accounts have been paid off to date, HeTlremext op Committee, The Committee) in retiring from office, are gratified at being able to make so favorable a report of the schools under their change, and have no doubt that, the first difficulty having been surmounted, next year will shew still greater and more pleasing progress. Richard John SEddox, Chairman. The report, on the motion of Mr M‘Gee seconded by Mr Hanna, was adopted. The Chairman having explained tho manner of voting under the Act at this election, the following gentlemen were duly nominated for the new committee ;-**• Messrs Campbell, Seddon, Galland, Wylde, Drummond, Bain, Mog* dridge, Griffiths, Munyard, Malloy, Miller, Hanna, Metcalfe. Mr Griffiths was appointed scrutineer, and, after the ballot .papers had been all examined one was objected to as informal. The number of votes recorded in favor of each candidate then read out by the Chairman, tho total number in favor of each candidate being as follows : R. J. Seddon ... ... 41 W. B. Galland ... 21 T. Mogdridge ... ... 21 J. Metcalfe ... ... 17 J. Wylde. 15 H. Griffiths 12 A. C. Campbell ... lo J. Bain... ... ... 8 G, A. Munyard ... 7 J. Drummond 6 J. Miller ... ... 4 W. S. Hanna 3 J. Malloy ... ... 3 The Chairman declared the seven persons whose names appear first on the list as duly elected to form the new Committee. A unanimous vote of thanks was accorded to the members of the outgoing Committee on the motion of Mr Miller; and a vote of thanks to the Chairman closed the proceedings. The following is au analysis of the voting, showing how many householders voted for each candidate, and the effect of exercising the seven votes for one individual 16 householders voted for H. J. Seddon, 6 for Campbell, G for Wylde, 6 for Griffiths, 6 for Metcalfe, 5 for Galland, 5 for Bain, 4 for Munyard, 4 for Drummond, 2 for Malloy, 2 for Miller, and 2 for Mogdridge. In this analysis the candidates own vote is not included.