BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 117, 4 May 1880, Page 3

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Tuesday, May 4. The Board met at half-past 10 oclock. Present—Messrs Seymour (in the chair), Baillie, Fell, Ward, Henderson, Dive, and Parker. The mimnesof the previous meeting were read and confirmed. teachers’ salaries. Air Ward brought up the report on teachers’ salaries, recommending that so much of the rules as applied to salaries be rescind ed, and that three months’ notice be given to the teachers, and that' the scale adopted by the Southland Board be generally adopted. The report was received. HAVELOCK. An account from the Havelock School Committee for two cords of firewood, was referred back to them. FINANCE. A telegram from Mr Best of the Treasury was laid the Board, stating that £305 15s lOd had been paid into the Bank to the credit of the Board. MR MACKLIN AND MR HENDERSON. The following letters were read:— “ District High School, “Blenheim, April, 2fith, ’SO. S?ik, —In reply to your letter of the 14th instant, I have the honor to forward the following statement Fees for first quarter cf 1579 :—£ls 10s ; second quarter do. £10; third quarter do., £IS 10s; fourth quarter do., £IS 10s; to 31st March, ISSO, Ist quarter, £0 ; total £77 10s. The amounts have been placed to the credit of the Education Board. Fifty pounds have been returned to me; the balance is, I believe, in the hands of the School Committee and Board. “ I was asked by you in January last how much had been paid. The amount up to that date was £G7 10s. I subsequently received £1 for the previous quarter, which made the receipts for 1870, £OS 10s. I have the honor, etc., “H. P. Macki.tn. “The Secretary, Education Board.” “High School, March ISth, ’BO. “Dear Sir, — I have seen a statement made at the last Board meeting by Mr Geo. Henderson, that you have been teaching a class of one in the Fourth Standard. Would you kindly inform me if this statement is correct.

“ Please also state the number of classes you teach, or were teaching, on the 2nd instant, and their Standards. “Also, have you ever taught a class of one hoy in any Standard since you were appointed.—Yours, etc., “H. P. Macicltn. “J. W. Alio way, Esq.” “ Dear Srn, —In reply to your note I beg to inform you that I have never had “ a class of one” preparing for the Fourth or any other Standard. The numbers in my classes arc widely different from that. At the beginning of this quarter I had, until the alterations were complete, a class of 24 preparing for Standard HI; another of 33, preparing for Standard II; and a third of 20, for Standard 1. “ At present I have only Standards I and 11, the numbers respectively on the roll being 22 and 30,

“I have never here li"d anything to c o ■with preparation for .Standard I\ in any way.—Yours, etc., “J. WII.T.TAM Allowav, “ JI. P. Macklin, Esq.” ■ ‘ High School, “Blenheim, March 10th, ISSO.

“ Sir, —I have the honor to inform you that I have received a copy of a resolution passed by the Education Board : —lt declares that fees are not to be charged in the High School for instruction in Standards. Interpreting this by the debate at the lulucation Board on the subject, as reported in the local papers, I am led to the conclusion that members believed fees had been charged for other than extra subjects. If this is the meaning of the resolution, the Board has been misinformed. Xo fees were paid for Standard instruction. I have also remarked the followed statements brought prominently forward, and I would respectfully' request the Committee to investigate them, with the view of placing the parents and the Education Board in possession of the facts.

“(1.) ‘Highly classified teachers are above teaching lower subjects.’ Geo. Hendeson, Esq. As I am the only highly classified teacher under the Board, he evidently refers to me. I taught last year 2S boys in 111. Standard who took S9'3 per cent passes. This I had to do in addition to my ordinary duties. I have now 23 in the same Standard.

“(2.) ‘That pupils were sent from the High School because they would not pay fees.’ Geo. Henderson, Esq. This is incorrect. I have pupils on the books of the Upper School who have not yet paid fees for this, or last quarter ; and I have not removed them. Some pupils were removed because they brought messages that they were to give up learning extra subjects. I then placed them with the Standard class to which they belonged. Pupils learning “ Standards” only, would be out of place in a class a portion of whose time is devoted to higher branches. “(3.) ‘That IV. Standard hoys were placed under Miss Macklin, an unclassified teacher.’ IT. Dodson, Esq. Mrs Macklin is the only classified teacher beside myself. If Mr Dodson wanted his son sent to the Infant School, he should have stated so clearly. Miss Macklin is now teaching IV. Standard —that to which his son belongs. That she can teach it has been proved both at Mr Lee’s and Mr Hodgson’s examinations. She passed 100 per cent in IV. Standard last examination.

“(4.) ‘That Mr Alloway has, or had, a class consisting of one IV. Standard hoy.’ Geo. Henderson, Esq. There has been nothing to give even a coloring to this assertion. I would respectfully remind the Committee that parents should be informed that while every effort will be made to educate their children, they must not expect that much appreciable progress can be made until sufficient teaching power is provided. —I have the honor to ho, Sir, Your most obedient Servant,

“ IT, P. Mack i.in'. “Head Master. “A. G. Fell, Esq., Chairman, School Committee.”

Mr Henderson said he must take exception to the phrase that there was no colouring to the statement of there being a class of n one boy. He (Mr Henderson) in making the statement merely quoted from the report of the Inspector, and there it was. Mr Fell said a very serious accusation had been made against Mr Macklin. who felt himself in a serious position, with his character vigorously assailed, and he asked for an inquiry, and in his (Mr Fell’s) opinion, the Board must accept his defence or grant an enquiry. He would not move him self for an enquiry, as he was quite satisfied, but he thought the Board should take some action in the matter if they did not accept Mr Macklin’s statement. Mr Ward said it would he hardly well to decide the matter offhand. It would be time enough to move a resolution for next meeting. Mr Fell concurred. pioton.

The Chairman of the I’icton School Committee informed the Board that they had received an offer from Mr Arthur Penetliorpe to teach drawing in the Picton, Waitohi, and Tua Marina schools on the following conditions, namely, that a bonus be given of £2oper quarter, and a payment of 10s per quarter for each pupil taking lessons. The Committee thought it would be desirable to accept the offer. The Secretary was instructed to inform the Committee that the Act would not allow them to accept such an offer. No fees could be charged in a public school for teaching except the higher branches in district High schools. The Committee also asked the Board to erect a store-house to keep firewood in, as at present it got stolen. The Secretary was instructed to inform the Committee that the Board could not spare funds for the purpose and regretted their inability to comply with the request. TUA MARINA. The Chairman of the Tua Marina School Committee enquired if the old schoolhouse was in the control of the Committee. The Board decided that it had been under the control of the Committee and requested them to continue it. GROVE TOWN. Mr Henderson asked if Miss Pritchard, the late pupil teacher, had been paid and receiving a reply in the negative, moved that the amount due to her be ascertained and padi. Her resignation had been accented by the Board and it was not creditable that she should not be paid. It was understood that her services had been of value as she was a good teacher. The Secretary said, except by resolution of the Board, Miss Pritchard was not entitled to he paid as she had not held the situation a year and passed an examination. She had held the office for nine months. It was resolved that Miss Pritchard be paid for the whole time she had held the appointment. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Leave of absence from this meeting was granted to Mr Conolly, and to Messrs Seymour and Baillie during the ensuing Parmen tary session. BLENHEIM BOROUGH SCHOOL. Mr Fell moved that an assistant teacher be appointed for the Blenheim Borough School at a salary of £l2O. He said the appointment was much required and was so considered by the Inspector (whose report he quoted). At present one master had to to teach 70 pupils. This was seconded, all( l carried without discussion, and it was resolved to advertise for a teacher. PAYMENTS. The salaries of the Inspector and teachers for the past month were passed for payment. NOTICES OF MOTION. The following notices of motion for next meeting were given, and the Board then ad journed till next month : By Mr Fell, —That a Committee be appointed to revise the rules and regulations of the Education Board. By Mr Henderson,—That it be entered in the regulations of the Board that teachers’ salaries be paid monthly in strict accordance with the ascertained average attend-

ance of the preceding three months, as shown by the summary statements of the quarterly attendance returns furnished by them in terms of the order in Council of Mav 23, IS7S. That the report up to-day by the co nmittee to consider the question of payment to teachers he adopted, and that the recommendation made therein be brought into op oration forthwith.

The report was as follows Marlborough Education Board. Report of the Coin imttccappom tod 1 st March ] SSO, to take into consideration the question of the payment of teachers’ salaries: keeping in view that the expenditure of the Board must be made to fall withimts

income : To the Chairman and members of the Edu

cation Board, — Your Committee in approaching the work set before it, saw that it was of first importance to settle the proportion of teachers necessary to teach any given number of pupils —and afterwards to settle the rates of payment to the teachers.

The present Rules and Regulationsof this Board not making any provision for proportioning the teaching staff to the number of pupils, the committee has aided its consideration by examining the Rules and Regulations of several Boards in the Colony relating to this matter, at the same time noting their scales of payment to teachers. The result of your Committee’s work is that it recommends for your adoption, the scales for proportioning the tc-.ching staff, and for regulating the payme it of teachers, other than pupil teachers, which are in use by the Southland Board of Education, subject to some alterations suggested by your Committee, ami marked in the copy of the said rules submitted herewith, ns being calculated to regulate the expenditure of the Board in the payment of teachers so as to fall within its income available for the purpose. Your Committee recommend that so much of the Board’s present rules and regulations as relates to the salaries of teachers, other than pupil teachers, he rescinded, and that at least three months’ notice be given to all the teachers of the intention of the Board to place the district under the new .regulations at the expiration of that time. The various letters submitted to your Committee relating to salaries are provided for by the scale recommended. (Signed) Jos. Ward, Chairman. By the Southland Rules, a school where the average attendance is 500, would be allowed one'head master, one mistress, four assistant teachers, and six pupil teachers. The salaries would he —head master £317 to £327, mistress Ll4O, first assistant L 245 (male), LI2O (female), second assistant L 195 (male), LI 15 (female), third assistant Ll4O (male), LIOS (female), fourth assistant Ll2O (male), LIOO (female), and so on in proportion.