Foxton School Committee.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3587, 19 October 1905, Page 2

Foxton School Committee.

The Foxton School Committee meft, at the Council Chambers last evening*; there being present —Mesdames Hay* wood and Frankland, Messrs Barnard# Coley, Gray and F. W. Frankland (secretary). The head-master (Mr Stewart) was also present. Mr Barnard was voted to the oliauv and the minutes of the previous meet* ing read and confirmed. The chairman pointed out, at the instance of Mr Frankland, that the question of non-attendance of school children, held over from previous meetings pending Board’s decision as to new building, would now properly come up, as a tender for the new building wNS accepted last Monday. The secretary then read the bead* master’s report as bearing on the question of non-attendance, showing as it did a discrepancy of liftv between the average atterUi. anc ®‘ or *!?, on ™ and tlx* numbers on ■% The headmaster expi/ 1111 ®® tha * *“‘ B shortage was principally .due to prevalent sickness and to wet aJ stormy weather. , At this stage Mr Baker arrived took the chair. Mf Betty and K. ev * Mr Wilson also arrived, thus coa* stituting a fully meeting. Mr Baker, continuing the discussion,, expressed himself confident that, not only in his own school district, also throughout the Wanganui Education District generally, many children are not attending who ought to bej that the truant inspector was overburdened, and that, instead of visiting here and there with sufficient frequency and investigating the genuineness of alleged cases of sickness, the inspec tion was very faulty, Proposed iiy Rev. Wilson, seconded by the Chairman, That the resolution of 2nd August last, instructing the secretary to complain to the Wan* ganui Board about non-attendance be re-affirmed, and that the Board be recommended to supplement the truant inspector. Not carried. Mr Gray raised the question why children were not allowed to go to Palmerston that afternoon hi connection with the cadet drill.

The Chairman and Secretary explained that they declined to take the responsibility of granting a holiday while the question of authority t® grant holidays was still sub-judice by \ virtue of the resolution oi the 18th September last. Rev. Mr Wilson said we wanted . more light as to the legal status of the cadet work, i.e., as to how far orders coming from the commanding officer are binding on us. The heidmaster, replying, said that drill is an integral part of the school' svstem as much as reading and writing. , The Chairman and Secretary explained that either the headmaster or secretary had power to send the child* icn in question to Palmerston, or they (chairman and secretary) had not the p nver, until a full meeting of the Com- s mittee adjudicated on the question of holidays. It was proposed by Mr Gray, and seconded by Mr Coley, That only statutory holidays be allowed in future.

The headmaster explained that the Board had granted extra holidays on a certain occasion.

This statement being questioned, the Chairman proposed, and Mr Betty seconded, That the Committee have full confidence in the headmaster's statement. Carried,

It was proposed by Rev. Wilson, seconded by Mr Barnard, and carried, That a copy of the regulations for military drill be laid before next meeting.

Discussion of Messrs Gray and Coley’s motion being resumed, that motion was voluntarily withdrawn on the understanding that the Chairman and Secretary would not in future grant ex ra holidays on their individual authority with sanction of a majority of the committee.

A special meeting of the Committee is to be called to consider the question of appropriate celebrations when the erection ot the new schoolhouse is to be commenced.

Mr Coley proposed, and Mr Bar. nard seconded, That Mesdames J ■ Frankland and Haywood be the visiting committee for the month. Carried. Accounts for the month were passed foe payment, and the meeting closed.