MOUNT IDA DISTRICT SCHOOL.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 100, 13 January 1871, Page 3

MOUNT IDA DISTRICT SCHOOL.

The statutory annual meeting of the I owners and occupiers of land and j householders in the educational district of Mount Ida, for the election of a School Committee and other business, took place in the schoolhouse, Naseby, on Monday evening last. Very few persons were present. Mr. W. Inder was called to the chair. The Chairman asked the Secretary, Mr. R. Ross, to read report of retiring Committee for the past year. The re- I port is as follows : Annual Report op the School Committee. Upon the expiration of the term of office for which'they were elected, the members of the School Committee beg respectfully to submit the following report, for the information of the parents of the scholars attending school, as well as for the public generally. On the 9th of January, 1870, your Committee entered upon the duties of the office to which they were, by your votes, elected, receiving from the retiring members the books, papers, &c., belonging to the School Committee. These books showed the then existing liabilities of the Committee to be £l7 19s. 6d., to discharge which your Committee decided to apply to the Bank of New South Wales for an advance of the necessary funds. Application was thereupon made to the bank, the required sum advanced, and the engagements of the previous Committee settled. This sum has since been repaid. Your Committee cannot refrain from commenting upon the great remissness on the part of a majority of the members in attending upon thoso duties which, by their acceptance of office, tliey had undertaken to perform. Though the full number of members allowed by the Ordinance (9) were elected, four only of that number gave anything like regular attendance at the monthly meetings; and from the date of Mr. Botting's departure from the district the number of members attending regularly was further reduced to three—viz., Inder, Dixon, and Ross—upon whom, consequently, fell the performance of the duty of the Committee. On the 12th of August last application was made by the Committee to the Secretary of the Education. Board, for the extension nnd improvement of the school accommodation, ana the appointment of a female teacher, as well also of an instructress in sewing. In reply, the Committee were informed that their application had been considered at the halfyearly meeting, and submitted to the Government. Application was subsequently made to have the site of the schoolmaster's residence, together with an area of half an acre which adjoins it, surveyed and set apart as an education reserve, which application, your Committee has great pleasure in stating, was promptly complied wit... In the heginmng of December last the Committee again addressed the Secretary of the Education Board, enquiring what action, if any, had been taken on their letter of the 12th of August last above mentioned, having reference to increased school accommodation, the appointment of female teacher, and other matters. In reply, we received the following communication:— " Dunedin, Dec. 14, 1870. " Sib, —I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th inßt. " X regret very much that, owing to circumstances entirely beyond my control, I am unable to hold out any prospoct of the Government being prepared to authorise any expenditure on the extension of Mount Ida school house before the next meeting of the Provincial Council. " With regard to the schoolmistress, I can only refer you to the letter I forwarded to the Committee on August 3rd, 1869, stating that £25 per annum would be paid to a teacher of sewing. For conditions see the said letter. " I am sorry I cannot send you a more satisfactory reply, but I cannot help it. I have had to send similar replies to many others. " Yours truly, "JohnHiblop. " Mr. R. Ross, Secretary School Committee, Naßeby." The Committee have to express their regret that the annual examination of the scholars has not taken place as heretofore. This has arisen 1 from the fact that official intimation was given to the Committee that no money had been voted for prizes. Your Committee are glad to report that the attendance of scholars has not only been satisfactory but steadily on the increase. They also have pleasure in stating that no complaint of any kind has been made during their period of office. . Financially, your Committee are in a satisfactory position, the only outstanding debt being a sum of £3 2s. 6d., a balance unpaid 011 account, of £5 2s. 6d., money advanced by Mr. Petchell for repairs to the schoolmaster's residence during the term of office of previous Committee. Your Committee would earnestly recommend that the school building be removed to the educational reserve adjoining the schoolmaster's reKidenec, reference to which liim already bren made ; the present site being in

every rt\sj>pfl ineligible, from its difficulty of access, and its liability, from the constant ilow of tail water under the floor, to prove extremely injurious) to the health of the scholars* more especially during the winter months. The report was adopted. The following gentlemen were then elected members of Committee for the present year:—Messrs. W- Inderj K Horswell, John Bremner. W. G-rumitt, J. Stewart, J. Dixon, 11. Wilson, R. Ross, and W. Hay. Resolved—That the Committee meet on Monday evening next, 16th inst.

A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings.