Palmerston North State School.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1695, 29 April 1886, Page 2

Palmerston North State School.

ANNUAL MEETING OF HOUSEHOLDERS.

The above meeting held last night at the Central Schoolhouse. Palmertton, was largely attended, over one hundred persons being present. Mr J. P. Leary addressed those present as to the object! of the meeting and called on them to elect a chairman. Mr Snelson was voted to the chair, an amendment proposed by Mr West tbat Mr Ferguson should take the chair being lost. Mr Snelson opened the proceeding! by reading the circular convening the meeting, and then called on the Secretary to read the following annual report : — Beporfc of School Committee, Palmer-* ston North School {District, for fifteta months ending 28th April, 1886. To the householders Palmerston North. CENTRAL SCHOOL. School Buildings : Your Committet have to report that the school building! are m a good state of repair, and th* t the accommodation is amply- sufficient for the number of children inattendanco. Some alterations are necessary m the infant room to prevent one class from disturbing another during instruction, and m Miss Schofield's room the partition needs to be carried up to the ceiling that the teacher and children may bo secured against draughts. The Committee have been unable to carry out thai* improvements for want of money. The teacher's residence which wm damaged by lightning has been repaired, and the part of the roof formerly covered with shinglcg has been covered with iron. An effort was made to stcuro half as .acre of land adjoining the school ground, for a play ground, but th« price was too high. Your Committee recognising the ntcw* sity of shelter sheds at both schools for the children at playtime m wet weather, applied to tho Board for money to build, but there was no money available. In the month ot February a magic-lantern entertainment was given by Mr Ferguson, with musical programme under the superintendence of Mr Watson and with the assistance of Mr Guthrie, and a sum of £19 9s 6d, less £4 expenses was obtained to go towards building shelter sheds. This sum your committee desire to see supplemented by parents and friends, so that this most necessary work may be done. The committee expect m accordance with a standing rule of th« Board to receive from that body £ for £ raised locally. Teaching Staff : The teaching staff at the Central School consists of head matter, assistant master, first assistant mistress, second assistant mistress, one male pupil teacher, aud three female pupil teachers. . During last year Miss Schofield wai appointed second assistant mistress, and Mr Matheson assistant master m place of Mr Smith, resigned. The Inspector's re. port was a favorable one. Attendance : 801 l number, 1884, 330 : 1885. 340. Average, 1884, 238 ; 1885, 257. An increase of ten on the roll and nineteen on the average attendance. The average attendance was 75£ per cent, of the roll number, 3£ per cent, better than 1884. Your committee do not consider this a good average, and are of opinion that a much higher average of passes at the examination would be obtained if parents and guardians sent their children regularly. ' TERRACE END SCHOOL. School Buildings : New school buildings to accommodate 170 children were built at Terrace End and opened m tho first week of September. The rooms aro lofty, well ventilated, well lighted, and "fitted with the latest conveniences, and best appliances for carrying on tho school work. The ground about tho school is m a., rough condition and un. fenced. Some very necessary levelling and gravelling has been dono m front of the school The committee de»ir« to record their thanks to the residents who assisted m this work. Other necessary improvements must stand over till tho Board are m funds, or till the householders subscribe among themselves money for the work. Teaching Staff: The teaching staff consists of a head master, assistant mistress, and male pupil teacher. Mrs Harvey, head mistress, resigned m July and Mr D. H. Guthrie was appointed m her place. Miss Astbury, pupil teacher, resigned through ill health m Novtmbar* After the Christmas holiday* the attend' ance so increased as to entitle the school to an assistant, and Miss Irvine, formerly of Christchurch Training College, wao appointed assistant mistress, beginning her duties about the middle of March of this }*ear. Attendance : 801 l number, 1884, 108 first quarter of 1886, 182. Average at. tendance : 1884, 81 ; first quarter of 1886. 134. The average attendance for the month of April is 161, being 89 per cent. of tho roll number. At the examination held last week 92*8 per cent. of those present m the standards passed. Before adopting the reports a slight discussion took place. Mr Hall wished to hear the opinion oithe meeting regarding the chastisement of children m tho schools. He bad seen remarks m tho papers about k and had heard a good deal of talk as to the method tdoptod here. The practice had been done away with m Boston, Chicago, New York, and other places, having been|substituted by other punishments, and was found to work successfully. He believed using ' the cane on boys merely caused them to have ill-feelings, one against tho other, and m a great many castes brought tho punishment into contempt. A short lei* son as punishment, he remembered, had done him far more good then the rod, and he coasidered it was a far superior method to the one at present adopted. Besides being effective m one way, it improved the mind. Mr Allinghain remarked that, m hie opinion, they should get the rod if they deserved it. The Chairman said that there wtro rules laid down, by the Board by which the schools were guided. Any alteration m the manner pointed out by Mr Hall would have to be done m the ihape of m requisition to the Board. : The Mayor, as far as he remembered, had found the •• keeping m" method useless, as regarded himself at any rute. He, however, was quite willing that tho Board of Education should decide tho matter, and he would not think of interfering- with the present arrangements. The Treasurer's balance-sheet wao then read as follows : — Summary of Treasurer's Keport. ItEVEXUE. Balance m hand January Ist, 1885, £15 16s 4d. Receipts from January Ist, 1885, to April 30th, 1886, £135 18i 7d. Total, £151 14s lid.

EXPENDITURE. " ■from .lanur^K^lßß6, to April 80tb. JBB6, *128^i^^Jl^l^OSl