NORTH SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8166, 22 April 1895, Page 3

NORTH SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The monthly meeting of the North School Committee was held on Frid»y evening, thore being present : Mossrs Mollisun (chairman), Annand, Cross, Jonef, Meldrum, Ormiston, Symington, an 1 Mitchell (lion. Bbc). After the transaction of rou'ino business Ir wi\s resolved that the think* of tho Committee be accorded to the residents of Kurow for the thoughtful kindness shown by them to the school excursion on the 28th ult. The draft Annual report f .r preservation to the meeting of householders this evening wm ro^i and adopted : The Committee have the pleasure to report that the work of tho school has bee a carried on during the year in a salifactory manner, and that nothing has occurred to occasion the Committee anxiety or trouble. The teaching staff has undergone some changes during the year. Some months since, Mr W. G. Grave relinquished the post of third assistant, and from sixteen applicants your Committee selected for appointment Mr John Pringle, 8.A., who has given evidence of being an excellent teacher. Lately Miss C. G. Fraser, who had been a teacher in the school for ovet five years, resigned the position as second assistant in order to continue her university studies, and Miss M. M. Sumpter, a pupil teacher, retired from the service. For the vacant second assistant teachernhip your Committee selected, from twenty-five applicants, Mils Margaret H. Thomson; who, as fourth assistant for over four years, had done good work. The average attendances having entitled the school to an additional pupil teacher, your Committee, with a view of strengthening the staff, asked the Board to grant a fifth assistant in lieu of the two pupil teachers to be appointed. That request the Board readily acceded to, and one of the earliest duties of the new Committee will be the choice of two candidates for recommendation for appointment as fourth and fifth assistants. When these vacancies are filled the school will possess tho strongest teaching' staff it has ever had, and your Committee look with confidence to it attaining even a higher position amongst the schools of Otago than that which it has held for many years. The highest number of pupils on the roll during the year has been 466—239 boys and 227 girls — the total with which the year closed : and tho average for the year has been 457. In the previous year the number on the roll was 479. with an average of 459. \ The average attendance for tho four quarters of the year, as compared with those for the previous year, have been as follows :

Average for year 401 384 From the foregoing report it will bo seen that, while the average number upon tho roll during the year has been slightly lower than that of the previous year, the average attendance has shown a marked improvement. But your Committee think that there is room for still further improvement in this matter ; for the figures show that for every school day of the year an average of 56 pupil* or over 12 per cent, have been absent. Having in mind the irregularity of attendance of many pupili, added to a knowledge that children of school age wero roaming the streots, your Committee took steps to have a truant officer appointed, and they are pleased to report that the Education Board have appointed Sergeant O'Grady with full authority to excrciso the power conferred by the School Attendance Act in all parts of the town: Although no active measures have yet been taken to enforce the provisions of the Act, your Committee, drawing conclusions from the improved average attendance which followed close upon it, believe that the appointment has already produced a salutary effect by impressing careless parents with a fear of the law, if not with a sense of the duty towards their children. In Auguit last Mr W. Steventon resigned hit teat on the Committee, and the vacancy was filled by the appointment of Mr T. Jones. Early in the year the question of an interchange of inspectors was raised by a circular from the Taradale Committee, and your Committee, believing that such a step was in the interest* of education, gave the pro* Pflsal their cordial aupport. Your Committee entered a strong protest against a proposal submitted to the Education Board to practically hand over the appointment of teachers to an irresponsible body, on the ground that it was an invasion of tne rights of Committees as directly representing the householders. At the same time your Committee urged upon the Board that no method of appointing teachers would be satisfactory unless \t was based upon a classification of schools and teachers, and provided for systematic promotion in the eervico. Your Committee note with pleasure that tho Board have undertaken this vrork, and, though the »chemo as proposed contains blemishes they hope that the Board's deliberations may result in a system of promotion being evolved that will sot at rest a much-Texed question. The hon. treasurer's statement of accounts W \\\ ?how that, including » balance at the Eojnn«n<*me»t of the year of L4 lBs 4,1 the receipt* have b*en f/W 6s fid, of which L 69 11b&1 was received from the Jioard, £nd L 24 16s lOd wu raised by entertainmenU. The total expenditure h»s been fm 4s 104, tbiw leaving a balance of L 3 By jneana of fund* raised locally, Bqppfc* -4ed by subsidies from the Bqard, your me. ' h»v« h&tn »bje £o e/Teet a nun?Commute*. . *- •«* repairs U> m ber of improvement -^at could •choolhouse and grounds beyonu v. .. have been carried out with available balance from the ordinary grant. To the teachers.

for orgnnising entertainments, and to the donors of pri/.cs tho thanks of the householders live due. The balance of Ll3 due upon the piano, has been paid during thf year, and tho pinno is now a valuable school asset, as well as an indisponsable aid to the teaching of singing. Your Committee have just completed the lighting of the school with gas,, tho cost of Which will dovolvo upon tho incoming Committee to defray, and for that purpose your Committee suggest that an entertainment should be given at an early datn Your Committee havo again pleasure in reporting that tho school heartily cooperated with tho other town schools in the celebration of Arbor Day. The children evinced a lively interest in the work of tieeplanting, and it is to be hoped that that interest will be maintained by them, so thai they may in the years to come aid in pro tccting from destruction trees they have planted for tho beautification of tho town. Taking advantage of the great concession made by the Railway Department in fares for school excursions, your Committee organised an excursion to Kurow on the 28th March, and, although the weather was very inclement, the largo number of parents ana children seemed to greatly enjoy tho outing That they wero enabled to do so was duo to the provision made for their comfort by tho residents of Kurow, to whom your Committee now ask you to join in tendoriug tho warmest thanks. Nothing could havo boon more cordial than the reception given to the excursionists, nothing more thoughtful than the provision mado to mitigate the discomforts of wet weather. Your Committee havo held 16 meetings during tho year, and tho attendance of members at these have been as follows : Meldrum, 16; Annand, 15; Cross, lf>; Mitchell, 15 ; Moliison, 15; Ormiston, IC> ; Symington, 13; M'Pherson, 11; Jones (eight months), 9 ; Stevenson (four months), 4. In surrendering their charge, your Committee do so with the satisfaction of knowing that they leave the schoolhouse and appurtenances in good order ; but they cannot refrain from urging upon their successors the necessity for taking every opportunity for improving the grounds by raising the lower portions. The Chairman said that as this was tho last time the Committee would meut, ho had to thank tho members for tho assist anca they had givon him in tho dischargo of his duties. Mr Ormiston iroved a vote of thinks to tho chairman for the excollent manner in which he h\d dhjhartjed his duties. This was seconded by Mr Annand and cirried unanimously, and the meeting terminated.

June quarter September quarter December quarter... March quarter 382 401 400 420 370 382 385 390