EDUCATION BOARD.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4384, 8 April 1875, Page 2

EDUCATION BOARD.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Board was held yesterday. Present —Mr. Brandon (chairman), Mr. Toomath, Mr. Pharazyu, and Mr. Bunny. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. ACCOUNTS. Tire Secretary presented the hank account, which showed a balance of £I2BO to the credit of the Board, stating at the same time that this sum would shortly be exhausted by accounts nearly due. There would remain, however, a sufficient balance to enable the Board to discharge current liabilities. Sundry accounts were submitted, amongst them being one from Mr. Robert Wilson, Masterton, who forwarded a bill, amounting in the whole to £9 2s. 4d., this sum covering expenditure on behalf of the Board from November, 1373, to date. Mr. Toomath considered that the 5 percent. arrangement made by the Board should cover all expenditure of this sort. The Chairman expressed a similar opinion. The Clerk was instructed to investigate the matter, and inform the Board as to the real nature of the arrangement referred to. The remaining accounts were passed. TE AEO SCHOOL SITE. Mr. Toomath reported, that a person had made an offef to him to purchase from the Board the acre in Wallaoe-street for the same sura paid for it by the Board at auction, namely, £4OO. Another site suitably situated for the erection of a second school at Te Aro had been offered to him ; —the section being 80 feet by 100 feet, at the corner of the cricket ground, and the price £395. The Chairman thought the site too close to the existing school at Te Aro. Mr. Bunny considered the price named far too high, and suggested that there should be no hurry to conclude the purchase, as there must be plenty of better and cheaper sites obtainable. Mr. Hutchison recognised the urgent necessity for a second school at Te Aro, but the price asked for a piece of land of the dimensions described was far too much. The Chairman invited the opinion of the Board as to whether it would not be better to enlarge the present school, and endeavor to purchase the site from the Church of England authorities, to whom it belonged. Mr. Hutchison had a strong objection to crowding large numbers together in the same building, and he was, therefore, of opinion that a second site should be obtained; but certainly not the one offered to the Board through Mr. Toomath. The Chairman thought that before erecting additional school-houses they should wait and see whether education was to be made compulsory or not. If it were to be compulsory they would have to provide for at least double the number of children. Mr. Bunny said they need not trouble themselves about that. Those who wished for compulsory education would have to provide the increased accommodation required. Mr. Toomath felt bound to press his proposal for, the purchase of the site. A recent return showed that there were 1300 hoys and 1348 girls attending school, and that there were 1400 children for whom they had no accommodation at all. Mr. BiiARASiYN inquired how many children were turned away from the schools on account of want of accommodation. The Chairman replied that none were turned away, so far as he was aware. Mr. Bunny said it could easily be ascertained from Mr. Mowbray and Mr. Holmes whether any children had been turned away from the schools from want of accommodation. Mr. Toomath said that Mrs. Wilkinson, of the Hopper-street school, had complained of insufficient accommodation.

The Secretary bore out Mr. Toomath's statement, and said Mrs. Wilkinson had frequently complained to him of having turned children away. Mr. Hutchison said there were too many children crowded into the Te Aro school already, and, if they had the money to erect a second school, to put it up on such a piece of ground as that offered would he a great mistake. Mr. Bunny - said that if they bought the site offered they would have to give it up iu a week's time, as there was no room for playground. It was altogether too small for the purposes of a school. The Chairman thought it would he much better to postpone the purchase, as land would be much cheaper before long. The Board agreed that the acre in Wallacestreet should he disposed of, if possible, and another site selected for the erection of a second school. WANGANUI ASSESSMENT. Mr. Ketley, secretary of the Wanganui and Waitotara Road Board, intimated his willingness to make an assessment of Wanganui, as required by the Board, for the sum of £4O. The sum named was regarded as excessive. The secretary was therefore instructed to inform Mr. Ketley that if he would copy the rate roll and forward the copy to Wellington, without undertaking any other duties connected with the work, he would he suitably remunerated for his trouble. MOUNT VIEW DISTRICT. Mr. P. Coleman, of Mount View, near Marton, forwarded a communication to the Board, asking for assistance for the erection of a school in their district. Mr. Coleman stated that the settlers had £4O in hand, and with assistance to the extent of about £IOO they would he enabled to complete the school. The Chairman said the site of the proposed new school was only four miles from Marton, to which place there was a good road. He therefore saw no great necessity for the erection of an additional school. Mr. Bunny said four miles was a long journey for children in the winter time. Mr. Hutchison pointed out that the four miles spoken of was the nearest point to the Marton school. Some of the settlers lived eight miles from the Marton school. The Secretary said the case was a very urgent one, as a school in the locality suggested was much needed. Mr. Bunny proposed that the Board sho"M give assistance to the extent of £IOO. The motion -was agreed to. KAIWARRA SCHOOL. Upon the question of appointing a teacher for the Kaiwarra school, to supersede Miss Stevens, resigned, Mr. Toomath moved—“ That a committe, consisting of Messrs, Brandon, Bunny, Hutchison, Pharazyn, and the mover, be appointed to inquire into the reasons which led to the resignation of Miss Stevens. He thought the resignation might be got rid of if the matter were inquired into.” The motion was agreed to; the committee to meet on Monday afternoon at 2 o’clock. RESERVES. Mr. Collis, of Whitemans Valley, offered £7 a year for the lease of eighty acres of land in the district named, the leases to extend over fourteen or twenty-one years. The application was ordered to stand over. Mr. H. S. Palmerston, of Palmerston, applied to have his lease of certain sections at Palmerston extended from seven to fourteen years. The Board declined this and another application from Mr. Palmerson for the lease of a five-acre section. TARATAHI SCHOOL. Mr. Booth, of Taratahi, complained of the site chosen for a school near Corfe’s being ill adopted to the requirements of the district. Mr. Booth suggested that a site near his residence would be much more likely to meet the requirements of the residents. The Board declined to interfere, and at the same time expressed the opinion that much valuable time was being lost through the delay in the preparation of the plans. The Secretary - was instructed to represent this condition of affairs to Mr. Toxward. KARORI PROPERTY. Mr. Toomath represented that an expenditure of £SO upon the property of the Board' at Karori would enable them to let the house for £4O a year, and, failing this, it would form an excellent residence for the Inspector at some future time. The Board authorised the expenditure. DOTIES OF MEMBERS. Mr. Toomath informed the Board that in pursuance of a resolution empowering him to draw up a set of rules for defining the position and duties of members, he had prepared a draft which he was prepared to submit to the Board. The rules were ordered to be printed and submitted for discussion at a future meeting. RESIGNATION. Mr. Horan, a teacher who had received an appointment in the Middle Island, sent ir. his resignation to the Board, which was. accepted. The Board then adjourned.