EDUCATION BOARD.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5306, 28 March 1878, Page 2

EDUCATION BOARD.

, The Board met yesterday. Present—Messrs. Pharazyu (chairman), Gisborne, Tuomath, Bunny, and Lee (secretary.) The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The bank account was reported to be £3085 to the credit o: the Board. The tender of Mr. F. Greer, to erect a teacher’s residence at Tawa Flat for £239, was accepted. It being reported that certain necessary adjuncts to the school at Masterton were required, they were authorised to be done. The following letter was received from Mr. Hislop, the Secretary to the Education Dement : Department of Education, Wellington, March 12. 1573. Sir,—l have the honor, bv direction of the .Minister of Education, to acknowledge the receipt if the Board’s estimates of receipts and expenditure ashed for by circc'ar No. 2. I am to point out that a misunderstanding seems to have arisen in regard to the sum of £7OOO, which is included in the Board's estimate of receipts on account ef school buildings, and which is stated to have been “ provided by the Minister tor this year in reduction of existing indebtedness." I may mention that previously to the apportionment, about a month ago, of the special vote »f £50,000 for school buildings, most of the Education Boards had expended on school buildings larger or smaller portions of the monies recked by them monthly from the Colonial Treasury out of the ordinary Education vote, instead of receiving such amounts out of tire special appropriation for school buildings. It was understood by Government that Boards which should be able to spare cut of their ordinary- revenue from capitation grants and other ordinary receipts the amonnts so expended by them on school buildings, or any portion of such amounts, were empowered by section 43 of tire Act to charge the amount sosaved against school buildings, so as to leave free for additional expenditure on buildings the whole or the greater part of their share of the special vote of £50,000 which was not drawn upon until quite recently. But it was at the same time understood that if the ordinary receipts for the financial year could not wholly cover both the ordinary current expenditure and the amounts previously drawn from the ordinary Education vote, and spent on sellout buildings. Hie portion of suoii former outlay on buildings which could not be so covered by the ordinary income would of necessity be deducted from the Board’s share of the special vote of £50,000. In regard to this point, I beg to refer your Board to paragraph Ho. 5 of circular No. 2. The same circular calls attention lo the fact that Parliament had positively limited the amounts at the disposal of Government for distribution among Education Boards. It was therefore under the belief that year Beard, after providing sufficiently for ihe ordinary annual expenditure, saw its way to the saving of £7OOO for buildings out of the ordinary annual income I hat Mr. Ballanco intimated that the sum of £7OOO, already paid out of the education vote, as well as the £IO,OOO proposed to be granted out of the special appropriation of £50,000, would be available for school buildings. It was certainly not understood by him that your Board expected or would receive for ordinary school purposes the whole of the capitation allowance authorised by Parliament, and also the additional sum of £17,000 for school buildings. There is, in fact, no available fund out of which the £7OOO referred to can be taken. The amount must either be taken from the authorised capitation grant, or deducted from the £IO,OOO allotted to your Board out of the special vote of £50,000, or it can be taken partly from eacli vote. The Secretary said they had of course put down the £7OOO, because it was promised by the Minister of Education to a deputation which waited upon him. He at that tim« stated that it would not be deducted from th* share of £50,000. Mr. Bonny remarked that they would be deprived of £7OOO, although the money was spent when the two education districts of Wanganui and Wellington were comiected. Mr. Gisborne said that they had also lost the whole of a year’s rates, as they had been done away with. Mr. Bunn f was about to suggest that a deputation consisting of three other gentlemen and himself should wait upon the Hon. Mr. Ballance with a view of bringing matters before him, when The Secretary intimated that as his report was not completed, he would ask them to hold another meeting, and it was resolved to adjourn until next day after disposing of some matters of detail. An account for repairs at Thorndou school was ordered to be paid. Mr. Dick, of Wainuiomata, wrote, offering to lease a portion of the education reserve for fourteen years at the rate of £7 10s. a year. The subject was referred to Mr. Toomath to report upon. A letter was received from Mr. Douglas, a resident on the East Coast, offering to lease an education reserve for 21 years at the rate of 2d. per acre. Mr. Lee said the country where the reserve was situated was excessively rough and hilly. The application was not entertained. A letter was received from Mr. Evevess, replying to some charges made by Mr. Gordon, the assistant master of the Mount Cook boys’ school, against him. The matter was considered in committee. Mr. Dougherty, assistant-master at the Te Aro school, who had received a month’s notice of dismissal from the Board, wrote stating that he would not accept it because it was illegal ; and he also questioned the legality of Miss Francis’ appointment as teacher in the school. From a section of the Act, which was read, it appeared that any teacher employed by the Board might be dismissed peremptorily if guilty, of immoral conduct or gross' misbehavior—otherwise three months’ notice would have to be given. The Chairman suggested that Mr. Dougherty should be at once dismissed. Messrs. Gisborne and Toomath were inclined to the giving of three months’ notice. The matter was deferred until there • were more members present. The meeting then adjourned until half-past ten on the; following (this) morning.