OAMARU SCHOOLS COMMITTEE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1267, 29 April 1880, Page 2

OAMARU SCHOOLS COMMITTEE.

# A special meeting of the Schools Committee was held last evening at the Secretary's office. There were present—Messrs Fleming (Chairman), Smith, Mollison, Forrester, Stevenson, Bee, MitoKell, and Hardy (Secretary). A letter was read from the Secretary to' the Education Board forwarding the names of three candidates for appointment to the position of third master of the District High Sohool. After consideration, it was decided to inform the Board that the Committee did not deem either of the candidates fit for the position, and to request the Board to send an interim teacher, and advertise again and more widely for applications for the post. The following draft report from the Sub-Committee appointed to consider in what direction the Education Act amendment was then read:— 1. Section 13. Your Committee is of opinion that the present constitution of Education Boards i? such as not to admit of the fair representation of every portion of eduoationa], districts, and considers that under Section 13 (which should be altered for the purpose) each educational district should be divided into nine sub-districts, and that for each sub-district the school committees therein be entitled to send one representative to the Education Board of th.Q district. 2. Section 45. Section 43 should be amended so as to better define the relative positions of boards and school committees in regard to the appointment of teachers, par ticularly to provide that committees ha entitled to have placed before them oopies of an Mi •kAsfimnntA.ln n.a VIA nnhmift.ftd lvu

2. Section 45. Section 43 should be amended so as to better define the relative positions of boards and school committees in regard to the appointment of teachers, par ticularly to provide that committees he entitled to have placed before them oopies of such testimonials as maybe submitted by candidates for appointments, 3, Section 56.—-Your oommittee having carefully considered this clause, by which provision is made for the establishment and conduct of district high schools, find thai, j while the Act has in contemplation the | struction of scholars in the higher branches of education, no adequate provision ha# been made for the carrying ovyt of that object, Your commits iai of opinion that distriQt high schqqls be placed on a higher foo ; tip.g a,s regard anility of teachers appointed thereto, and tliey should be treated more liberally in the number of teachers. At present, the Board of Eduoft* tion fails to appreciate the difference hew tween district high schoglg and ordinary district and, 'without taking ifltq teachers by giving instruction in the extra branches, limits the number of teachers to the same standard as ordinary schools, a condition of things which in the opinion of your committee militates against the efficent tuition of either the primary or higher <?dvv» cation.

Your committee is further of opinion that the working of the district high schools h<*s hitherto been made subservient to primary education in a manner oontrary to the spirit of section 56 of the Act, through the Education Board having failed to provide a sufficient number of duly qualified teachers aet apart to teach the branches of higher education. Your Committee would therefore recommend that the Act should ha amended so as to provide for the appoint-, ment of teachers specially tQ nnd£?tft!|ts the work of the higher branches, and ren\qve all doubts as to the jpannei; in Which the addij, tional of instruction of the scljqql§ should he performed. With a view to providing for the salaries of such additional teachers, they would recommend that the fees received for higher education should he* come a portion of the revenue of the instead of as at present being $ amomjsi the teachers engaged a.t the'schooU 4. S.ectioß W?th reapect to oumulativo yotiqg for. members of School Committees, yqur Oommittee deems that it should be abolished, and that section 65 should read thus:—

At every election for a School Committer every voter shall be entitled to a. number of votes equal to the number of the Oommittee to be eleqted, and >n a y vote for a less number qf candidates than the number to be elected, but shall not be entitled to give more than one yote to each candidate, 5. Section 74,—Your Committee oonsider that in order to the more efficient (< management of educational matter#'' in school districts, it is desirable that provision be made under section 74, requiring Educational Boards to supply Committees with copies of all reports or other documents affecting their schools within a reasonable time (say six; days) after such reports, eto„ have beenpre« sented to the Board.

Some discussion then took place with reference to the report, during which Mr. Bee pointed out that according to the resolution passed at the previous meeting, the report should properly have been brought up and considered at the next ordinary meeting of the Committee.

Mr. Forrester pointed oat that the report had been _ brought up at that meeting in order to save time. It was deemed advisable to seek the co-operation of other Committees, and if the question were postponed for a fortnight, Parliament would be in session before the opinions of the Committee could he brought under the notice of the Government*

Mr. Mitchell suggested that the difficulty might be overcome by authorising the printing of the report and its circulation at once amongst other Committees. It was quite possible that other Com-j mittees might sec defects in the Act that had escaped the notice of the Sub-Com-mittees. If so, this Committee might at the next meeting consider these fresh suggestions and embody them in a report to be sent to the Government. -"® moved, " That copies of the report of the Sub-Committee be forwarded to the several School Committees m the counties of Waitaki and Waikooaiti, and to the School Committees of Port Chalmers, Milton, and Lawrence, with a request to ceruse the same, and favor this.Committee with their opinions thereon. Also, that the subject be further considered at the next meeting of this Committee, and a complete report embodying tfffe opinions of the several Committees tlfpn prepared for submission to the Government." Mr. Smith seconded the motion, which was carried, after some discussion upon particular portions of the report. Three tenders were ofFeredfor the supply of firing at the schools were considered, and that of Mr. J. Orr accepted at the following prices :—Newcastle coal, L2 ss; Shag Point coal, LI 4s; kindling wood, 11123. On the motion of Mr. Smith, seconded by Mr. Mollison, it was resolved to request the Education Board to supply the Committee with a copy of the Board's annual report. The Committee then rose.