DECREASING ROLL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24227, 20 February 1940, Page 4

DECREASING ROLL

K* ♦ Z l ' - V ■ TECHNICAL COLLEGE PUPILS CONTINUED FALL TO BE .; vexpected REPORT TO BOARD OF i MANAGERS The declining birth.rate in New Zealand in recent years, has naturally, had its adversd affect on school roll numbers, a fact that, was; emphasised by the principal of the - King .Edward Technical College (Mr W. G. Aldridge) * in hisi: report: 1 to the', monthly meeting of the Board of Managers yesterday afternedttP A. decrease of 41 was reported ip the. total roll number./and commenting on'this drop, Mr -Aldridge said that it was to.be; expected that, the roll numbers of full-time pupils would-j continue.: to, fall very gradually year by" year owing ■to the ' smaller number of boys and girls in the higherstandards of primary schools. Present, atjthe meeting ' were, fur JJ. Marlow, (chairman),' .Mesdames -M ’ Morris and ,W. Herbert.’ Dr Gardner, Messrs L;' .Sanderson, W. G. Cocking..; C. J. Hayward, P. O. Smellier;W. D * Sutherland., and- F. L. Lawrence; ■ Principal's Report The principal.reported that the schobl reopened on February 5 with the following- roll numbers:—Art, 16 boys and 21 girls; building, 49 boys; commercial; s-37 boys and 193 girls; - do-.girls:-.engineering. 230 boys; - girls, 35 boys and 77 girls; special. 8 boys. Total, 375 boys and 386 girls. The...,total, represented a . drop of 41 fsom last year." principally due to a shortage of both boys and-girls in. the commercial course. It was.to be expected that the roll number of fulltime pupils would, continue to fall very gradually year,’, by -year, owing to the smaller number of boys and girls in thb higher standards of primary schools, but this falling off was not likely< to affect the staffing difectly for a time, owing to the continued growth of the special schools attached to the whole institution. For instance, the School of Commerce had already enrolled 50 pupils, 'l6 more than last year, and. although the opening of the School of Art bad to be delayed for a week because of Mr Tovey’s being needed to direct the hanging 9f. the pictures for the Centennial Exhibition of Art. at least 18 full-time enrolments in art had been received. Thus the total entries in the three full-time day schools numbered 829. a drop of about 60 as compared with the corresponding tune last year. The.complicated arrangements neces-_ *ary to set-all the day schools in mo-.' „tion proceeded' with even greater rapidity than usual. A reasonable time table was in operation on, the second day, and a completely new time table for the year in the second- week,. The School of Commerce Pad been split .into two sections, junior and senior, the latter containing pupils of proved ability who might be confidently expected to pass the test assigned to them-after.'a full year of-aU tendance. * Evening classes would be re-opened on February 26. The 1 report was : approved.

Appointments The appointment of Miss Joy Ferens as ■ a student teacher in commercial work was approved by the Education Department. Mr Thomas Hill was appointed senior building teacher, and approval of his appointment was received from the department. . ... • ~ . . Air Board Classes The principal stated ttiat the Royal ■ New Zealand .Air Force classes opened at the school on January 29, and these were causing a fair amount of trouble. It ' was necessary for the school’s janitor to be on duty every night the classes were held, and a fair amount, of expense was caused the board.—lt was decided to write to the Air Board, asking for an allowance on the customary basis of 20 per cent, of the salaries paid. Studentships Awarded The University of Otago advised that studentships for the current year had been awarded to the following:—W. E. McLeod (book-keeping). J. Buchanan (chemistry), J. McAlevey ( (English), and J. Ferguson (physics) .—Mr Aldridge'stated that the awards were notable, for the re-introduction of the physic? studentship—lt was decided'to thank the University Council for making the awards. . ■ ’ A Full Inspection The principal reported that for the first time for many years a full inspection of the school would be carried out bv the department’s inspectors., commencing on March 12 They would be at the. school, off and on. for approximately, a fortnight - , •