TIMARU SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2695, 8 November 1881, Page 2

TIMARU SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The ordinary meeting of the Timaru School Committee for the month was held last night. Present —Mr R, B. Walcot (chairman), Messrs Rowley,Hall, Jones, Reilly, and Hart. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

The teachers’ reports on the attendance for the month showed the average attendance at the main school to have been 705*8, previous month, 654 ; side school 126.

A letter was read from Miss Haase, head mistress of the Side School, complaining of the conduct of two women named Tegg and Mackenzie, the parents of children attending that school. They had been in the habit of going to the school and making groundless complaints about the treatment their children received. Mrs Tegg particularly had been very troublesome, and had, on a recent occasion, behaved with such violence that she had to request one of the teachers to go for a policeman. Miss Haase begged the Committee to take steps to protect her from a repetition of similar violence. Mrs Tegg waited og the Committee, and in about ten minutes poured forth words enough to fill a volume, giving her version of the difference between them. She complained that her children had been ill-treated, and that the teaehers had behaved disrespectfully towards herself, their behaviour causing her to lose her temper and speak disrespectfully to them. The Chairman told her she should have made her complaints to the Committee and not to the teachers. She replied that she had been misinformed. She understood that the teachers were the proper persons to speak to. A committee consisting of the Chairman and the visitors for the month was appointed to make full enquiry into the matter, and a resolution was passed —“ That the parents of children attending the schools unper the charge of this Committee be requested to make any complaints they may have in writing to the Committee ; any direct interference with the teachers will not be allowed.”

Two applications were made on behalf of young persons desirous of being employed as pupil teachers in the Timaru School asking that they he considered candidates for the next vacancy.

The Chairman said there was not much chance of u vasaacy occurring for some time yet.

A letter was read from Miss Cox, acting head mistress of the Infant Department, asking for an increase of salary. She received only £6O a year, and if the amount was not increased she would he compelled to resign. The Chairman said the salary was miserably small for the work Miss Cox had to d o. It was scarcely enough to live upon. He had spoken to Miss Cox, and pointed out that as the average attendance was increasing, the Committee would be able to increase her salary next quarter. Au application was sent to the Board some time ago for new desks for the Infant School. Mr Hammond had been instructed to report upon the application, and he had suggested that instead of obtaining new desks, the present gallery should be reconstructed, m five divisions instead of six, three of them to have plain seats, and the other two to have desks, and the several sections to be separated by curtains. The difference in cost between the two methods would be £25 to £3O. The Board had last meeting postponed dealing with this matter. The Chairman reported that Miss Haase had complained of the outhou.se arrangements at the Side School and they undoubtedly were very unsatisfactory. He had spoken to the Chairman of the Board about them, who suggested that a plan for improving them, with estimate of cost, should be obtained and submitted to the Board. It was suggested that a new set of outhouses should be built, one half of the old ones and one half of the new ones to be used as lavatories ; and further, that the playground should he divided by a fence. Seeing that the Board met before the Committee this month, he (Mr Walcot) had made application to the Board for funds on his own responsibility, and had also applied in the same way for funds for painting the woodwork of the Main School, as it was seven years since it had been touched with a paint brush, and this application had also been postponed. An application was received from Mr Hammond, who occupies as tenant the Master’s house, for permission to fence in a small portion of the north side of the playground to form a small paddock for his liorse, that portion of the playground not being much used by the children.

The application was postponed till next meeting, that the Committee might see for themselves whether such fencing would deprive the children of useful playground. Messrs Hart and Gibson were appointed visitors to the Main School, and Messrs Jones and Rowley to the Side School for the month.

Accounts amounting to £7 5s 4d were passed for payment, and the meeting terminated.