EDUCATION BOARD.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7082, 2 March 1893, Page 3

EDUCATION BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Board of Edu- I cation was held to-day. Present —Mr 8. W, I Goldsmith (chairman), Bev. J. White, Messrs Pearpoint, Gray, storey, Rhodes, Jackson, and Howell. chairman’s statement. The chairman stated that he had during the month received the resignation of Mias G. Williams, of Cannington, as she jhad obtained an appointment in Otago. He had consented to the request of the Hilton-com-mitteo to allow Miss E. Hawkea to remain during this quarter as assistant mistress, at the reduced r»to of two thirds pay,b-the hope that the average would recover. The Scotsburn committee had written, presting to have tho residence rs-erectod, and he had replied that application had already been made to the Department to have this done. No definite reply had yet been received from the Department Mr John Smyth, the new master of the Waimate School, took charge on the 13th February. There was a complaint of overcrowding in that school, but the inspector went down, and by a rearrangement of classes with Mr Smyth met the difficulty, for the time at least, without incurring extra expense. He had, on the recommendation of tho committees, appointed Miss M. MoOaskill as pupil teacher at Temuka, and Miss E. Smith as pupil teacher at Waimate. With reference to the alternate site for Hannaton, the executors of tho late Mr M. Studholme were quite willing to soli even one acre for a site, at tho B.it, corner of B.U. 9662, fenced on three sides, for £2O. Tho Hannaton Committee were pressing to have the school erected on their own site. The Ute severe gale blew down the kitchen chimney through the roof of the master’s house at Pareora. He was obliged to act promptly in the matter and have the damage repaired, at a cost of £l.l, Ho bad examined the voting papers relative to tho election of members to the board, and found them correct. There were 25 applications for tho head mastership of Kingsdown, 24 for Hedcliff, and 28 for the third mastership of the Ximaru Main School. The recommendations of the committees would come before the board. DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLS. The Inspector submitted the following report on the District High Schools. “ Eighteen,scholars took part in the examination at Waimate and thirteen at Temuka. The Temuka pupils carried on their work under great disadvantages, the headmaster being absent on leave, and the charge of the secondary work being in the hands of three others in succession before the session closed “ Waimate. —English : Questions on the history of the English language were very well answered by this class, and the correction of the exercises from Abbott gave proof of careful tuition and frequent practice. ‘ Eing Dear* was taken orally. The scholars had an excellent knowledge of tho characters and incidents of the play, they had a capital understanding of the text, and gave from memory some of the more striking passages. —Latin : Though there were no papers of outstanding merit from any of the pupils of the four Latin classes, still it speaks well for the teaching that no pupil gave in a paper that was not entitled to be deemed creditable. The marks ranged from 50 to 7X per cent.—French: Three girls took first course in French, and gained very good marks. Their progress had been remarkably even; only three marks coming between the first aiyi third papers.—Euclid : A very pleasing feature of all tho Euclid papers was the orderly way in which tbe steps of the propositions were sot down, fr'our of tbe papers were excellent, ore was good, and two fair.— Algebra : The appearance made in this subject reflects great credit on the pupils ,and their teacher, no less than seven of the 15 papers submitted being perfectly accurate, and only one paper in the lot falling under

50 per cent m value. “Temuka—Considering the difficulties surrounding the teaching of the secondary work in this school during the past session, 1 do not think it necessary to make special remarks with respect to each subject. I would just mention that W. J. B. Gore, who was completing hia fourth year as the holder, of an education board scholarship, acquitted himself well in his four subject)- Latin, French, Euciicl. and Algebra— ; and that a few of the pupils gave in good papers in Latin. With these exceptions the rest of the papers were of very indifferent quality, as many as ten being almost, if not altogether, worthless.” aechitect’s ebpobt. Mr West reported that the repairs to the residence at St Andrews had been completed, | and the additions at Seadown would he completed during the month. He also reported on the damage done by the gale at Pareora and its repair. AIDED SCHOOLS.

Mr White presented the report of the committee on aided schools. They had given the application and suggestions from Gapes Valley careful consideration, and recommen-, ded that the present scale of allowances to aided schools for teaching be retained, but that the allowance for incidentals be increased from 6s 6d to 8s 9d per head. (The latter being the amount paid to schools with an average of 25). This alteration would involve an increase of about £35 a year. The Committee could not see their way to roeommend any alteration in the scale of contributions from aided school committees, Mr White s.id an arbitrary hue must be drawn some* where, and the committee considered the present one as fair as could be chosen.—The report was adopted, TEST BOOKS. Mr White submitted the report of the committee on the triennial revision of list of

text books. The only alterations recommended were (1) the use of tho Zealandia Geography,Parts II and 111, as an alternative to Petrie’s for the upper standards ; and (2) the addition of the Now Zealand and the Colonial series of drawing books. The report and recommendations were adopted, a proviso being added, in respect to the geographies, that tbs Zealandias bo introduced gradually. ELECTION OP MEMBERS. Tho secretary reported the result of the voting by committees for three members of the Board. Forty-two out of the 61 committees voted, as follows : —Rev. J White 2i, Mr G. H. Graham 21, Mr W- Dtorey 19, Mr W. B. Howell 19, Mr W, M. Moore 13, Mr W, Balfour 9, Mr D. L. Inwood 7, Mr Salmond 5 In accordance with the Act tho Board decided the tie between Messrs Howell and Storey, by ballot, tho result being in favour of Mr Howell. The chairman therefore declared Messrs White, Graham, and Howell elected. leave op absence. Mr G. H. Rhodes put in a letter resigning hia seat on the Board as he was about to leave the colony fur a time. Members suggested to Mr Rhodes that he should rather ask for leave of absence, and pressed him to do so. Mr Rhodes therefore withdrew bis resignation, and asked for and was granted six months leave of absence. APPOINTMENTS. The recommendations of commifctso were confirmed as follows : Timaru third master. Mr H G. Wake ; Redcliff, Mr A. MoDuff ; Kingedown, held over, A request for rearrangement of teachers in the Timaru Main School was granted. committees’ correspondence.

Aduir a-kod for enlargement of tho school. —Consideration deferred. Hannaton urged tho board to eroct a school on the reserve within their settlement, apd not any nearer Studholmo Junction Mr W. Packer wrote recommending that the school bo erected at the Junction, and the Hannaton children at the furthest would have not more than 2\ miles to go. They would buy and give an aero at Stud--holme for a site. —The chairman said there was very little chance of getting both sections to agree to cno site. A site half way between the two places would l, sa;t” both, but would “ please ” neither. The secretary suggested that the unused school buildings at Otaio bo removed to Hannaton, and it was agreed that the architect should report on tho coat of removing them, alternatively to either Stuclhoirne or Hannaton. The eesreiary, who had visited the locality, stated lie did not feel at all sure that a school, at Hannaton would be a success, but one half way to Sl.udb.clme would be. Aehwick Flat sent at offer of Is en acre rent for 10 acres of spare school site for 10 years.—Considered not worth troubling about.

The Sutherlands chairman wrote further respecting disputes with the teacher, and requesting an interview at next meeting, and that the teacher be given the same privilege. —lt was resolved to reply that the Board do not think an interview necessary, and they consider (iso frequent changes in the school are detrimental to its interests. The Board t hen rose.