PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Southland Times, Issue 21099, 3 June 1930, Page 8

PRIMARY SCHOOLS

COMMITTEES’ ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING OPENED.

The annual meeting of the School Committees’ Association was opened at the Education Board Office last evening and was adjourned after the annual report had been adopted. Mr A. W. Anderson , (North School) presided and Messrs A. W. Jones (life-member), C. W. Patton, F. G. Stevenson, T. Withington (South School), W. Murphy, A. G. McDonald (Roslyn Bush), F. G.. Henderson, J, J. Hynd (Middle) and W. 11. Latham (secretary) were present. .

The following report was presented by the executive:

“Owing to various reasons the annual meeting last year was late in being held, therefore this report covers nine months only. During this period five meetings have been called, three of these having lapsed for want of a quorum. Several matters brought under our notice by affiliated country committees have been satisfactorily dealt with. In connection with these matters we have received valuable assistance from Mr A. W. Jones, who has at all times given the fullest information possible.

“Your executive feels that this association should approach the Department of Health with a view to obtaining a travelling dental clinic for the outlying districts of Southland; we feel sure such a clinic would be a great boon to the children of the outlying districts where dental treatment is not. within their reach. “The annual conference of South Island School Committees’ Federation was this year held at Timaru, this association being represented by Messrs A. W. Anderson and J. A. B. Walker. A protest against the decapitation of the Edendale School, also a request urging the immediate necessity for a grant to the Southland Education Board for the remodelling of this school was sent to the Hon. H. Atmore, Minister of Education. The following reply was received: ‘With reference to your correspondence regarding the remodelling of the Edendale School, I have pleasure in informing you that a grant has been approved for this purpose and the Education Board is instructed to proceed.’ This reply, insofar as remodelling is concerned, is very satisfactory, but we would .like to have had some information from the Minister of his intentions regarding the decapitation or otherwise of this school.

“Your executive is very pleased to state the finances of this association to be in a very fair way, the association having a credit balance of £8 19/11 and outstanding subscriptions, of which we have received notices as having been passed for payment but not yet received, £7 16/-. There are 31 committees financial and nine committees non-financial, a total of 40 schools being affiliated with the association.

“Your executive wishes to recommend to the incoming executive the desirability of holding meetings in country centres during the coming year. We feel sure that by so doing we will be brought into touch with their requirements and that better results will be obtained.

“As the S.I.S.C. Federation is at present circularizing all school committees with a view to getting them to join up with their local association, and as their scale of subscriptions are committees of nine members £1 1/-; of seven members 15/-, and under seven members 10/- per annum, we suggest that these subscriptions be fixed for the incoming year.

“We wish to express our thanks to the Southland Education Board for the use of the board room for our meetings and also to the Press for the manner in which they have reported our meetings. In conclusion we urge upon all committee men the great need for unity in the interests of our primary schools and urge upon all to join up with this association and so help to improve our children’s school career.” In speaking to the report the chairman said that he considered that the work reported on had been very satisfactorily dealt with. The association wanted the support of the country and would do all it could for the country in dental clinic matters. He appeal for better attendance at the meetings of the association and eulogized the work of the Education Board.

Mr Jones spoke to the report and said that country children needed dental service as much as the town children, but the question of travelling clinics was a difficult one. He moved the adoption of the report. Mr Murphy seconded the motion and the report was adopted. School Prizes. The question of doing away with school prizes was introduced by the following motion brought before the meeting from the South School Committee by Mr. Stevenson : “That the committee is in favour of the discontinuance of prize giving to scholars with the exception of dux medals.” Mr. Stevenson said that some £25 was spent annually in prizes by his school and these went to only a very small proportion of the children who had been better endowed by nature than their fellows. Attendance prizes could not be reasonably supported either because they were won by the children living near the school and the children further away could not compete for them. The teachers as a body were in favour of the proposed abolition. Mr. Hynd supported Mr. Stevenson’s remarks and mentioned the presence of children at school who were sick or sickening and who remained at school when they should have been in bed because they did not wish to lose their chance of winning an attendance prize. Mr. Jones said that he did not agree with the two previous speakers. He himself was a great believer in prizes as long as they were judiciously given. As regards the attendance prizes, he had always considered that that prize should gtf to the parents. Prizes, contended Mr. Jones, were a means of stimulating mental effort. There were only a few brilliant pupils who could be counted upon the fingers of both hands, but there were a great number of average intelligence and "prizes made the average scholar work. In some cases the books given as prizes formed the nucleus of a library for the pupil, who gained thereby books which he or she might not otherwise have obtained. In life, continued Mr. Jones, there were always certain prizes, whether wealth, prestige or social position, and in school prizes took- the place of those other incentives. It was necessary that a spirit of .emulation should be inculcated. In sport there , were trophies. What about the Galbraith Shield? he asked. If they pursued the matter to its logical conclusion,

they should abolish that and other trophies. According to fhe argument put forward, the players should not want the shield. Prizes encouraged the children to make an effort and he hoped that the. committees would take a broader view and would not, for the sake of a few pounds, consider the abolition of prizes. The chairman stated that he had heard children say, and his own children had told him, that when the results of the first examination came out, the cards were passed round and the marks were compared so that the average children said: “Oh, it’s no use. We’ve no hope against so-and-so. We can’t get a prize.” Mr. Jones: What about diligence prizes? The brilliant boys do not get those. Mr. Murphy agreed with Mr. Jones and said that he was of the opinion that there should be some prizes. The children who did not succeed in one quarter should be encouraged to succeed in another. Mr. Stevenson, in reply, said that Mr. Jones had played into his hand; he had said that there were only a few brilliant children and that was the whole trouble because those children took all the prizes. The chairman said that the matter would be held over until the next meeting to permit the association to get the opinions of teachers. General. Mr.~~Jones moved that the election of officers should be held over until there was a larger meeting. The chairman said that he was of the same opinion. Mr. Henderson seconded the motion. Mr. Stevenson said that the meeting was duly advertised and all committees had been advised and if they were not represented that was their fault. He moved an amendment that Mr. Anderson should be re-elected chairman of the association. The amendment was not seconded and Messrs Jones and Henderson altered their motion to an adjournment of the meeting for a month. Mr. Stevenson objected on the grounds that the meeting was duly constituted and a quorum was present. Mr. Hynd then seconded Mr. Stevenson's amendment, but it was lost and the original motion was carried. Mr. Stevenson moved that the secretary should be granted £5 5/-. Mr. Jones seconded the motion, which was carried. Mr. Latham said that he appreciated what the association had done, but he asked leave to decline. He was working for the good of the association and did not expect anything for his services. If the association was in a position to vote the amount at a later date he might accept it. In the meantime he wished the association to get into a sound financial position. The matter was held over until the next meeting.

The meeting was then adjourned with a view to obtaining a more representative meeting on a date to be arranged by the secretary and Mr. Jones.