EDUCATION BOARD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 77, 27 March 1912, Page 6

EDUCATION BOARD.

Monthly Meeting. The: Taranaki Education Board met last evening. Members present were: Messrs Trimble (chairman) ,\ Adlapi, Halcombe, Rogers, Kennedy, Morten, Young, Masters, and Rev. McArthur., 1 Chairman’s Report. In his monthly report the chairman mentioned that on account of the delay,. in getting the school site fixed up he had visited Oeo last week in the hope of being able to bring matters to a conclusion. As a result, the Acting-Minister of Education antt the Public .Trustee had , promised to seg if. Hikaka : (the native who donated tlio section), had a right to give the two acres he promised. The Education Department had been asked if it could hasten .the erection, of the additional school accommodation at Whangampmona. Technical; Organiser's Report. In ihis-report . 0n... technical • work since .last Board meeting, the Technical Organiser (Mr F. J. Heatley) stated that the session at New Plymouth had opened somewhat earlier than, last year in order to enable them to have three full terras this year. The. evening classes had some 90 students enrolled to date for the various subjects and others were enrolling. Classes that are being carried on this year, and which were not' last year, are plumbing (practical and theory), with six students, Standard YI. pro-ficiency-course, with ten students. Some,,eight students have evinced a desire, to have a Spanish course, aided with a series of phonographic lessons. This method is new to New Plymouth., and. should prove very useful in respect to the true pronunciation of modern , languages. An' afternoon .class _ in cookery for nurses has commenced* and-is proving popular. A millinery, class is in the' course of formation. and 'will start after Easter.. ■A, good claps has commenced at Tariki, and doubtless -others will bo formed -at Stratford,- Inglewood, and other centres, when the technical school sessions opens there. The,.organiser -added that the day classes in connection with the College, had .commenced with-over twenty students, divided into industrial, commercial and domestic groups. Seme of the . students from the country have, not hitherto taken advantage of their free places owing to suitable courses, not having been provided, at times to enable:them to come in and get back the same day. The courses in addition, to the compulsory subjects are on strictly utilitarian lines, and aim at giving a good general business or commercial training, so that at the end of the course the student maytake his place at the bench, or office, better fitted .than had he gone direct from the primary school. Mr Heatley considered that the prospects are good, and by special attention to the classes the J^.oard-Juay..look (forward at the end of the year tc* a substantial .profit, on the year’s work at New Pivinputh. > ' The report was adopted. Plumbers’ Examinations. ' ‘ In a report, to the Board the director .(Mr’ W. A. Ballantyne), of the ~ Technical College, stated that /arrangements were made for the holding of an examination in practical plumbing on Saturday morning last. The examiner .(Mr. Frederic, of Stratford) came to. New Plymouth, but the director reported that ho regretted to say that .the candidates who had expressed a desire to be examined did not consider it worth their while to put in an appearance, despite the fact that the examination had .'been arranged at the, request of the Be rough Council. The Council was anxious to give plumbers who had not the necessarycertificates an -opportunity of qualifying .for a license. Seeing that the young fellows concerned had received every consideration at The hands of the ..Council,' the inspector suggested that that body’s attention should be drawn to; the matter. It was decided to forward a copy of the report to the Borough Council. Finance Committee. Various -works, were-authorised 'at the following schools, on the recommendation of the Finance Committee: Fitzroy, Okan, Awatuna, Lincoln, Stratford,.. Egraont Village, and Makahu. Cadets arid School Duties. Captain A. .0.. C- Stevens, acting commandant of - the junior, cadets, wrote,, stating that owing to the teachers’ certificate examinations in January, 1912, clashing with the date of the proposed camp of instruction for junior cadet officers in the : North - Island, v and'..leading,, therefore, to/its abandonment, it had. been urged on him .by .teachers all over the, North Island that an effort should he made to hold this deferred .camp at, Easter. The minimum number of days that could l>e profitably spent in camp would be seven, and if the Board was prepared to , grant teachers an additional four days’ leave of absence from the school to attend camp, namely, 9th to l2th April, inclusive, the writer was of opinion that a most successful camp could be thus organised. : In the course of . a general discussion members appeared to he loth to grant the concession, fearing that the proposed arrangement would interfere with the school work. A suggestion was thrown out that the additional leave should be granted, and the summer holidays curtailed in order to make up the deficiency. It was finally resolved to accede to the commandant’s request. Mr Kennedy - then gave notice of motion that in the case of all schools under the board’s jurisdiction, a whole week’s holiday be given at

Easter, and the whole week in spring be done, away with. The Stratford School. Messrs Sanderson and-Griffiths, architects to the Board, .reported that the work of re-building the Stratford school would be practically completed on Saturday. It is expected that after consulting with Mr Tyrer ho had come to the conclusion that at present no action should be taken. In answer, to members the inspector said the school was already fully staffed. The request had emanated from the school committee only, and not from the headmaster. The report was adopted. General. On, the ’ recommendation of the director, Miss Tiplady (assistant in cookery), who is conducting extra classes, this year at the Technical College, was. granted an increase in salary. , On the motion of Mr Morton, Mr P. S. Whitcombe was appointed auditor, of school committees’ accounts for the year ending March 31st, 1912, at the remuneration of £l2. A sub-committee (Messrs R. Masters and W. Rogers) reported having leased the education reserve of two acres facing Broadway North, for a term of twelve months at a yearly rental of £4 10s, lessee to keep in repair all fences and land clear of noxious weeds.—“ News.”