EDUCATION BOARD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 45, 23 October 1913, Page 2

EDUCATION BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. I -'5 M I'Tho usual meeting of the Taranaki Education Board was held at tho Board's Offices, New Plymouth, yesterday. Tho chairman (Mr H. Trimble), presided, and all tho members, Messrs G. d. Adlaffi, J. Young, R. Masters, A. M. Bradbury, W. Rogers, A. H. Halcombe, W. L. Kennedy and A. Morton were present. Technical Education. The Technical Director (Mr A. Gray) reported as follows on the technical work for the month:—At this stage of tho year few now classes are forming. However, in order to test the ,reception the formation of classes would bo likely to get, in districts reno:o from the railway line, I, have started a class in dressmaking at Uremi. The response, has been most encouraging, and I hppe I may: be able send instructors-into other country listricts. A request from residents if any particuuar locality would greaty aid in this matter. In connection vith the work at the New Plymouth l ontre, the first-aid class has a roll •f forty, while the cookery class has •■oven students.- Other classes are .ontinuihg as usual. The new- electric bulbs have been fitted at the college, ind the improved light is much ap? 'rdciated.—Received. {y-. *' s Truancy Cases. Mr Archie Hooker, truant inspector, eported that during the quarter endj d September 30 he had. issued 70 Anal notices for irregular attendances, nd also interviewed a number of parents. Also he had sent out six loticee to send their children to chool. For non-compliance -with this otice he. had issued 33 summonsesi he heard shortly. He had interiewed the District Health Officer re, ,;arfling the removal of the quarantine a Native children at the Pnniho chool and was awaiting his 'report. -Te had visited the schools between Vh&ngamomona and Stratford, and. ro\ind tho Stratford' district, Ingle-, ocf and Junction Road schools, and so all schools in . and around New Tymonth, and all private schools in "aw Plymouth-, Stratford and luglo- ’ ood. .iy..-, W V A Fitzrey Request. I n: Mbssra W. G. Reid and Geo. White, >f' |bef PitzroyK-School 1 ‘ Com’mittee'; 'Aimed a deputation asking that. the. oard would supply the .material for be erection of. a short dividing: fence betweep, 4-ho ( boys 7 -and girls' 'closets af/jiAhe schbol,' 'The estimated cost of', material Allas '£2 ’los ‘and labour j In arisW-eF to 1 ’ Mf'Mortoh, Mr .Wlpte , vd the committee would he prepared •> do the work, and on Mr -Morton’s btion tho hoard agreed-to supply the naiteml. ,! - ••'•b.A b''*:- *>.' Defence Certificates. At the. request pfythe board,coneraiing the Education Department’s otter ; dealing with the ’ Question of . teachers rondeWhg periodically to tbq Jefonco Department a list of tho .<bys avlio were fourteen years of-age,. . lie inspectors stated that they had 'considered their previous report nd uoav recommended that tho Board ;,rant permission:to the officers of the Jepartment to visit the schools them'lv r es for- the purpose of getting tho •occssary information.—-The report ras adopted. • ; ,

Hurimoana School Site. .fn;r ; .. ■> -■ ■ Mr Kennedy reported that lie had .'isited the place and interviewed Mr Symons re the granting a lease >f the present school site for a doinite term. Mr F. H. Symons was prepared to grant at £1 per year, Tie hoard to have the right to remove all i buildings and to terminate the lease by giving three months’ notice it any time. Mr Kennedy recomnended that a 'lease he prepared ac■ordingly. A written agreement from Mr Symons, on the. lines indicated,' was attached and the Board adopted the recommendation. 5 ■ . ,-.V. Teachers’ Classes. Mr Masters asked under what conditions teachers were allowed to attend the Saturday classes at New Plymouth. Ho referred to one particular case where the train arrangements were' not suitable for New 'Plymouth, owing to the teacher having to come it ,overnight and return the next clay. The trainvwould be suitable for the Stratford class. After a short discussion -the board decided to draw tin? attention of the Education Department to the hardship existing in special cases where’’teachers were cohipclled to attend the New Plymouth Saturday classes; which start at 9 a.m., whereas the first train did not arrive in New Plymouth until 11 a.m., when it womd he possible to attend the classesjat Stratford. ’ In connection with the free railway passes issued to teachers to attend the classes, the department will bo asked to remove the restriction requiring teachers to return by train on the day on which the classes are held. Overseer's Report. The overseer reported that wrainage work and small repairs at Ngaoro had received attention, and a radiator had been fixed in the infants’ room. In the near future it would bo necessary to renew the out-offices at this school. Repairs and drainage, etc., at Pembroke were receiving attention. Promotion of Teachers. The Taranaki Education Institute asked the Board to reconsider regulation -8 in its scheme for. the proi motion of teachers, whereby a tea-

cher could not hope to be appointed head teacher of a school higher than grade 7, unless he had a 8.1. certificate. Some of the most successful schools in the Dominion were in charge of teachers with considerably lower certificates than 8.1. The work of the Taranaki teachers compared more than favorably with the work of teachers hi other parts of New Zealand. The regulation referred to practically condemned teachers for not being near a university centre.

The chairman said it might be possible to meet the desire of the teadiers without lowering any standard that had been set. He moved that the matter be referred to the inspectors for a report. * The motion was carried. School Sanitation. Dr. H. Chesson, health officer for the Wellington district, wrote again concerning the Whangarnomona school conveniences. After discussing the conditions which exist at the school, Dr. Chesson wrote: “Surely it is neccs•sary that children should be placed under conditions as sanitary as posable while undergoing their education. It is at least only fair to the scholars and their parents that this (hould be, and, besides, tiie question >f the object lesson is worthy of some ■onsideration. It is generally acklowledged that impressions acquired it School have a large effect in, after ife. We certainly desire that suc■eeding generations should appreciate ho benefits of modern sanitation.” The matter was left in the chairtian’s vhands. Observation Schools. In reply to the Board’s circular on he question of establishing observaion schools, the Southland Board said d was in entire sympathy with the ' n’oposal and was prepared to co-oper-ite in the matter. The. Wellington Board forwarded a ■opy of a report on the matter from .is inspectors and the principal of the raining college, who, while just as .nxioils to improve the efficiency of i he-smaller schools, considered it better. under present conditions, rather >:o incur additional expenditure in givng greater encouragement to country -eachers to attend the observation cfinols of the training colleges than ,o spend money in establishing addiional observation schools in evbry disrict. In the letter enclosing the re>ort, the Wellington Board sftid that Chile it did not quite approve of the iroposals 5 made in the Taranaki ilonrci’s circular, it was very willing oiasfjist,! within the limits’of‘its’op ? qytnmties., • those uncertificated 11 tea hers | who; might 'desire training ok :he plan which" it-had found>to dvork -cry jvell in the special course- held or several yeats fat the training: f

ego during the month of February, ,nd it renewed the invitation previously extended.,to the Taranaki ioard to send a limited number of eachers to the course of instruction •hehtioned.

‘. The | North; Canterbury Board ex;pressed th® opinion; that the estahlishnent oi' observation schools would probably provide a “back entrance” ',‘or admission to the profession where")v 'many teadiers would never develop into highly efficient instructors. Tho Board was inclined to ; the opinion i ha t the better policy would bo to give greater facilities for entering the ’ raining colleges, and in this way provide for every teacher a satisfactory equipment before entering upon so important a duty as the training of children. . General. Matters connected with the Puraligi, Midbirst and Waitui schools .veto referred to. the ’overseer for attention. The subsidy granted to tho Douglas, committee for improvement of tho school grounds, was increased from £2O to £26.

Mr W. A. Volzke was appointed to the York school committee,in place of Mr! T. Douglas, resigned. 'jlhe Douglas School Committee requested tho Board not to transfer their liead teacher at the end of the year owing to the satisfaction with hie work. —The request will he taken into consideration when appointments and transfers are made at the end of tho year.

The Stratford District High School Committee asked the Board to nsc its influence in opposing two Clauses of the Education Act Amendment Bill now before Parliament. The two clauses mentioned were those regarding which the Board expressed disapproval at its previous meeting.—A copy of the letter will-he sent to the Minister for Education. A lengthy reply to certain complaints of unduly severe punishment of pupils and other matters which had been received by the Board, was forwarded by the teacher of the Matau School. Mr Kennedy remarked, after the letter had been read, that ho had inquired into tho matter and had learned that the complaints sprang from one or two individuals and were not endorsed by the school committee as a whole. —The Board accepted tho teacher’s explanation.