STRATFORD SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 47, 25 February 1914, Page 8

STRATFORD SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

THE MONTHLY tWHETINCL The School Committee met last | nigh, when there were present;— .Messrs I*. Skoglnnd (chairman), C. Smartj E. W; Hu acock, J. W. dimes, E. JricksOip find ,T; W; McMillan, Headmaster’s Report. 'l'he Headmaster (Mr F. Tyrer) reported : When the school closed at the end of last ye dr wri Jiitfl On our registers the names of 593 child reh ill Hfe primary department and 112 in the secondary department, that is 7Uo in the school. Of these 58 and 25 respectively have left and 50 and 50 hare been admitted, so that at present we have ,585 and 113—728 children —attending school. Of our pupils, however, ill do not belong to Stratford. They either come, in daily by train or hriard in the town for school purposes. We proop,se to hold our school sports on Thursday, March sth. We have in hand prizes for nearly all the events in which the senior pupils will take part, hut shall want your help in getting prizes for the little ones. The hoys’ events will he confined to contests in running and jumping. The senior girls will have swimming and diving contests in the school hath. An open championship race of 220yds, in which all Taranaki secondary 'school hoys may compete, is included in the programme. For this race Mr J. 15. Hine, M.P., has kindly provided the prize—a gold medal suitably inscribed. Wo, shall need the assistance of members of the committee in carrying out the sports. The published results of the annual examinations show that our pupils did good work last year. They succeeded in winning, in addition to a number of. Education Board scholarships, a National, a Bayly Memorial, and a Taranaki scholarship; and the marks gained, as published in connection with the Board’s senior scholarships, show the pupils to have achieved a very satisfactory standard of proficiency. Of tire annual examinations that set for Senior Free Places is based on the work that ought to be done in a secondary school in a course of two years’ work. I have made it a rule that all pupils who have been that time in fliis school shall sit for this examination ; and last year,of those who sat ninety per cent passed. This result is very gratifying, as it proves that the general standard of the school’s work is efficient. Senior Free Places were gained by 48 of our pupils. The matriculation examination is based on the work that should Jhe done in a secondary school in a bourse" of four years’ work. Pupils who pass tins examination, taking Latin as a subject, pass also the required standard for solicitors’ general knowledge, and those who take another liirignage in addition to Latin pass also what is called the medical preliminary. Of those of your pupils who passed these examinations this year, six, all of whom are under sixteen years of ago, had been hut three, years doing secondary work. 'The Education Board recently appointed special instructors in engineering, ■Commercial W'Ork arid 1 agriculture. The gentlemen l appointed are i to assist in thri special work of our science classes, which must he greatly benefited thereby. Mr Kirkpatrick, the engineer, Will he in Stratford each Monday and Mr Huff, the Commercial instructor, each Wednesday. Other dates will he fixed later. Both the gentlemen named are highly qualified in their respective subjects and their assistance must materially aid the school’s progress. Mr Kirkpatrick will, if sufficient inducement offers, open a technical class in Stratford on M onday evenings, taking machine drawing and mechanical and electrical engineering. A new syllabus of school work cairie into force in New Zealand primary schools at the beginning of this year. In connection with it, our Taranaki teachers met the school inspectors in conference in New Plymouth on Saturday last, and then it was agreed that no drastic changes at once would he insisted on. Children are to use through the year the school books already in their possession. These school hooks are a continuous source of worry to teachers and of expense to parents; and it seems a pity that at least some of them—arithmetic, for example—are not published by the Government in the office of the Education Journal in Wellington. 'The chairman said the report seemed very satisfactory. The attendance at the school was still going up. The examinations passed by pupils were highly creditable.—Mr Smart said he believed a pupil of the Stratford school received the highest marks in New Zealand for Latin.—lt was decided to write to Mr Tyrer. congratulating him on the school’s success in examinations. Visiting Committee. The Visiting Committee reported that more space was wanted for children to hang their hats and .coats. They recommended that the Board he asked to put up a lean-to on the infants’ room. The ground outside the infants’ room was worn out, leaving a very had surface. The blinds in the main school needed renewing. Two eartlprn jars were- wanted for the mixing of ink. The Minister,for Education would he passing through Stratford at an early date and lit' should he asked to inspect the school.

Tlio chairman said Mr Hine lisitl advised liim that Air Allen would not he aUe to \’isit Stratford.

Mr McMillan thought a small depnt.ition should wait on Mr Allen regardin'; the shifting of the Headmaster's residence.

The Chairman and Mr McMillan were appointed to wait on Mr Allen on his return from New Plymouth. It was decided that the Board he a Sain approached regarding the' leanto; that an estimate he obtained for thu work of no-asphalting the courtyard between the two schools and for grading thev ground outside the infants’

room ; and that the Board he written ! to regarding the blind#. The Swimming Bath, The chairman said he had been ap- ) preached by members of the Sw-mming Flub asking if th& committee would widen Hie school hath if the Swimming Club assisted. Mr Smart: It would he A tOSfdy tolL Mr McMillan : It is too costly to tiling <if at 'pi'rist'fit, But the Club can go on raising funds hi th« meantime. thb Charrriian said that unless the School Commitfoo' fiefped to the matter there would he no CoVcTri incut subsidy oa the amount raised. Mr Smart did not think the Committee should give the Club too much use of the hath without some definite return. The Chairman said the committee received an indirect benefit, as the more mcmheiS the Swimming Club had tile greater would b<i the .revenue of the hath.

Mr .McMillan thought it would he better if the Club approached the Borough Council with a view to seeming a municipal hath, The school bath was too small for the Club, Mr Smart : The public subscribed the money for the hatli.

Mr McMillan: But they subscribed it only for a school hath. A municipal hath could lie made in the lake in Victoria Park.

Mr Smart said a lot of sewage found its way into the lake. Mr McMillan said he only suggested the lake because if the hath were put there the excavation work would not be heavy. The present water could he diverted. The matter was then dropped. Fire Brigade Fete. The secretary of the Fire Brigade Garden Fete committee requested that on March 12th the children of the Stratford School be granted a full holiday. Mr Smart thought a half-holiday would he quite sufficient. Mr McMillan thought it was establishing a bad precedent to grant a holiday for everything that, was held. Mr Smart moved that a half-holiday he granted, subject to the approval of the Headmaster. It was generally admitted that it was not fair to grant a holiday if it interfered with the work of the children, of which the Headmaster was the best judge. It was mentioned that the school would lie having a holiday on the occasion of the school sports on March 5 th. The motion was carried. General. A vote of thanks, was passed to the Stratford Dairy Company for supplying milk for the annual picnic The secretary, reported that ho could not present a balance-sheet on the recent picnic owing to the Railway Department not having supplied necessary details.