STRATFORD SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 25, 16 September 1914, Page 7

STRATFORD SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The monthly meeting of the Stratford School Committee was held last night, there being present: Messrs P. Skoglund (chairman), G. Smart, W. McDonald, E. Jackson, E. W. Hancock, T. Lawson and J. W. McMillan. HEADMASTERS REPORT. The Headmaster (Mr F. A. Tyrer) reported: The attendance at the school is satisfactory, the average being 91 per cent, of the roll number. lam instructed by the Board of Education to close the school' from September 28th to October 12th, so that the teachers can attend classes in physical training conducted by Mr Royd Garlick at New Plymouth. The annual examination is due to take place about the middle of October. The break in the school work, just,prior to examination, cannot but have an injurious effect on what the children will do for the inspectors, and the results' cannot bo as satisfactory as usual. lam notified that Dr. Gunn, medical officer for the Education Department, is to visit the school on September 22nd and 23rd. In connection with this visit, one of the teachers' duties is to bring under the visiting doctor's notice all school children who appear to be affected with ailments which hinder their progress. These children are medically examined, and, where necessary, parents are advised of the state of their children's health and the need of medical attention. The matter, as far as the visit- ! ing doctor is concerned, ends there. It is a pity that the advice given is often unheeded. In this school are 'a few cases—which were before the visiting doctor last year and which are worse now than they were then. Nominations for the public examinations held by the Education Department were made during the last week. The following figures may be of interest to you. For the Public Service examination we have entered 31 candidates, for senior free places 24 candidates, for Education Board's' senior scholarships 12 candidates, for junior National and Board's junior scholarships 12 candidates, and for the Bayly Memorial Scholarship one candidate. I think the the committee will be wise to decide on some definite plan by which to divide the new playgrounds, which are to be shortly available, and also on some scheme by which the grounds can gradually be put in order. VISITING COMMITTEE. The Visiting Committee reported: We recommend that the following work be done during the coming holidays : All the blinds in the school require attention, the copper runners to be replaced by wooden runners similar to those put in by Mr Moore in the windows on the west side of the front class-room of the High School. The wire runners stretch and break. Several panes of glass were broken in the new school and require new glass: One of the posts of the girls' swing is rotten and has broken off at the ground. We ordered the caretaker to temporarily remedy this by fixing an ordinary post alongside. New posts should be ordered and erected. Technical School: The waste-pipes of the sinks in the chemistry room require attention—two sinks are blocked up. The front gate requires a stop put on the hinge. We recommend that the septic tank should be cleaned out ana put in good working order. The blinds in this school also require attention—in fact new ones should be procured. The stove pipe in the dairying room is burnt out and requires a new one. However, this could be held over, as it is not likely that the stove shall be used again before next winter. The ventilation of the glass-house has not yet been put in order. We did not visit the baths, as they are not in use. But we would suggest the setting up of a committee for the coming season. The recommendations were adopted, and it was decided to do the work in connection with the Technical School and charge the Education Board with the cost. WAR STRINGENCY. The Education Board wrote asking that the committee confine its demands for funds to works of an urgent nature, in view of the strained conditions following on the war. THE PLAYGROUND. The chairman reported that it was suggested that all the present hor.sepaddock should be included in the playground,the paddocks next the bowling green and the bath to be then used for horse paddocks. Mr Tyrer suggested' that the iron fence enclosing the ten nis court could be extended with material in the fence on Cloton Road, being then used as a dividing fence between the boys' and girls' playground. It was suggested that the present horse paddock should be piped and gradually filled in.—lt was decided to adopt the suggestions made and to get an estimate'for the work of piping.