STRATFORD SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 63, 17 March 1915, Page 2

STRATFORD SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The monthly meeting held hist evening was attended by Messrs (I. Smart, T. Lawson, K. W. Hancock, W. McDonald, E. Jackson, F. Cramer, and apologies for non-attendance were received from Messrs P. Skogluud and J. W. McMillan. Mr Smart was voted | to the chair. VISITING COMMITTEE’S REPORT. The Visiting Committee beg to report that the washhouse has been removed from the old site to a site near the tennis court; this will he a very convenient as an extra shelter shed and to keep the tennis material handy to the playing courts. Two smaller sheds have also been shifted into the horse paddock, wire round the plantation has been tightened, and seven posts have been renewed in the old fence. Gates have been erected leading into the playground from Cloton road, and main divisions between the girls’ and boys’ playground lias now been completed. It will be necessary to plough and level the new portion [of the playground and sow same down in grass. Now is the proper season for sowing, and we recommend this work to be gone on with when funds will permit. Pipes that were removed from the old Headmaster’s residence are now available for drainage near the infant room. We regret that the contractor for the removal of the teacher’s house has not yet removed the concrete foundation, and we advise that steps be taken to have same removed at his expense. The report was adopted. Messers .McDonald and Cramer were appointed the visiting committee for the month. HIGH SCHOOL SITE. The Chairman reported as follows; 1 wish to report that the committee appointed for the purpose visited several sites in the Borough which they considered suitable for the suggested High School, and finally decided that that part of King Edward Park, lying between Portia and Hamlet Streets was the most suitable. Other sites mentioned were Mr Brannigan s pioperty on Pembroke road, and Hr. Paget’s property at the end of Page street. I waited on the Domain Board and asked if the Board would oppose the passage of a Bill through Parliament converting the piece, of land mentioned above from a domain to a school site. The Board were not disposed to give a reply at once, and a special meeting will be called to consider the proposal. The members present at the meeting were almost unanimously of the opinion that a ceitain amount of compensation would be required. I expect to have the opinion of the Board within a few days. Until the question of a site is decided upon, wo cannot go further into this matter. It was resolved, in the absence of the sub-committee, to hold consideration of the matter over until next meeting. HEADMASTER’S REPORT. Mr Tyrer reported as follows: — The average attendance at the School since the beginning of the year is 698. The number on the registers now is 758. In our secondary department we have 171 pupils. I wish to thank Mr and Mrs Outhbert for- their donation of tea shillings towards our prize fund for current year. Mr Cuthbert, who has made a similar donation for some years 'past, wishes on this occasion to have his gift awarded as a special prize, and I shall see that his wishes in this direction are carried out. Last year in our secondary department, we undertook for the first time a course of advanced rural work. This consisted of special and more difficult \york in manual and in science subjects, while English, mathematics, precis, writing, etc., were taken up to the standard of the Civil Service Senior Examination. The results of this examination, recently published, show that satisfactory work lias been done.

Mr H. Skelton, assistant instructor in the engineering class at New Plymouth Technical College, now takes our classes in iron work, and our school is working with its full complement of teachers. Last year our iron work was taken by Mr R. Kirkpatrick, and I should like to refer here to the excellent work done hy the hoys while in charge of that gentleman. Most of our boys who are taking agriculture as a school subject are i away at the present time on a visit to the Government farm at Moumahaki where they are living under camp conditions. Messrs Thomas and Ellis (instructor in agriculture) are in charge of the hoys, who I expect to greatly benefit from their outing. GENERAL. The statement of receipts and expenditure in connection with the annual school picnic showed receipts: Sale of tickets £lls 17s 9d,. surplus fruit 1 Is, commission on railway tickets £1!) 2s, total £135 13s 9d; expenditure, Railway Department £lOl 3s lid. sundries £l2 2s. total £ll6 ss, leaving a balance of £l9 7s lOd. The hon. secretary of the Taranaki School Committee’s Association wrote stating that Mr P. Skoglund had been elected a vice-president of the Association, with a seat on the executive.