SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 78, 29 November 1884, Page 2

SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The upual monthly meeting of the School Committee was held in the School house, Te Arohn, on Tuesday evening last. Present— Messrs Aliier ((Secretary), Ilott, Lawless, an<l Brown. Mr Lawless was voted to the chair. The minutes of list meeting held were read and confirmed ; after which the correspondence was gone through, inclu ling the following letter from Mr Marsdon, head teacher, To Aroha : — ** District School, " Te Aroha Goldfield, (;th Oct. 1884. " Sir, — I beg to inform that the attendance of childron at this school is most irregular, and to requ >st that such st^ps may betaken by the Committee ii 1 he matter, a« in its power lies, to remedy this. You are awaie, by the regulation Ht a ly issued from Wellington, that all children attending i\ sccool are to be presented annually for examination regardless of the number of attendances made by them. Now, by frequent absence much instruction is lost, the sequence of lessons destroyed, and when examination day arrives these irregular ones are found wanting. Such a state of things is fair neither to children, teachers, nor Committee, and I trust that the latter will do all in its power to induce parents to put a stop to this evil. I enclose a meinc. showing the number of attendances, &c, for the time I have been in charge. This is only a general retcr.i. I mention also the case of one family to show to what an extent this ii regularity is carried. — I am, Sir, yours obediently, " VV. 11. P. touts won, '• Head Teacher." " The Secretary, " School Committee, Tp Aroha." The following is the memo, referred to above : Attendances for 9 months on ling 2i)th Sept., 1884 : Full No., 42,802 ; No. of attendances, 2."i,f)35 ; N.. absences, 17,2(57. Family 4 : Full No. 1260 ; No. of attendances, 379 ; No. absences. 881. The question of how funds could bes( be provided to meet current exposes, and also to provide a treat for the children, was discussed at considerable length, and the Following resolution, proposed by Mr Lrown, seconded by Mr Ahier was carried : "Th it chi.» meeting stand adjourned till Monday evening next at 7.30 for the purpose of discussing what steps had best be taken to r.tise funds io provide a feaft for the j children at Cluistmas, etc." The question of a separate school committee for Waiorongomai (a move which we advocated in our last issue), was also considered, and it was tiie unanimous feeling of all present tn.-it such a step was highly desirable The following resolution, proposed by Mr ! Brown, and .-eeonded by Mr Lawless, : was carried unanimously : "That it. i? • lesirai.le that Waioiongoinai be declared a separate school district, vi» I that th • ne-essiiry steps be taken forthwith to obtain same." Tue neglect of some members of th<" Committee in not giving more attention to th-3 duties devolving on thorn, was ivferre I to, and it was stated that t.ie Chairman (Mr Cnft') had not attended any meeting of the Committee since last August, whilst Mr Adams's non-attenlance extended over even a longer term.