SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 323, 8 December 1888, Page 2

SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Tits ordinary, rrionfchly, meeting- of the Te* Arbha School Gprnmittee -was'heUl on./ Monday evening "last. '< Bfesenir,: Ilev. Jaat M'ar3ball^ (chaif ndanp;; Rev. :f -S. L'awi;y (secfetary )', Me,3srs'Ilbtfcj ancrMackie. \" , ',' 7 Correspondence. f^Fronii the,^Minister rtf Education endosing'sevefratcopies of_ statements of monies expended on school ' buildings since the passing of the. Education Act, * 1877, for circulation amongst the Committee. Monthly Returns : The" monthly re-turns-for'-November .were-* submibfe 1, which showed the number on the roll to he 161 and the average attendance 134.7. The increase in the average attendance was 14, an-1 the roll nunilier 5. The highest number present any one day was 150. Wit'i reference to (he attendance, etc., the Head Teacher, Mr W. H. P. Marsdon, forwarded to the Chairman of Committee the following letter : — ' District School, " Te. Aroha Goldfiel.l, December 3rd, 1888. Sir, — Forwarded herewith is a copy of the monthly certificate, from which you will learn that there is an increase in both roll number and average attendance. These numbers are now higher than at any time since the opening of the School. Of the number, 165, now belonging, 126 are in standards from I to VII, while the remainder, 39, are in the two preparatory classes. The time has now arrived, I think, for application to be made to the Board of Education for an increase of staff, which is needed. The attendance and roll number, for the four weeks of November, are as under : —

This shows that while the number on the roll has increased by 2, the attendance has decreased 1 6 .7 in the fourth week, a* compared with that before it. I wish to draw attention to this, for it is wlmt usually happens about this tinio each year. The idea, with many, seems to be that once the annual examination in stan lards is over, there is no need for children to attend school. For an indefinite period. This fact appears to, overlooked, viz., that the work for the next year begins immediately the examination is completed. Owing to the limited staff much of the work in some standards can only be gone over once in the year, so that absence at the beginning, or indeed at any portion of the time, must cause some deficiency. On 23rd November, the day the examination concluded, a child made this request : " May I get my books, as I am not coming again till after Christmas?" The statement possesses thu merit of candour at any rate. Others are not quite so straightforward but they stay away all the same. At the same examination just held, 99 were presented in standards, and the per centage of passes was 46.5 of the number on roll, 159, while the percentage of failures was 17.7 of those examined, equal to 10.06 of roll number, — I am, sir, yours obediently, W. H, P. Marsdow. Refen ing to Mr Mars Ion's statements, Mr Lawry said the parents and children seemed to think that the actual work for next examinations did not commence until the new year, which was of course not the case, as was pointed out. Mr Ilott said that owing to the increase in the number on the roll, it was quite time the committee made application to the Board of Education for an addition to the teaching staff. Mr Lawry pointed out that the attendance would now entitle them to a pupil teacher in addition to their present staff. Resolved, That the secretary to the Board of Education asking them to ' appoint a pupil teacher, and point out the desirability of having a male teacher, appointed. Leave of Absence : Miss Mulgan, assistant teacher, submitted a letter (for endorsemant by the committee), to Board of Education, asking that she be permitted to leave her duties for the holidays on the 19th instead of the 21st December, as she wished to catch a steamer leaving South, at Manakau, on the 21st hist. Considerable discussion ensued with re.'.ard tq this matter, but in consideration of the number of children at present attending, it was resolved that the request could net be sanctioned, but that permission would be given to leave on Friday, 21st December. Accounts : The following accounts were passed for payment: Mrs Griffiths, LI 8s 4d ; J. Williams, 3s Sd, .Fete*: Mr Marshall drew attention to tlie near approach of the time for the annual school fete, and the details in connection .with this affair were then • entered r u pon . It was resolved that the fete take place on January 1st,; 1889, and, that), the members of the School Co'ramitt,ee form a Committee of ,JVlanagement,fwith, power to add to their number.* It was^also decided to canvas for/subscriptions'.' MrMenzies volunteered to canvas both sides of 'Whitaker'- 'street from Stoney Creek' to" -racecourso:*, Mr Marsdon; was .asked; ita undertake the collecting* of jtli|"remaiivde s r \v6\ the^town, arid'proinised -to let the, Committee kno,w,t next day whether^ he would, do so or; :not.;c\i < r l % \ ;?._•' ui *i 6>i , , l -~ , Tlie"-desirability_ and indeed^absolute/ riecessifejflQE^pbtainipg^ assistance from'-" soraeof^the -.ladies' was .conceded - by s >ll~ ,the;rnembers^ .-;, , ,, >S .\\ ■ JlfResolye.d,^ -fchaty the i C6xam\Uce:^0 M;a1f|p'meuJ^lifpJUl^ttKeir .fira^n^^H 1 !^ 0 ]^ .ne1t%M&nd% 'eveningy - '-- ; ",--; ' ~'f'J;0M

2nd „ k, I Roll 1 N J7 lo. 157, ar. atfc, 160 „ 127.2 141 8rl „ 4th „ 159 161 ,, 145.4 128,7