DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 98, 10 May 1901, Page 2

DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL.

PROPOSED CHANGE OF STATDS FOR THE CENTRAL SCHOOL. EDUCATION HOARD INTERVIEWED. At the Education Board meeting on Wednesday, the following resolutions, passed at a special meeting of the Town School Oommittfe on 6th May, was read: —That the Committee respect--1 fully requests the Education Board to 1 take steps to declare the Central School a District High School in accordance with the provisions if the Act.

Me srs Oollis and Todd attended as a deputation from the Town School C jmmit,' eJ in reference to this matter. Mr. Collis eaid the District High School question was one of great importance to district, in the interests of its children/ The chief point gained by the establishment of a District High School would bo a continui'y of the pupils' sludi. s in the same school and under the same teachers. This view had been, he s>id, brought very forcibly under his nolice. People teld him they would no!; allow (heir children to go up for scholarships if tfcey had 1o be t ikeu away from the Central School to go to the High School. Then again, when scholars went to the High School under present condi'ioDS they often loss a great deal of time in go : ng over ground in Pome subjects already covered ia the f rinary school; while if they had taken up secondary education under their old teachers, the work in these subjects would hive been picked up at the point whero it was dropped before the scholarships were gained. Teachers, too, when they knew tha* their bright pupils would continue to study ucdt>r their tare, would bs inoi ed to take a livelier interest in, them, while the children would do bett' r work under one uniform system throughout the whole c;urse of their education in one school. The matter of staff ar.-aug.men l s would be a de'ail for the Board's consideration; but he might pay that the pre ent at iff was, so far as he could learn, competent to teach all the secn-dary subjects except French. The financial part of the matter was provided for according to the circular received from the Education Department. Mr. Todd supported. Mr. Oollis' remarks. Mr. Faull: I understand, th n, that you maintain that a c ntinuiiy of studies would be attuned by keeping children on under the same t<i«cher-, without any break 6uch ts would be ocsasioned by children going to another Ecliool. Mr. (Jollis raid that was so.

In reply to Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Chilis said he believed a large number of children would try to pass the necessary examination to qualify for scholarships if the Central school we:e converted into a DVrct High School. His Committee bad not yet made any inquiry as to the probible number who would attend.

Mr. Mackay asked if itr-wou'd meet the Committee's views if the D pirtraent agreed to allow the New Plymouth High School to come under the conditions of the Education Depart ment's circufar re District High Schco's. Tho continuity only obtained in the ca r e if children attending tbe Central Schcol.

Mr. Collis raid there was a feeling abroad Against this, and people hid expresfed themselves strongly of opinion, what! er rightly or wrongly he could not say, that such a tchem" would not meet wi'h general approval. He had been reqirs'ed to press the Committee's recommendations upon tbe Board.

Mr. Alhworth pointed out that tt o syllabus of the District Hfgh Schools was under the control of the Board. Mr. Collis said be was still of opinion th»re would be a belter resul' in the rd' cition of the childr-n if the Central School were declared a District High Schoj). In reply to a question p : it by Mr. Hignett, Mr. Collis said he be'ieved the educational i t res's of the district would ba bfnpficially served if the New Plymouth High Scion! were retired aod the Ce> tral School also converted into a District High School.

Mr. Hignett: Then it would be a mtvival of the fi'test. Mr. Co'lis: No, I don't think it would come to tint. But the healthy competition that would result would prove beneficial. Mr. Allsworth thought the best course for the Board to pursue would be to appoint a committee to go fully into the whole question, as was done in the case of the Stratford School, Referring to the st iff question, he said the Bmid had been met at Stratford by one of the teachers resigning when it was found necessary to appoint another with special qualifications. He believed the stiff at the Central School was a competent one; but if it became necessary to shift anyone, then it wouid be p serious matter for the Board to deal with. It would also be necessary for the Town School Committee to indicate how many scholars would come forward I fer secondary education, as the Board! required to kßow what fees would bej likely to be collected from parents. He had always been a supporter of District High Schools, as under th present system in New Plymouth the ' Board had no knowledoe of what was being done in the way of secondary education to fit pupi's for a University course after they, left the primary schools. He citecf the case of Wanganui, where though there were already High Schools for both boys and girl-, the principal primary school had be n converted into a District High School, and he was surp- isei that the New Plymouth Committee had not moved in the mit'er before. He hopsd at some time to see the schools at Waitarn, Ingle wo 3d, an J Opunakealso converted into D : s'ricb High Schools, as the children at the furher ends of the district should get the fame adventiges as those more conveniently situated to 'New Plymouth. He moved that a committee be appo'nted to consider and report upon the request of the Town Sohool Committee to put the Central School upon the status of a District High School, Mr. Adlam eecnded and the motion tai oariied, the Chairman and Mr, ASibworth beirg appointed the commit- ; v,f o to deal with the matter.

I I'Ul'IL TBACHKRS. ' The following resolutions from the o wo Commits was readTut*t in

view of the disorganisation in tho teaching staff caused by tho r< moval of competent pupil teachers, whose places are tiken by beginners, this committee rejspectfnlly suggests to the Board the advisablenws of keeping the staffs of f-uch schools as the Central two or three above the regulation number, to that the Board can draw ou the staff without weakening the teaching pow»r of the school.

Bpeaking on this, Mr. Oollis said that occasionally it became necessary to take a third or fourth year pupil teacher away from the lirger schools, such aa the Oentsal, and in consequence work was disorganised through younger teachers having to be put on to replace them. The committee recognised that the Board was sometimes at a tors to fill up vacancies in country schools; but if the staffs of the larger schools were kept over the number actually required, theie would bo a reserve force to draw upon, and the work of a teacher suddenly removed could be taken up by I one who was acquainted with the routine of the school. The younger teachers would also ba getting a training, and the headmistsrs would have more time to devote to the work of general tupervisbn, instead of having, as sometimes happened, to us* a large poation of his time in t aching the lower standards.

Mr. Faull said 'he matter cesolved into one if finance. Could the Board afford to ktep extra teachers on the stafi ? He did not thi k it could. The withdrawal of teachers occasionally affected all the schools though probibly in a greater degree in the larger ones. He agreed that the phn might be a good one if funds would permit of its adoption.

Mr. Al'sworth said the only remedy seemed to be in the.establishment of a training school for young teachers. The trouble was more acute in small schools tbaa in 1 irge ones, as when a teacher bad one pupil teaoher, and that one was removed, he had to overlook the whole of ths work until the new pupil teacher got into the run of it. In view, however, of probable alterations in school management which may result from the recommendations of the Royal Commission appointed to take oa the matter, it would be umvse for the Board to tike any action at present Mr. Mackay said he did net think any tteps could be taken unless the Boird altered the whole of its legula* ■ ions.

Mr. Wade agreed that nothing i ould be done tin ough want of funds, though he thought the proposal a gocd ore.

Mr. Faull moved, and Mr. Wade seconded, " That the B iaid regrets it cannot agree to the recommendations of the To vn Sehool Committee in re» g rd to a ra teachers."—lLe motion nas carried. CAPITATION GRANT. The Chairman then referred to the communica'im reo ived at last meeting from the Committee in regard to oapitation grant.

Mr. Colli* explained that the reaolu* tion was passed by the meeting of housenolders end banded to the new Committer for transmirsioa to the Board. He said the Committee was no!) yet in a position to say whether it could carry on wi b the pr. S"nt grant, but pet Bona ly ha did cot think it could. Mr. Allsworlh asked if Mr. Oolite c uld expldn why the Central School should be placed on a more favourable footing than othar schools. Mr. Collis siid the Committee had thr e separate echoes to maintain.

M*\ Als worth : But y u u are paid as for two not on one, which makes a considerable difference.

Mr. Co'l is said the capitation was. oiten up t y extra expenses, M r. A 1 sivurth said t he expenses were p'oport'onal y the same every whote. If (lie Central Committee had larger ■ xpen-os th 'y had a great doal mure rev. nut>. A comparison of the figures work "f us fo'lows: Ibe New Plymouth Committer had three Stratford two ic.iiols, and liglewood three echo Is.

* * • • • 00 0 I The Towq Committee had been re--1 ceiv.'ng a larger captation, froportionately, than the other#, atd now the ! Board wished to put them all on the s»me footing, and the Town Committee ; did no", agi-uo wi'h the proposal. Stratfcrd and Inglewood had to face charges for sanitation as well as New Plymouth. He wished to remove all feelings of un- ' fairness. , Mr. CV.lis slid the Committee knew new the lowest amount of income on which it could cocduct its business. Referring to the charges for stationery, he said it was fouad difficult to make dar> nts piy np. The Chairman said the Board's finances were in suih a cripplvd condition th»t it had to took for leakages, nd ditcov' red thu ixtra payments on accoui t t f ton n schools capitatiaq to be one of tht m. In answer to Mr. Iligoe't, Mr. Oo.lis said the i educti n in capitation would amount to beUvi en i3O and £4O. in the casi of the Committee. They wished to meet the Board if possible and would do their Aft'r fomi further discu=s : on thedepu a'ion withdrew, acd the Board resumed its o'hnr bu inrss.

Capitation. - — 6 s 3 d T3 fl l tJ. A p 2 1 1 (0 < a £ a. d. £ ». d, .Central 488 40 2 9 160 11 o West, Infants 111 9 4 6 36 18 2 594 49 7 3 197 9 2 Stratford ... 37i 20 18 6 83 14 0 Inglewood ... 177 9 19 1 89 16 6 Norfolk Road G9 4 9 S 17 17 o Wortl«yRoad 28 2 16 3 10 10 0 - 274 17 4 7 68 8 8