TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 57, 27 February 1902, Page 2

TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD.

Thb monthly meeting of the Board m held on Wednesday. Present: Mr. McAllum (chairman), Miss Heywood, Messrs. Adlana, Faull, Wade, Allswortb, and Kennedy. 1 The Architect submitted plans for l additions to the Toko and West Infant Schools.—Deferred till allocation I of building grant. The Chairman's action in appointing I Miss W. S. Bain temporarily to Dur--1 ham-road, and appointing 15 pupils for ' free tuition at the High School was confirmed.

Applications for repairs, etc., to the schools at Hurford-road, Ngaire, New Plymouth, Inglewood, Stratford, and Frankley-road, were deferred to the special meeting in March for a'locating the building grant. Mr, Hignett wrote, resigning bis seat on the Board owing to ill health,and expressing his appreciation of the sympathy extended >o him during his trying illn l ss and that always extended I to him generally by the members.

Oq the morion of Mr. Allsworth, seconded by Mr, Wade, it was resolved that the resignation be accepted with regret, and that tha Board express sympathy with him and sincerely trusts he will soon be restored to health.

Tae following resignations were accepted :P. P. S. Binlayaon, Hinakama; Mrs, Dickinson, Opunake ; Miss Brennan, Pukearuhe, and Miss Hodgkinson, Durham-road.

Miss O'Brien was appointed to Birdroad, and Mr. Boyce to Okato. A letter was read from the Fitzroy Committee thanking the Board for its endeavours to eff'ec. an exchange of teachers and regretting that success had not bean achieved. After considering the Inspector's reports for the pas■; seven years th* Committee stated that in the interests of all concerned they bad decided to ask for a change of teacher.—The letter was referred to the teacher for hie remarks.

Letters from Messrs. A. Gray andThos. Brownies > elatira to their respective salarii s under the new suheme, were referred to the s»cre f ary to reply to. The Egrnont Committee wrote inquiring if the Board would take out a j policy, to rover the committee's risk under the Workers Compensation Ac L . for accidents. The committee is to be informed that tbe Board has no funds far the purpose. The action of the Whangnraomona Committee in rlosing the school for a week owing to the building requiring disinfecting, consequent on its being used in connection with a fatality oc earring near the school, was confirmed.

The School Reserves Committee reported on cite at Okau stating the terms on which it was held by the present lessee and recommending that Mr. Firbank enquire of the lessee if he was prepared to make a transfer. —Adopted.

Mr. Faull's report as to the fencing and clearing of the Tongaporut* situ was adopted. The secretary of the Teachers' Provident Fund wro>e stating that the scheme 'provided for teachers leaving in the hands of tbe Bo'rd for payment to the Treasurer of the Ji'und one-half ]j»r cent, of their salaries, and asking the Board to agree to the proposal.— To be complied with provided tne Board is furnished with a scale of deductions.

A vote of thanks was passed to the Wanganui Board and its officers for the liberal and kindly way in which the teachers attending the summer classes were treated, and thanking the Board for allowing the teachers to join the classes.

The inspector submitted a draft circular to teachers re the Saturday classes for the first term of this year, and making suggestions a$ tq asaistmoe to be given to teachers engaged ia conducting the classes, and as to reremuneration therefore. - Adopted and to be given effect to. The Inspector recommended that free tuition scholarships be awarded at Stratford District High School as from Ist January last to Arthur Thompson, John Thomac, May Mackjy, Goralie Smith, Ella King, Ivy Nixon, Mary Tuffs, and Donald , Cameron, the two latter being recommended by the committee.—Adopted. Miss K. Smith was granted leave of absence.

The Inspector reported on the staffing of the District High School at Stratford, He stated that the total income for 1901 was £205 10a, and he predicted an increase for the current year. Against this the'only chargo was, si far as he could ascertain £IOO. He recommended that tint salary of Miss Campbell be increased by £2O a year and that the staff be increased by a second or third year pupil teacher. He ali-o advised a; to the disposal of the surplus income. He further drew attention to the inconvenience to pupils north of Stratford by the present train service, whereby the widespread utility of the fchool was curtailed and the work much broken.—The report was adopted, An application was received from Adjutant Taunton for the position of instructor of the West Coast Cadet Battalion. - Deferred until the time arrives for making the appointment. The Minister of Education wrote stating that Mr R. W. Hill had been given untjl Mar?h Ist to lodge his appeal against dismissal.

A letter was read from the Department relative to stiffing of the Central and Stratford Schools, stating that the Minister would allo.w an additional pupil teicher i\t the Central, and that if 'the school maintained its present average next quarter it would ba entitled to a further addition to the staff, With regard to Stratford, no addition could be now made, but an adjus'ment could take place next quarter,

The Finance Committee reported recommending that School Committee capitation grants should be paid on the previous 12 months 1 averageattendance. They estimated the deficit for the currunt year at .£548 6s 6d. The only means of increasing the revenue was under section 5 of the Act of 1901, which gave the Government power in the case of boards having le»s than 8000 children in daily attendance to increase tbe capitation from lis 3d to 12j, and this would only mean an addition of £131,186, They recommended that the increase be applied for. With regard to the question of | re'renchment they suggested cutting 'down dfpartmeutal contingoncifs by £l5O, school liberies £25, training of pupil teachers £l7 16s, making a totil of £330 6< 6d, the increased capitation] b-ingiog the total to £462 5,5. They pointed out that further retrenchment i could be effee'ed by reducing the eapi-1 tatjon grant to committees, but as the question was one *;f vital importance! they suggested further considering it. j Mr Adlum advocated an endeavouri being made to get rid of the piyment of bmk charges ou cc mmittee's ao- { counts, |

The Chairman suggested applying to the Government to Ree if something could not be done to get quit of the charge.

Mr Faull considered that instead ofl reducing the item of departmental con-j tingencies it would be likely to in-! crease, owing to the large increase of j work in the secretary's office. I Mr Wade pointed out that commit-1 tens wore resigning because of insufficiency of funds to carry on with, and he advocated brieging the Board'* financial position to the attention of the D apartment.

It was decided that a latter be sent to the Department calling attention to the state of the Board's finances under the new Act, and that further consideration of the report be postponed until aftor a reply came to hand. A scheme submitted by tbe Inspector for alterations in the staffing of certain schools affected by the recent Act was approved and odopted. ! Consideration of a letter from tbe ' Teko Committee, together with a petition, was postponed till tbe special meeting, fixed for Friday, March 7th. The Lands Transfer Department notified that Grown lands in respect of certain schools had been registered and certificates were ready for delivery on payment of fees. Mr Fiull doubted whether there was a necessity for tbese grants. After referring to the Act it was decided to remit the matter to the Board's solicitor, drawing his attention to the terms of the Act.

A letter wae read from the Superintends of St. Andrews' Sunday School with reference to tbe grant of a holiday on the day of the schoil picnic.—No action was taken, it being considered the matter should be dealt with by the School Committee. I The teacher at Te Hot! wrote relative to the inclusion of that school in | the Board's district consequent on the j change of bounaries.—To be acknowledged. j A report from Miss Heywood, Messrs ! Faull and A'lsworth relative to the conduct sewing examinations was read. It stated that after bearing the vwws of Mtsdames Dowling. Martin and [ Misses Arrow, Hogg, Mills, Bead, : Piggford and Edwards, who were unanimous in desiring that garments be done away with for examination purp~ses, specimens substituted, And the whole of the fixing and sewing to be done by the pupils themselves, /the committee recommended the adoption of that system, and they submitted a syllabus showing the proposed altera* tions.— Report adopted. Consideration of Mr Mackay's report as to the site for the Taihore school was deferred until the speoial meeting in March.

The Teachers' Selection Committee (Messrs Adlam and Allgworth) reported they were of opinion that the neglect to teach sewing, for which no provision was made under the recent Ac*, in schools with an attendance under 41 of which there were 42 out of 67 schooln in the district would be espicially hard on the children, and thsy recommended that in future applications be invited from female teachers only for these gohools, They submitted the Dambu cf candidatLg for vacancies to be forwarded to the committees interested.

After some dis?u>sion the report was amended by the addition of male teachers to the list, and the following names were ordered to be forwarded for selection:—Upland-road (head teacher), Misses W. S. Bain, E. M. Townshend, Margaret Brown, and Mr J. Bailey; Opuaako (assistant), Misses E. M. Townshend and May Simrson ; Dm ham-road (head teacher), Mi<aes Biin, Simpson, E. C. You, Agnes McAllister, Messrs H. H. J. Hill, and J. Thowas.

Mr. Mackay'a report om the Cardiff Grounds wss beld over. The Chairman laid on the table the evidence taken at the inquiry held by him into the assault made by Mr. R. W. Hill on the secretary. Extracts from the evidence were read. On the motion of Mr. Ifade, seconded by Miss Heywood, the eviddnoe was ordered to he sent to the Minister with a recommendation as to dealing with the assailant. I

The secretary was instructed to tike the necessary steps for filling the vacancy oc the Board caused by Mr., Hignett's retirement, j Accounts were passed, and th* Board rose.