EDUCATION BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 28 March 1907, Page 3

EDUCATION BOARD

The Education Board resumed on Wednesday morning, all members beirjg iprc,sent. FRANKLEY ROAD .SCHOOL. 11 was decided to instruct the arch',-, ; toct to put in proper roof ventilators anil two new windows, to paint the school inside and out, the painting to be deferred until the mid-winter holitdav.s, hut the other works to he proceeded with. It was decided to call the attention of tile two commissioners to the need for improvement in tile grounds and' outhouses. RESERVES COMMIT™:. The Reserves Committee recommend(<l, inter alia, that the Board's solicitor be informed that the Board will ac cept Mr Wm. P. Taylor's oiler for the iea.-e of two sections, part of cemetery veservet, at Stratford, for 42 years, the lessee to have the right to surrend.r nt the end of 21 years.—AdoptcU. ST MICHAEL'S SQUARE. The Central Sscool Committee applied for tlnvee and a-lialf acres of S . plid for (luce and a-half acres of St. schoolgrounds, and that the Rnard«rant a £ for £ subsidy lowui'l-. the cost of fencing it oml planting a live hedge. Mr Tisch moved, Hy notice, to resc;n 1 a resolution of February 25th which .1.--

eided to allow (he committee an aero additional, the Board to retain the remaiifder. He was favorable to the •planting of the ropiest for the square was assort of "no nia'al's land" now and the school really needed a larger playground. Mr Trimble seconded. The chairman said 'that with Mr Tisch and the members of the school committee he had inspected the ground. He was convinced that a larger playground was required, and that the present untidy and ill-kept ground would be im-. proved by occupation. His suggestion was that the technical committee should decide on what amount was required for the technical school, and the rest given to the Central school. Mr Faull said there could be no objection to tile ommittee fencing in portion of the Square, but the Board must retain control. The .school could then have the land until it was required by the Board for any other educational purposes. The motion was carried. Mr J!- D- Morison moved that 'the chairman and - Messrs Tisch. and Morton be appointed to meet and confer with delegates from Technical and Central schools' committees for tlife purpose of apportioning 'the land to t'h"*. Central and Technical schools, delegates to understand that the Board reserves powers of resumption at any time. The Teachers' Institute asked for an alteration of the holiday system{ u so that the school year would he divided into throe terms, and the total holidays extended hy one week.

llr Ballantyne explained the desires of the teachers but made no recommendation.—Mr Morton said that from the newspaper report the teacuers did not seem unanimous ou the point themselves.—Mr Kennedy asked if the meeting had been representative of the teachers of the district.—Mr Monkhouse said there was a desire on the part of the hackhlocks teachers to have the summer holdays curtailed and the winter holidays lengthened.—Mr Faull objected to any extension or alteration of the school vacations.—Mr Adlam suggested dealing with applications from individual schools on their merits. —After" further discussion it was decided to take no action.

THE PRANKING PRIVILEGE. Mr W. T. Jennings, in acknowledging receipt of the' Board's protest against the withdrawal of the franking privilege said, "While I am satisfied that some curtailment in various directions was necessary, I cannot see any reason for the wholesale withdrawal. It means a lot of work, and no result. 1 shall gladly support the protest." Mr W. Sym.es forwarded the reply of the Minister of Education on the subject, stating "that the abolition -J the franking system is a matter of 'policy." ADVERTISING. The proprietor of the "Daily New*"' applied for a sfliarc of Ihe Hoard's advertising. 'l'nje chairman mciit'oncd that the Board had decided not to advertise in the "News," but the architect had illformed him that it was nece.-sary tint all contracts should be advertised in both New Plymouth papers, expressing the opinion that it might prove more expensive to leave the "News"than advertise in both. Then a day or two ago he had been approached by the Chief Inspector, who, from his own personal knowledge obtained by travelling about, was very emphatic as to the necessity of advertising the te.-lin ea'j ■classes in the morning journal. Mr Wade said that he had made cn<|uiri.'S himself, and it was ipiite true that the "Daily News" has now a very large country circulation, and was also the popular paper in the districts surrounding New Plymouth. For this reason We favored reverting to the old system ; of advertising in Iwth New Plymouth jiapers, unless the Board would give hint and the ollieers discretionary powers. Mr Faull favored reverting to the old system. Even supposing, ami he »;i 5 not prepared', to admit it, that the "News'' had a smaller circulation 'than its contemporary, thcrp was* no reason why the minority of the newspaper readers saould be deprived of the Board's advertising . Mr Trimble asked what advertising bad been given to the "News" lately. He did not think they had any grievance.

The. chairman: They've had vciv little.

Mr TrimbhJ. Well, they've hail as much as they are entitled to. In answer to Mr Monkhouse, the chairman said that only the architects' advertisements had been given to the "Xews."

Mr Kennedy: And that was contrary to the resolution of the Hoard.

%lv Monkhouse considered n was 100 soon to talk of alteration. The previous resolution, arrived at after some mature consideration, should al least stand for six months.

Mr Morison considered the Hoard had been tinder a misapprehension as to the circulation of the "Xews" when the resolution was passed. At any vale, he had found since Unit its circulation was such as to warrant the rescinding of the previous resolution, with a view to giving the paper a share of the Board's work. Mr Tisch said that he knew of the va>t increase in the daily circulation if the "Xews" since its aeijuisfUon by the present proprietor. The paper was delivered every morning to nearly every dairy factory in thi- district, for distribution to the homes of Settlers. For this reason, he "nelieved the ''Xews" was entitled to a share of the Board's busii'ium, and he gave notice to move Hie rcscisio'n of the November resolution.

AORICI'LTI'RAL CLASSICS. Mr Triiubl.' said lie could not agive with the suggestion of the agr cultural instructor to abolish indivi dual pl')t -vslems, for u had been found in F.ng'laiul Unit wucu the work was carried oui in a common plot a number of children lost all interest in the class. Mr Aillam concurred. At Kalinin, ,lu, said, the individual had been most succes-ful, inducing a spirit ol emulation amongst the pupils. Mr J. 1). Morisou thought the suggestion of I lie instructor was a goO.l one, for ellicient instruction was more easily given at the common plot than i" tile individual plots, anil the common plot was sull'ering from the individual plots. Mr llallaniyne, Chief Inspector, whilst allowing Unit the spirit of rival-' ry was conducive to the interest of tlie children, said lie agreed wilh the instructor's suggestion. lie suggested a compromise by having large plots allotted to several pupils. Mr Trimble thought it would lie almost fatal to do away with the pupil.;' pride in Hie work. Mr Monkliouse thought that whilst work in the individual plots might he of little value educationally as far as horticulture was concerned, they were rf groat value in creating and sustaining interest. He thought that the Board should not act on the report until tlicv had some, further information. TWs course yrm adopted,

LEPARTMENTAL.

The Hetoetary for (IWnsßit'on wrote , that the Minister could not see his way , to make a grant for enlarging 'thej ' teachers' residences at Cardiff and EahoHi. Tile Department notified that a grant of .CM7 5s would be available for the West End school additions and providing necessary furniture. A circular letter concerning the payment of salary to teachers and the matter oE exchanges on cheques wis read, .the Department suggesting th.it the payments might be made through tin; post office. Mr Monkhouso moved, Mr Morison seconded, and it was resolved, "That In replv to the circular the Government be informed that there is considerable dissatisfaction aiming (he teachers on account of their being called upon to pay exchange on cheques issued for salaries and that while the Board are anxious to co-operate in any suggested method of removing this grievance, tney would respectfully suggest that a very ready and convenient method would he for. the (iovernnien't to make similar arrangements in regard to cheques paid to teachers as .are made for Public Works Department cheques, so thai cheques may be issued from (lie Board's branch of the Bank of New Zealand, payable free of exchange at the local i branch nearest (o the teacher's resil- ! elite." f The Education Department forward- ( cd authority for the payment of £52 I os to cover the cost of architect's fees iu connection with the erection of the Stratford Technical school. GENERAL. It was decided to make an application to the Department for a grant for the ' fencing of (he New Plymouth Technical ■ school si(e.

A subsidy of £ or £, tip to £7 10s, will lie granted to the Koru school committee for the erection of a shelter shed.

The, Kolmratnhi school committee forwarded, with favorable recommendation, the application of Mr McCarthy for 2s a week for use of his room used as a school.—Granted. ACCOUNTS.

Accounts amounting to £2BOB Kis flu, of which £1.395 Is 4d was for teachers 1 aalaijies, were passed.