TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 286, 27 November 1908, Page 4

TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD

Tin- Taranaki Kilurnt.in;i Board met on Tuesday fVt'iiiiiir. and completed its business yesterday morning. Air. Jus. Wade presided. FREE .SCHOOL HOOKS. Tin l Inspectors recommended tliat the Oovcrnmcnt grant for free school bo:iks expended in the purchase of drawing Ijooks, exercise-books, copy-books, slates, etc . Tlic grunt was not sullicieut to provide cvt'ii the initial cost of nil the text books in the classes referred to. The Department evidently did not intend to grant a suflicicnt sum to supply each year a new set of books, but after the first year only -what was sullieicnt to enable th<> Jioard to renew the supply at reasonable intervals, and to met wear and tear.—The report was adopted. LINCOLN 1:0 AD. Eleven parents of children attending the Lincoln lioad school wrote protesting against the contents of a letter signed by the chairman and secretary of the Lincoln lioad .School Committee, ! "Hcging tluit ill's. Kennedy was not j capable of managing the school, and was ill other ways not a suitable teacher. These 'parents stated they were well satisfied with the educational progress made by the. children, and they assured the Hoard that under Mrs. Kennedy s management there was nothing to I ear as to tile manners ami morals of the children. Tliev considered that parents were the most watchml ,'ui 1 the. most impartial judges as to the childrens welfare. They recommended the Board and its inspectors to " be just and fear not," and they would not be disappointed in the teacher. Tims correspondence will be relcrred to the school committee. -STUATI-'OitO SCHOOL.

The Stratford committee wrote that the average, attendance for the year in the primary school committee was certain to be over (2(1, the number necessary for the employment of all extra assistant. They requested that applications for the, position lie invited at once, so that the teacher would be able to join the school when it opened in tile :iew year.

The Jioard decided to call for applications for all positions after receipt of the ipiarterly returns. OA ICQ! A. ilr. I". .). .Morris, chairman of the Oakura committee, wrote that they had no funds to repair the fences, which had been up lor 25 years and needed renewing. Regarding the cleanliness of the school, the building was scrubbed out twice a year. The complaint re need for dusthij.-, etc., has been referred to the teacher. -NEW DISTRICTS.

A petition was received for the constituting ill' a si 1 pa rate school district with a school at the corner of Vork and Derby roads. Two sites were otl'ered. Settlers would assist by working bees ill clearing the laud.—The statutory meeting of householders will lie held oil Dwembrr 7tli.

•Mr. Adlaiii reported having attended a meeting of householders at Puniho. (lie following committee tor the new Puniho school district was elected: .Messrs. \V. (iivenway. A. Wells. 11. Hill, ltoliinson and Cibbons. witli Mr. Wells as chairman. lionndaries were iixed.--Adopted. I'l\AXCIi COMMITTHE. The finance Committee rccom That, the amount ol' I lie technical account as presented by tihe inspector ( C2lt 14s lid) be paid: that repairs at. Warca be referred to the architect for report: (hat the letter of the lluiakama coiuinittee askins for. a subsidy 011 the amount ex]>enileil by them in ground improvement- be referred to Mr. Kennedy inr report: that the matter of a tank for tile l.oiver Kent school lie left in the hands of the chairman; that the ettcr Iroiu the Tataraimaka. commit(ve

l'eipiesting the supply of a tank and some attention to the smoky ehiinney lie relerred to Ihc architect for his report: that the linrlewood eommitlee be subsidised c for ' L up („ U22 (tiif aiiiouiit raised by the committee) for ground improvements, but that the whitewashing of sheds and latrines was for the eommittee to deal -with; that the tender ol hj,. Taylor be accepted for additions to Omala school. IWYITNC SCHOOLS. Tenders for painting were accepted:

Turiki, J. Peterson, £33 IDs; Salisbury, 11. Peterson, £2t>; Albert, 11. 'Peterson, £l2; Kent, 11. Peterson, CI2; Lower Kent, 11. Peterson, £l2; Jitglcwood, 11. Peterson, ,£8 IDs; Tarata, 11. Peterson, £3l; Denbigh, Bellringer Bros., £2l; Tarurutangi, 11. Peterson, XI!) 13s; ' Uuiakama, Bellringer Bros., £35; Alarco 11. Peterson, £31); Bird road, Bellringer Bros., £3!) 15s. LEAVE OK ABSENCE.

Leave of absence, oil account of illness, was granted to lliss Brunton (Central) from Ist to 30th November; and Mr. V. Long (Matau and Purangi), from Kith November to 18th December. Resignations were accepted: Miss N. Amoore, sewing teacher at Tatarailiiaka;; Mr. Coates, teacher at Poliukura. CHRISTMAS VACATION. The Ngaire school will close for summer holidays from lltli December to 18th January) all other schools from December 18tli to January 25th. The next meeting of the Board wili be held on Tuesday, loth December, am Wednesday, 16th December, and tin Board's oilices will be closed from 21U December to lltli Januarv. 1!>09. SCHOOL ISA riis. An application of the Stratford com initlee for a grant of U2(l towards th upkeep of the school baths was referre to the finance Commit I ce. MARC! I,

.Mr. Railey. teacher of the .Mar; tWhaugaiuoniona) .school will be i> formed that the I'onrd will not lequii his services at the Marco s.'hool aft, the end of .human'. liMMi. TARIKI.

The old residence recently occupied by the teacher of the Tariki school will be sold by auction, and portion of the school site naw o:-cupi"d by Mr. Easou will be ollereil ior lease fur 21 years. AM Iit'LANCE CLASSES.

.The Chief Inspector, Mr. Balhintyna reported that 011 the 20th iust. the St. John's Ambulance Association conducted an examination for teachers attending the Saturday classes. Six teachers presented themselves for tile examination, tour of them qualifying for a puss. The secretary of the Association had remarked: "1 am soriy so few teachers took the trouble, to go up for examination, as I think country teachers especially ought to receive great benefit f-.om these classes."-The report was adoptI ed. < ' ARCHITECTS' REPORT. The Hoard* - architects, Messrs. Sanderson and (Irilliths, reported that during the month they had visited the Tikorangi, Turiki, Stanley, Oakura, Bird and Bell Block schools The Tikorangi teacher's residence contract was practically completed. At Tariki the contractors were making good progress, and the contract would be completed before the next Board meeting At the Stanley school doors had been replaced in the! partition dividing the school, which could be opened back against the wall, thus making the two rooms i'.'ito one. With the exception of a few small items the work was completed. With the exceptioa of a few small items tin llahotn contract was also completed. The repairs necessary at tile Bird school had been included in the painting eo 1tract. The tank at the Bell Block' school was being thoroughly cleaned out. New wash-basins were also being installed. The repairs necessary at the Albert road and Tarata schools, and the additions to the porch at Upper Kent .road were being attended to. New fencing was necessary at the Oakura school. The architects had been ad,vised that the painting at the Pihama and Te Kiri schools had been completed, anil the rcpnirfl were being attended to. —'The report was adopted.

PROPOSED AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL. Mr A. Tvrer, headmaster of the Stratford High School, interviewed the Board with reference to a propositi lie had made that an agricultural class should be established in Taranaki. Mr. Tvrer pointed out the-: benefits to be derived from tile establishment of a technical class in connection with the secondary Schools in Taranaki, The most suitable class, would be one in agriculture. He suggested that tile subjects taught should be English, arithmetic, or mathematics, and certain subjects connected wiili agriculture. A thoroughly qualified specialist would ,be absolutely 'necessary.

Mr. Ballantvne, Chief Inspector, .stated that pupils attending such a i class who gained proficiency certificates would earn a Government capitation of ild per hour. This should yi"hl £2O per pupil per annum. It would be necessary to obtain from parents of pupils a. guarantee that their children would complete the course, and at l<-a twenty guarantees would have to hv obtained Pupils obtaining proficiency certificates would be admitted free; others would have lo pay fetes. The matter was referred to the inspectors to investigate and report on. BIRD ROAD TliOl'llLK. The committee (Messrs. Wade, .Morion ;'iiil .Trimble) fif.ppointed by ll U f Board to inquire into the complaints made against Mr. 0. McKenzie, late teacher of the Bird school, aad also into charges made by .Mr. McKenzie us to tile conduct of business liy the school committee, reported as follows: •■The comniiftee proceeded to tile Bird school on Monday. 2nd inst, and thee met the school committee anil Mr McKenzie. Evidence was adduced by the school committee in support of the complaints, and also by Mr. McKenzie. ■Your committee, after having heard the statements made, and nfler carefullv considering the whole matter, is of opinion that the charges made against Mr. McKenzie have not only not been proved, but that there was no reasonable ground for making them. With regard to the complaints as to the conduct of the business by the school committer, there is no doubt that there have been irregularities, but your committee is of opinion that Ihese were partly due to a Jack of thorough acquaintance with the Boards regulations and of the ordinarv methods of conducting business."—'ln'e report was adopted. GENERAL.

the Chicl inspector recommended the. conhrniation .of appointments of Miss Monica l'Wle, and ilr. Wm. Syme, probationer? ai l'itzroy and Ngairc rcspc lively. 1 '

I lie Chief Inspector recommended a "I'l'lii'iliim lo Hie Department for add; t'ons to the Hillsborough school.--Adopted,

I lie Cllie! Inspector recommended in reference to (lie Leppcrton school Unit the plattornis in the infant room be altered and the room re-desked; that hypoplale be placed along one wall; that the recesses in the porches be titled up as cupboards; that the woodwork round the basins in the lavatory be removed, and improvements be made in accordance with modern requirements.—Adopted. The Chief Inspector recommended the erection of a temporary fence at the Rahotn school to divide the horse paddock from tlic agricultural plots.— Adopted. 1

'J he Chief Inspector reported (hat lie had visited K ill:l ro . 1(1 _ Fift( ,,, n ( . )|il( ,. ), all of the hi over fo,,r miles from school, were likclv to attend the pioposed school, and he tile establishment of a. tciiiporarv school on condition that the settlers' find a suitable building.—Adopted. I he Chief Inspector reported thai Mr. \\ better had found the Jfiiiroa school overcrowded, ami lie recommended applying- to the department for rcco.mi-lion.--Adopted. 0

-Accor.VTN. Accounts amm ting t „ C2OSC 13a or[ were passed tor payment.