TARANAKI EDUCATION DISTRICT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 80, 30 April 1909, Page 3

TARANAKI EDUCATION DISTRICT

THE ANNUAL REPORT. The following is the text of the annual report of tile chairman, Mr. James Wade, upon the work of the Education Board iu l'.)08:—"At tile begmnin.r of the year the Board was comprisec? of the following members: Messrs. .lames 'Wade (chairman), G. A. Adlnin, llenrv *aull, \V. L. Kennedy, J. ]). Morison, Arthur Morton, William Monkliouse. Harold Trimble, and Gustave Tiseh. In the terms of the Education Act, 1!)I)S. the following members retired, and offered themselves for reflection at the election held on the fourth Monday in duly, and were elected unopposed: North ward, Henry Faull; east ward, W. Rogers; west ward, James Wade.

! ''■ At the meeting liold on August 2."i Mr. James Wade was re-elected chairman; Messrs. Adhun, Morison. and Irimble, members of the Teachers' Selection Committee; Messrs. Kennedy Morton, and Tisch, members of the Finance Committee; iiessis. Faull and Morison, members of the Reserves Committee; Messrs. Tisch and Wade.'members of the Technical Committee. The chairman to be ex-ofl'icio member of each committee. "The Board held 24 meetings, the Finance Committee 12, and the Teat-'ners' Selection Committee (i. The Reserves Committee visited a number of the school sites and furnished reports for most meetings. "Xew schools have been opened at Masker's, Piko, Okau, and York, and the Pohokura School was re-opened. At the end of the year there were S8 schools open, including six half-time schools, and tile number of teachers was 152. who

were graded as follows—Sole teachers, 42 female and 14 male; head teachers! C female and 23 male; assistants, 311 female-and 0 male; pupil teachers, II) female and 3 male.

•'At the annual pupil teachers' examination 8 pupil teachers entered for the first examination; (I passed and 2 failed.

' r Of the senior candidates for ;tiiie Board's scholarships 20 qualified, and the junior 2S. iSenior scholarships were awarded to four candidates from the New Plymouth High School, and two

from the Stratford District High School* I and junior scholarships to—Frunklev 1, Waitara 1, Toko 1, Omntu 1, and 6pu-J nake 1.

"The two National Scholarships allotted for the district were won by Alice Cocker, from West End, and Philip H, Goss, from Douglas. "There have been 20 appointments made during the year, besides those of a temporary nature, and appointments of pupil teachers. Eight teachers from other districts received appointments; nine teachers in the service of the Board received promotion. "New schools have been erected at Okau, Purangi, and Pukeho, and the Omata, Eahotu, and Stanley and Lincoln have been enlarged. The old residences at Tariki and Tikorangi have been replaced by new ones, the Hillsborough residence has been enlarged, and new residences erected at Makahu and Urutu

"The receipts of the Board from all sources amounted to £31,855 3s Id, while the expenditure was as follows: Administration, £4344 14s 6d; teachers' salaries and allowances, £18,794 12s Id; secondary education, £1069 9s; manual and technical, £1597 17s Gd; buildings, £4285 2s 2d,leaving a balance of £IOB4 14s 2d.

"In the majority of our schools physical exercises are taken daily, with a more extended period for instruction once a week. In the larger schools cadet corps have been established, and these are formed into two battalions, No. 1 comprising the schools in the northern part of the district, and No, 2 those in foe southern.

It is very gratifying to be able to state that, so far as this district Is concerned, the maintenance grant has proved ample to meet all requirements as, in the opinion of; the Board, the AuditorGeneral will approve.

"Teachers' Residences and Rent Allowances.—l must again state that tnis Board considers these regulations very unsatisfactory. It certainly does not seem fair or reasonable that a teacher should be deprived of rent allowance because there happens to be a mere ihovel or even a whare provided in the past, while a teacher in perhaps a same grade school, but in a favored locality, enjoys a comfortable residence, or in lieu thereof full rent allowance. "Elementary handwork was taken, at 4(i schools, and sewing under the manual regulations at 7. , In addition to the above, manual work, as defined by Clauses 22-27 of the Regulations of Manual and Technical Instruction was recognised in 84 eases, the subjects embracing woodwork, cookery, botany, dairying, advanced needlework, elementary agriculture, swimming and life-sav-ing, physical measurements, chemistry, and elementary physiology. considerable progress has been, made in technical education, especially agriculture. "Owing to the lack of sufficient accommodation and a strong ro«ni in which the records could safely lie kept, the Board considered the time had come when new offices were absolutely necessary. Substantial offices with every convenience have therefore been erected on the Board's own property at Sfe. Michael's Square."