EDUCATION BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 264, 15 December 1909, Page 4

EDUCATION BOARD.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Education Board was held last night. Present: Messrs Jae. Wade (chairmau), G. A. Adlam. J. D. Morison, 11. Trimble, W. Rogers, W, L Kennedy, A. Morton and J. Young.

FINANCE COMMITTEE. The Finance Committee's report cm matters arising out of the correspondence was read, the recommendations l>eing—That the Board provide materi.il if the committee provides labor for painting fence in front of Tariki re.-il-ence; that tile application of the Stratford Committee for au extra partition in the infant room he referred to the Inspector to report upon, and that tlie lavatory basins be renewed during Llie holidays; that requested repairs to lavatory at Norfolk be referred to the ch.iirman; that necessary blinds be provided at Puiiiwhakau; and that the committee he requested to see that the drain pipes arc properly covered to prevent their being broken; that the necessary blinds and rollers be supplied to Tut.itawa; that the matter of protecting the lower part of the Toko school building from encroaching eartli be referred lo Mr. Kennedy with power to act, and that the making of the necessary repairs be referred to the chairman, with power to act; thai the application of the Puniho Committee for new desks •if referred to the Inspector to supply them; that the letter of the Waiti-a Committee in regard to new out-offices be referred to the chairman, with power to act, and that the matter of Ventilation he held over pending the making of additions to the school; that the matter of painting the interior of the Matau school be favorably considered when tenders are next called fur painting; that the Board pay £3 towards the eost of removing the 0.n,offices at Kahui; that the Rahotu Committee be informed that the Board will supply a new pump and gate, the committee to erect the same, and that the Board will contribute £ for £ towards the cost of making improvements to grounds and fencing, and that the whole of the matters be referred to Mr. Young, with power to act; that the Lepperton Committee be advised, that the well at the school should be filled in; that the chairman's action in paying the sum of £45 to the Stratford School Committee fa account of the erection of shelter

ihed on 13th May, 1909, be confirmed, but that the £8 13s 5d disallowed by the Department on subsidy of £6O lis be deducted from moneys payable to the committee; and the Board regrets that the committee has again included money received from the swimming baths, which the Department disallows in granting subsidy; that the architect's new schedule of charges be adopted; that the sum of £2 due by the Fitzrcy Committee to the Borough Council lor water-rate be paid.—The report was received and adopted.

DRAFT REGULATIONS. The Board's inspectors reported upon the correspondence which had passed oetween the Education Department and the Board with regard to the reg'tla,uuu* ior the employment of probationers drawn up by the inspectors. As etc Board had repeatedly amended the dr.ut of its regulations iu order to meet ths wishes ot the Department, which unfortunately had apparently not yet arrived at any finality as to the nature and extent of the regulations to be adoptsJ, and as the Board would probably be called upon to continue to make amendments the inspectors recommended that the Board should decline to draw up duy regulations and throw the onus of doing so on the Department. —The report was adopted.

OKAU SCHOOL. Mr. W. H. Foreman, of Okau, applied on behalf of the residents for a fulltime school at Okau.—Lpon the motion of Messrs Adlam auo. Rogers, it .was decided to allow the matter to staui over "pending developments." THE YORK SCHOOL. Mr. M. F. Ryan, secretary of the York School Committee, wrote that owing to tne attitude ot the Education Department in refusing to grant money fo build a new school on the York road, the committee, with the approval of the parents of the children, most emphatically protested against the intention of the Education Department in proposing to open up the Derby road to the Den bigh roao school. They considered sued an undertaking would be a waste of public money, as the Denbigh school would be ofno use to them, being t"o far away for the young children. fo revert to the old state of affairs would mean that the young children wouid have to stay at home, and none of the older children would attend the Denbigh school. They were prepared to go on with school in the same cottage as now, as the owner was willing to let the Board have the use of it, and, having got a school, they intended to stick to it. They had sent a petition to the Minister of Education explaining their position, and protesting against opening up the Derby road, for the settlers did not require it as they already had frontages to their properties. Tln>y had also informed him that they were prepared to go on as usual, holding the 6chool in the same cottage for a further term. The committee hoped the Boar.i would back up the application, for they asked only what was just and fair. The letter reiterated that a school would le required there always, as the population was increasing, and there were 31 children on the school roll now, and more were expected after the holidays. The Board would thus see what an injustice it would be to the settlers to close this school. It wag pointed out that the committee and of the cottage had assured the Board that the pottage would no longer be available as a schoolroom, and the Board had used this argument in making application for the erection of a new school. Thus the Boar.i was placed in a peculiar position. The letter will be acknowledged.

GENERAL. It was decided to allow the working overseer Christmas holidays from 24th December to January 4th. The chairman of the Purangi Commit, tec asked that the school be made a full-time school instead of a half-time school.—To be referred again to the committees interested with an explanation of the disadvantages of the proposal, particularly in that there >vas little probability of securing a teacher with such excellent qualifications as Wr. Long, who now teaches the Purangi sad llatau schools. Mrs. Harrison, teacher at Pungarelm, asked, with the consent of her committee, t« be allowed to take two consecutive weeks' holiday in midwinter instead of a week at each of two different peiinds, in order to allow of her taking a trip to the South Island with her husiisiml during his "off" season.—The application was granted. The Board adjourned until this morning.