EDUCATION BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 375, 28 April 1910, Page 7

EDUCATION BOARD.

The Taraiiaki Education Board opened it* usual monthly meeting on Tuesday night. Present: Messrs Jas. Wade (chairman), W. €. Gargill, H. Trimble, Rogers, W. L. Kennedy, A. Morton, G. A. Adlam, and A. H. Ilalcombe. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. The chairman reported that since .last meeting the following appointments had been made:—Huirangi, teacher, Mr. A. Bullions; Waitara, assistant, Miss X. Ford; Inglewood, pupil teacher, Miss M. O'Rorke; Fitzroy, pupil teachers, Missel G. Bayly and E. Craig; Waitara, Master T. H* Partfidge. The following temporary appointments had been made: — Stratford, assistant, Miss M. Vickers; Stanley, head teacher, Mrs. Richmond, and assistant, Miss M. Rodgers; Mangorei Upper, teacher, Miss J. Carmichael. The chairman also reported upon damage caused by the late gale to school properties. The report was adopted, and a. vote of thanks passed to Mr. Bayly for assistance in re-erecting shelter-shed at Omata. ARCHITECTS' REPORT. Messrs Sanderson and Griffiths, architects, reported, inter alia, that the Waitara school additions were now ready for occupation. Good .progress was being made with Ivaimiro additions. Good progress was being made with preliminary work at Frankley, and timber lor the new school was arriving on the ground. A start would be made with Awatuna additions at the end of the month. At Taraba and Newall piles and framing timber were on the site, and both contractors had written that they were making a start with framing this week. At York a start would be made when Ivaimiro was finished. The report was adopted. TRUANCY REPORT.

Mr. Archie Hooker, truant inspector, reported for the quarter ending March 31st. He had issued 5!) non-attendance notices, and personally enquired into the causes of absence of children, sickness being urged as an excuse in the major-1 ity of the oases. Ho had also issued J two notices to send children to j school. In one case there 1 was a satis- j factory excuse, but in the other he legrcttcd he would have to take extreme measures. He was sorry to have no again report that some of the teachers were very careless in preparing tneir monthly 'returns. This would lead to a deal of trouble unless greater care were taken. SATURDAY CLASSES. Mr. W. A. Ballantyne, director of technical education, reported as follows: "I have to report that the 11)10 session of the Saturday classes for teachers was opened at Stratford and New Plymouth on the 23rd inst. The course embraces chemistry, cookery, dairying, agriculture, drawing, cardboard modelling, and education. In most of the classes the attendance so far has been very satisfactory, but in justice to the teachers themselves I think some scheme should be adopted whereby allowance could be I made for attendance at the Saturday classes, when the question of '.promotion is being considered. Unless some steps are taken in this direction there is little incentive offered to teachers to give up their Saturdays to attend at the classes. Attached are a ifew letters which may be taken as samples of excuses made by teachers who are not anxious to better qualify themselves for the profession which they have chosen. If the Board has the power I should certainly like to see these teacheis transferred to the backblocks, and the backblock teachers brought nearer the towns so that they may be given an opportunity of attending the Satmday classes. An innovation has been made in the establishment of a course of woolclassing at Stratford, and the class ,-'O- - to be a great success. On the opening day there was an attendance of thirteen students. The class is conducted by Mr. McGregor, whose services have been kindly placed at our disposal bv the Wanganui Board. If sufficient ! inducement is forthcoming, classes will be formed at an early date at other suitable centres."

| Mr. Cargill emphasised the need foi teachers making more regular attend- ! ances at Saturday classes. He could not ' see how the Board was going to get competent teachers, or to have the children properly educated, unless there was a healthier spirit shown in this matter and a little self-sacrifice on the part of the teachers. He believed in a system of transfer of teachers, so that those teachers who neglected opportunities such as these should be sent to the backblock schools. In regard to the wool-classing classes, it was pointed out that there was likely to be good support at Stratford anu Strathmore, and probably at Inglewood. Mr. Cargill said he had had a busi-ness-like enquiry irom Kaimata, and he had been told that interest had been aroused in the Uruti, Urenui and Strathmore districts. It was practically decided that the organiser of the technical department, when appointed, should work up the classes. KIN A. Messrs Adlam and Young, members of the Board, reported adversely upon the proposal to purchase a school site on the Ivina road, and recommended the Board to obtain the lease of an acre from Mr. N. .Simpson for the balance o! his term (six years) at 2s fid per acre, and to fence it in; and to grant the committee the funds now in hand for the purpose of erecting a porch. FINANCE COMMITTEE'S REPORT. The Finance Committee reported on matters arising out of correspondence received since the previous meeting:— Waitara. —That the school be supplied with 27 new dual desks for the throe upper standards, but the long desks in the infant room cannot be replaced with dual desks as asked for; that the Poard does not supply swing posts; that the application for grates for fireplaces Ije referred to the chairman to make inquiries, and, if he thinks fit, to «ur>piv same; that as the account for plumbing was done without consulting the Board, payment cannot be authorised, biu tue > Board will grant £2. York.—That the application of Hto committee to have a level floor he granted, provided that any additional expense incurred thereby is defrayed by the committee. i

That the application of the Xew Plymouth Sa.=h and Door Co. for the Bonn! to take over sc.hool furniture on hand at present contract price lie accede! to Pukeho.—'That the committee have already been informed that tile Board cannot see its way to apply to tile ment for a grant for a residence.

t Waihi.—That the application for a residence be further considered when tlie new site for the school is decided .11. Midhirst.—That the Board cannot, as requested, erect a washhouse at the residence. Ivina.—That the application for a tank, washbasins, and wire be granted. Fitzroy.—That the committee oe granted £2 for work done at the school, and that the request for cupboards, etc., be acceded to. Mangorei.—That the application of the committee for .a subsidy of £4 for erecting new fence and clearing trees be granted. Tuna.—That the request for a bathroom be referred to the chairman, with power to act. Inglewood.—That the material for a new blind be supplied, and that the matter of a bell-tower, be left in the hand* of the chairman, with power to act. Frankley.—That the chairman be authorised to make a progress payment 0i £25 on the earthwork contract. Punilio.—That the matter of repairs to the school chimney be referred to the chairman, with power to act. Pihama.—That the matter of repairs and improved ventilation, etc.. be referred to the chairman, with power to act. Marco.—That the application for a shelter-shed subsidy be granted. Lepperton.— That the application for grates lie referred to the chairman, with power to act. Tenders. —That the the following tenders be accepted: Inglewood Technical School, IT. George. £405; West End additions, Wallath Bros., £225 10s; Ye Kiri additions, Boon Bros., £24 S.

WEDNESDAY'S BUSINESS. Board resumed its meeting 011 Wednesday morning, when all the members were present. CAPITATION. The Norfolk committee forwarded the fodowing resolution passed at the annual meeting of householders:—"That this meeting of householders protests emphatically -against the (abolition of the grant for special capitation to school committees, and urges upon the Minister of Education the necessity for reinstating the grant as early as possible, as the funds of the committees, which were already too small, -are seriously crippled by its withdrawal." Several other committees forwarded j similar resolutions, and the Board decided to .forward them on to the Min- | ister for his consideration. I ' FITZROY.

> The Fitzroy Committee asjscd the I Board to substitute ail assistant for thetwo .pupil teachers there. It was pointed out by the committee that it was considered inadvisable to bave two firstyear pupil teachers. At present the room of bo-th the headmaster and the infant mistress wer® so crowded as to make it impossible to admit another teacher. This meant that the two pupil teachers would have to be placed in a room by themselves, which would be ver\ v inadvisable. The Board passed a resolution regretting it had no power to accede to the request. RESIGNATIONS. The Board .accepted the resignations of the following teachers:— Miss Eeid. Ivoru; Miss Cowles, Tikorangi; and Mrs. \Yi))ifiin>. I-Tiiiakama. , LEAVE -OE ABSENCE'. .Leave of absence was granted to the following teachers:—Mr. Morgan, Upper Miingorei; Miss C. Weston, Central; Mr. Dyson, Stratford. INCOMPAT ABILITY. The householders' meeting at Raupuha, through its chairman, forwarded a resolution strongly urging the Board to take steps to bring about a change of teacher. The Mahoe trouble was discussed at the same time, and upon the motion of Messrs Trimble ami Morton, it was resolved, That the Malioe and Ranp-uha committees be informed that the Board is now inaugurating a system of allowing the transfer of teachers from one school to another-, and that the matter of transferring the teachers at men schools will be considered as soon as the system can be brought into operation.

GENERAL. A vote of thanks was accorded the High School Board of Governors for their generous donation of £3O towards the funds of the New Plymouth Techni- • cal School. | Mr. C. E. Bacon's name is to be sub- , stituted for that of Mr. Geo. Flux's as J tenant of the Marco school site. The Puniho School Committees will be informed that its account must be kept either in the Bank of New Zealand or in the Post Office Savings Bank. Mr. L. E. Hann, secretary of the Bird Committee, wrote denying the allegation made that the school ground was infested with noxious weeds. The committee, he said, had a certificate from the noxious weeds inspector that the place was exceptionally free from weeds, so that the person who informed the Board originally "told a direct lie."