EDUCATION BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 92, 27 July 1910, Page 4

EDUCATION BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Taranaki Education Board met last night. Present: ilessrs. J»is. Wade (cluiiiman), (i. A. Adlam, J. Young, VV. C. Oargill, 11. Trimble, W. Rogers, A. H. Ha-combe, W. L. Kennedy and A. ilorton. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. The clmirnmn's report stated that Mrs. Warner, of llaupuha, had been appointed to the charge of the lvoru school, and Mr. Turkingtou, of Ma hoe, headmaster of Huiakama school. Temporary appointments had been made as follows: Huiakama, Miss Black and Miss 1). Hoby; Kaimiro, Miss Ballantyne, to the 17th mst., and Miss Carmicliael trom then to the end of the month; Rahotu, Miss Ballantyne, from 18th to the end «f July; Purangi, Mrs. Farnham; Matau, Air. Scammell; Upper Mangorei, Miss Mackay; Ratapiko, Alias V. Mills; Waihi, Aliss M. lliuldrell; Tikorangl, Aliss E. Mace; Alahoe, Miss B. Black, Irani August 1; llaupuha, Miss Vickers. He recommended that 'Mr. P. J. Eggleston be appointed temporary teacher at the Okau-Tongaporutu schools, owing to the resignation of Air. Arinitflge through ill-health. Owing to a difficulty having arisen in the organisation of stall's at Fitzroy and West End, he had transferred Miss Bayly (pupil teacner) and Air. Mackie (probationer) from Fitzroy to West End, and Aliss McGregor (pupil teacher) from West End to Fitzroy. All's. Warner having been appointed to Koru school, he had instructed the overseer to have the resrdence repaired.—Adopted.

ARCHITECTS' REPORTS. Messrs. Sanderson and Griffiths, the Board's architects, reported that the contract for the Inglewood Technical School was now complete, with the exception of blinds and touching-up painting, and same will be attended to the first fine day; an inspection will be made immediately afterwairds. Contracts at Awakino, Te Kiri, York and Newall were practically completed, and the Wert End additions would be completed in about a week's time. Work at the Tarata residence would be resumed this week, weather permitting. The contractor had resumed work at Frankley. The school was now boarded in, and would be ready for roof this week. The Kaimiro school would be again inspected before certificate was issued, which would be required next week. The contractor had in hand the additions to Stratford District High School. A letter was received from the contractor for the Stratford additions, offering to erect at oft. by Bft. porch for £33.

The architects considered- the price altogether too high. It was decided to apply to the Department for £32 for the porch. TRUANCY. Mr. A. Hooker, truant inspector, in iliis quarterly report, said he had posted ninety final notices to parents to send children regularly to school, and six notices to parents to send their children to a school. He hod had to take extreme measures in the case of nineteen parents in respect of twenty-two children for failing to attend school regularly, the fines amounting to £4 18». For the past two months the attendance at the country schools had fallen off a great deal on account of the continuous wet weather and a great deal of sickness, and in some instances through bad roads. AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTOR.

Mr. W. A. Ballarvtyne, Director of Technical Education, recommended that Mr. R. McK. Morison be appointed instructor for a further period on the term? agreed upon for the past year.— Adopted. THE TECHNICAL ORGANISER. It was decided that Mr. F. J. Heatley should take up his duties as organiser of the technical department as from February 1, 1911, and thus not interfere with his scheme of work set in connection with the secondary department of the Stratford District High School. The chairman was empowered to arrange for Mr. Heatley to visit Wanganui in connection with the duties of his new position. CADET OFFICERS' INSTRUCTION. Major S.andford, o£. No. 1 Battalion of Junior Cadets, reported that great interest was being taken in the cudet officers' school of instruction, and a iarge number of the officers were attending the lectures regularly. He therefore suggested that it was advisable to have a battalion parade, so that an afternoon might be devoted to practical work for those who intended to sit for their examination and certificate as officers of the cadet force. He suggested the last week in September. lihe Board approved the suggestion, but the parade will be held during the third week, to avoid the term holidays. TEACHERS' CLASSIFICATION.

Mr. R. L. Mcllroy, secretary of the Taranaki branch of the Teachers' Institute, wrote: "As a great deal ot dissatisfaction and disappointment exists among the teachers of the Taranaki district in connection with tiie classincation and promotion scheme drawn up by the inspectors, the executive of the Teachers' Institute would be glad if you could delay your endorsement of the scheme until an opportunity has been given to discuss the matter with your Board. Many of our teachers feel that the low estimate of their qualifications, shown by the inspectors' marks, handicaps them in comparison with those who have been more liberally treated m other parts of the Dominion; and in the event of a promotion scheme becoming general throughout the Dominion, they will be placed at a disadvantage a7id be looked upon as inferior to teachers in other districts. This inpriority they are not prepared to admit. There is also a strong impression that the academic attainments required for certain schools is much too high, debarring teachers in this district from being eligible for the head teachership of our j larger schools. Success in any profession depends, not so much on academic I standing as on professional skill. The executive would be glad to discuss I these ;>nd other matters with the Board ! a t your August meeting."

Mr. Morton said that if it were a fact tihat the points awarded here were lower than in other districts, it was uhfair to teachers.

Mr. Cargill snid tlhat he had gone rate the matter, and tihe classification here was about 10 per cent, higher than in the Wangnnui district. It was decided to receive the deputation as requested.