EDUCATION IN TARANAKI

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 193, 24 November 1910, Page 7

EDUCATION IN TARANAKI

ORGANISING THE TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT. At this month's meeting of the Taranaki Education Board, the Board s organiser of technical classes, Mr. F. J. lleatley, submitted, and explained when required, the following report, in compliance with a resolution of the Boara that he should confer with the Director of Technical Education and submit a report on technical organisation:—"ln accordance with the Board's instructions, I went to the Wanganui district to enquire into the methods, etc., there, acquiring information which may be of service to this Board in organising technical work. I visited the various schools at Wanganui, Palmerston, Hawera and Marton at work, and further, received much useful information from the Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin Boards and technical officials. I ORGANISATION. '"As a result of my trip, I would recommend that the basis of organisation] be that of the Wanganui Education Board, so far as applicable to ou: smaller districts, as follows: "1. A chief director or superintendent, who would have supreme control of the administrative work of primary and technical work, report to the Board monthly, convey the Board's instructions to the organising directorand local directors, and through whom would pass all correspondence with the department, routine work (registers, etc.) and finance. "2. An organising director or supervisor of technical work, who shall superintend all existing classes, organise new classes wherever desirable, attend all meetings of local advisory committees, receive reports therefrom, and embody same in report to the chief director or superintendent, visit primary schools in the district, taking agriculture twice a year, and give special instruction.

"3. Local directors at technical schools, who will be the executive officers of the local technical committees, and will look to the organising director or supervisor for guidance and advice. The local director will present a monthly report to his local committee, and this report on the condition and progress of technical education at his centre shall be forwarded to the supervisor for embodiment in the latter's report to the chief director. He shall 1 keep, as prescribed by the Board, a cash-book, receipt-book, and feeregister, and not later than the third Wednesday in the month shall forward to the board's office the cash-book and receipt-books, properly certified, with a cheque for the amount of cash in hand. A bonus or proportion of the earnings of the school (should there be a credit balance) will be paid to the local director where a separate school is established.

"4. Honorary committees for the management of technical schools. The local committee shall be elected by a meeting of householders, summoned by the Boards' secretary, not later than February 10 ,at centres where a technical school is established. The constitution of the committee shall be: (1) ex officio members—(a) a member of the board for the district; (b) mayor or chairman of town board, chairman of county council, chairman of chamber of commerce, chairman of school ommittee, or any member appointed by these respective bodies to represent them; (c) the headmaster of the district high school or local school: (2) representatives of contributing bodies — (a) representatives of contributing local bodies, one member up to some definite amount; (b) representatives of private subscribers, one member up to some definite amount or fraction of that amount. Provided to carry representation under (b) a pertain minimum amount must be subscribed. Subject to the terms of the regulations and the general control of the Board, the powers and duties of the above committees shold be similar to those of the Wanganui district.

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS. "Being at present stationed at Stratford, 1 have not yet had opportunity of visiting through the district to ascertain exactly the possibility of establishing special classes in dairy work, etc.,* in the various localities, nor ol ascertaining what local instructors would be available for the establishment of such classes as, say, beekeeping, animal husbandry and veterinary science, photography, elocution, electrical work, etc. 1 can, at this stage, recommend only generally some ways in which I think expansion may be made. j "I recommend that an endeavor be made to establish classes at Opunake, I which should be made the centre of a coastal district; (2) that short term classes for creamery hands and farmers be more generally established on the lines already adopted by me at Stratford and Toko; that special one-da y-a-week classes for farmers' sons on thu lines of those in Palmerston be started, if likely to be supported; (4) *hat il suitable instructors are available, definite courses, commercial, rural ana artisan, be started; (5) that the compulsory attendance clauses permitted by the new Act be enforced; (0) that fees should be paid in advance, and that i* the case of starting new classes other than school classes the minimum amount shall be paid into the Board, or some responsible person or persons shall give a written guarantee to pay that amount on the class being started; (7) that a class time-table of each class shall be forwarded to the Board's' office on the commencement of the] class, and also all claims on account of capitation should be sent in not later than a week after the end of each quarter; in case of school classes, or term in case of other classes; (8) that I should visit Opunake district and report to the director the likelihood of expansion in that direction." After some discussion on the report, which was taken clause by clause, it was decided that copies of this report should be circulated among the members of the Board and be fully considered at the next meeting.