TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 246, 23 February 1911, Page 3

TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Taranaki Education Board was commenced on Tuesday night. Present: Messrs J. Wrtio (chairman), A. Morton, W. L. Kennedy, A. H. Halcombe, W. Rogers, W. C. Cargill. 11. Trimble, J. Young, and G. A. Adlam. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. The chairman reported that since last meeting the following temporary appointments had been made:—Raupuha: Miss Carmichael, teacher, in place.of Mr. A. N. Day, who declined appointment; Stratford: Miss D. Cumberworth, in place of Mrs. Geddcs, and Mr. R. McSparrow in place of Mr. Heatley; Kaimata: Miss Aileen Anderson, assistant, in place of Mrs. Paterson, resigned through illness., At Ngacre he had been unable to supply an assistant in place"of Miss Mills, who was absent through'illness. The Board has the right to appoint five probationers, but owing to so few qualified candidates offering, only the following had been appointed:—Ngaere, Miss Mary Keppe); Oaonui, Miss Kathleen Tobin; Ingle'wood, Milss Mabel Tarry. There were still vacancies at Waitara and Tariki. At Stratford Miss'L. Clemow had been appointed a third vear pupil teacher in place of Mr. Cutl'ibert, who had joined the Wellington Training College—Adopted.

The chairman's action in withholding! for the present the application to the Department for a grant for the erection of a new residence at Lincoln was confirmed. PIKO ROAD SCHOOL. ' The Chief Inspector (Mr. W..A. Ballantyne) reported favorably on the application of settlers on the Piko road for a new school. PUPIL TEACHERS' EXAMINATIONS. Messrs W. A. Ballantyne and R. G. Whetter, inspectors, reported that the marks allotted by the Department for the first examination of pupil teachers had come to hand. In all nine pupil teachers presented themselves for the Junior Civil Service, but only three passed, viz.. first year, Gladys Doyle and Ida Cameron; second year, Elsie Martin. It seemed to them that the'matter required some attention, and they recommended that the regulations be amended. TECHNICAL EDUCATION. Mr. F. J. Heatley, organiser of technical classes, furnished a lengthy report showing that during the past month good progress in organising, visiting schools, etc., had been made.—The report was adopted. The Director of Technical Education was empowered to have a pelton wheel erected at the New Plymouth Technical School, provided that funds are forthcoming. The Board decided that the salaries of superintendents of the technical schools be £5 per annum, with a bonus, to be allocated in proportion to the earnings of the schools.

Mr. J. R. Sullivan was appointed superintendent of the New Plymouth Technical School. The Board considered in committee a report from the Chief Inspector regarding uncertificated teachers.

WEDNESDAY'S SITTING.

There was u full attendance of members when the Board resumed yesterday morning. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. The following teachers were granted leave of absence owing to illness:—-Miss Mills, assistant, Ngaere; Miss Bicheno, sole teacher. Uruti; Mrs. Cameron, sole teacher, llakahu; Mrs. Paterson, assistant, Kaimata. MANGOREI. The Mangorei School Committee wrote asking that its district should be divided so that there should be separate committees for the Upper Mangorei and Lower Mangorei Schools. The Board decided to hold a meeting in the Lower Mangorei School on March 8 for the purpose of dividing the district and electing separate committees, Mr. Morton to represent the Board. PHYSICAL TRAINING.

Major McDonald, Commandant of Cadets, intimated that arrangements would be made for his staff-sergeant instructors to instruct teachers (male and female) in physical drill if the Board desired, and without cost to the Board, provided it would assemble the teachers at suitable centres and at convenient times to fit in with the other duties of the instructors. Classes for female teachers would require to be held at different times to those for male teachers. Major McDonald took the opportunity of suggesting to the Board the desirability of limiting the physical training in schools to free exercises without apparatus. This had been decided with regard to the cadets. The use of apparatus tended to stiffen the limbs rather than to relax them, and it was also costly.

Major -McDonald also stated that any of the Board's male teachers, whether junior cadet officers or not, might attend the annual camp or school for junior cadet officers, and be provisioned free of cost to thf Board or the teachers, if the Board would grant the requisite leave of absence. This could he done, for instance, by the Board granting the teachcrs leave of absence for the first school | week of the year, if the teachers were prepared (o devote the preceding week, the last week of their summer holidays, to the work. There was no objection /to an arrangement being made, if the Board so desired, whereby singing classes, for instance, or perhaps ngricut-. tural or other classes could be 'carried on in conjunction with the military course. In any case, the physical drill classes for male teachers referred to could be done in that way. The second part of the offer was made as the result of representations made by a great many cadet officers, nnd was submitted for the Board's consideration. The matter was referred to the Board's inspectors. IJKI'ITATIOX. Messrs Pearcc (chairman) and Buchanan (secretary) of the Waitara School Committee waited upon the Board with I reference to the erection of two shelter ,sheds. On a previous occasion, when the committee had applied to the Board for a .■£ for C subsidy they were informed that funds were no't available. The committee had refrained from applying until they had a good credit balance, but now that they had £4O in the Savings Bank they approached the Board for a subsidy up to that amount. The school had no shelter shed, but now it was proposed to spend CHO on a building which would be in keeping with the position of the school. It was resolved that an estimate of the. cost of erection of the sheds be prepared by the Board's foreman after conferring with the committee. SI MULTAXEOUS MEF.TIXfiS. Mr. H. A. Parkinson, secretary of the New Zealand Educational Institute, wrote on the matter of a scheme for the appointment and promotion of teachers that shall be uniform in its action throughout the Dominiin. Members of boards were no doubt well'aware that there was a strong and growing demand for something of the kind. Three Education Boards had already instituted schemes of their own, and the conference of boards held last year approved of the principle of such a scheme. The Institute recognised that the question was a very difficult one, but as a preliminary step in the desired direction they asked the sympathetic consideration of boards for

the suggestion that, if possible, the boards should arrange their meetings to . fall within the same wc.'k or ten days of each month. The object of the suggestion was to allow the teachers' oflicial organ, the New Zealand Journal of Education, to publish monthly the list of vacancies throughout the Dominion. At present that could not be done, because the boards met at various dates in ttifc month. Hence it happened that the occurrence of vacancies in one district was unknown to teachers in other districts, whereby not only did teachers lose an opportunity of applying for suitable vacancies, but the boards also had their area of choice for particular appointments greatly restricted.. In the event of the boards agreeing to this suggestion, the Institute would have the vacancies reported regularly in the Journal free ot cost. This would be of great service to the boards as well as to the teachers. Should the Board favorably consider the proposal, Mr. Parkinson said he was further directed to suggest that the second week in each month would be a convenient one to select, so as to bring the meetings approximately together. The Journal would be published on whatever day of the month was most convenient'

The chairman stated that most of the other education boards did meet, he believed, in the first or second week of the month. i It vras decided to hold over the matter until the Board learns -what the other Education Boards' are doing with regard DENBIGH SCHOOL. Mr. Rogers reported on the question of making a track to enable Radnor road children to attend the Denbigh School, The cost of making the track, corduroying swampy places, and bridging the streams would probably he about £75. Something should be done at once to enable the children to attend a public school, as there was a number of chilron on the Radnor road of school age who were not receiving any education at present. Tke report was adopted, the Stratford County Council and tlfe Education Department to be asked to assist in the formation of the track. ACKLAND SCHOOL. Mr. Rogers furnished a report concerning the Ackland school site, regarding which he had been deputed to enquire. There was about seven acres of land which he Considered could be turned to practical purposes. The remainder of the site consisted of a deep ravine and a piece of rough land covered with bush and scrub. He had had pointed out to him the portion, about two acrei, which the settlers wished to retain for school purposes. The remainder of the level land, about five aere3, Mr. Rogers suggested should be leased to the Alidhirst Dairy Company. About five chains of ■ fencing would be required to divide the. two portions.—Adopted. , GENERAL. j The Finance Committee reportod on a '-.number of minor matters at various schools. j It was decided to call for fresh applications for the position of first assistant and special assistant at the Stratford 1 District High School. It was resolved that Messrs Kennedy and Douglas rcpoi t on the purchase of a school %itc at Douglas. Resolved that the inspectors' report on the accommodation of the Piko School be received, and that application be made to the Department for a school.