EDUCATION BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 309, 24 May 1911, Page 8

EDUCATION BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. The Taranaki Education Board commenced its usual monthly meeting last night. Present: Messrs. Jas. Wade (chairman), G. A. Adlam, J. Young, W. i C. Cargiil, A. H. Halcombe, W. Rogers, I H. Trimble, W. L. Newman, and A. Morton. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. The chairman reported that the Department had granted £230 for the Piko school. This grant was £OO less than the Board's application, and the building would necessarily be reduced in size. The Tututawa, Korito, Kent, Albert, and Egmont Village school committees had been granted leave to reduce the mid-day recess and release their schools at 3 p.m. during the winter months. MANUAL AND TECHNICAL. Mr. F. J. Heatley, technical organiser, reported that at Stratford the bookkeeping and continuation classes were progressing most satisfactorily. The drawing and design class was, however, not -o well attended, but very good work was being done by the students." Wool-classing classes did not seem so popular this year. Classes had been started at Te Wcra and Toko. The best classes would probably be got towards Whangamomona and Kohuratahi if arrangements could be made for the instructor to get out at a reasonable cost. Successful dairy work classes at Ngaere and Midhirst had been started during the month, some thirteen students having been enrolled at Ngaere and fifteen at Midhirst. The Inglewood book-keeping class was carrying on with ten students and the dress-making class had sixteen. He hoped shortly to have a dairy work class there and at Bell Block. In New Plymouth the number 'of students had increased from 79 to 100, ten of these being farmers' sons engaged on the farms and desirous of taking some instruction in surveying, agriculture, dairy work, farm carpentry, and metal work. A commencement was made on May 10th, and the boya evinced great interest in their work. The pupils came from Waitara and New Plymouth. Arrangements had been made so that a piece of ground will be i available for the practical work in agriculture. This ground had been surveyed and laid out by the boys. Mention was made of the possibility of forming a section of senior cadets in connection with the New Plymouth Technical College, in order to prevent undue interference bv drill with the college classes. —Adopted. \ AGRICULTURE IX SCHOOLS.

Mr. R. McK. Morison, instructor in agriculture, reported that he lmd visited 27 schools since March -22 nd. and on the whole satisfactory work was being done. Some of the schools were not up to the mark. Oaonui again stood "right out on its own as by far and away the host." SCHOOL COMMITTEES' ACCOUNTS Mr. P. S. Whitcombc, the secretary, and auditor of the school committees' ccounts, reported that all I lie accounts had been audited but Kina. Masker's, Matiiu, Marco, Okoke. and Piko, These committees had been reminded that their! books had not vet been received. Most <>■' the accounts were carefully kept, bill, as usual, there were, a few that required consideration. THE STRATFORD FIRE, ill". C. D. Sole, chairman of the Stratford committee, wrote requesting that the Board in dealing with the matter of re-building the portion of the Stratford school destroyed by fire, take into consideration the desirability of building in brick, as before long an increase in accommodation it would be necessary to provide for the inclusion of more room in the new building than hitherto available.

The chairman reported that on re-! ceipt of the report of the Stratford lire,' he had held an enquiry, with Messrs. Trimble, Carg.ill. and Morton, and they had come to the conclusion that the fire had been caused by a defective chimney, and was quite accidental. In the discussion on the question of re-erection, it was mentioned that the Minister of Education would lie in tliel district on the 17th prox., and it would be advisable to ask him to visit the site and become fully acquainted with the requirements. Messrs. Cargill, Trimble. Kennedy, and the chairman all supported the proposal that the school should be reerected in brick, and on the motion of Messrs. Cargill nnd Trimble a resolution was carried that the architect be instructed to visit Stratford and confer with the committee and the chief inspector, and draw plans to be submitted to the Board at the next meeting for a new building to replace the destroyed section of the Stratford school, and prepare alternative estimates of the cost in brick and wood.

A further resolution was passed that the Board forward copies of the committee's report and the le'tter from the Stratford District High School committee to the "Minister of Education, with the request that as it is understood that he is visiting Taranaki shortly, that he include Stratford in his visit, w;th the object of meeting the Board to discuss the best policy to lie adopted in re-building the destroyed sections of the Stratford school. NEW SCHOOL WANTED. Settlers on the Waingongoro road, above Cardiff, applied for the erection of a school.—-It was decidetl to ask Mr. Tiogers to visit the locality and make enquiries, reporting t# the next meeting of the Board.