TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 304, 20 June 1912, Page 6

TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Taranaki Education Board was opened at New Plymouth on Tuesday night, when there were present: Messrs. H. Trimble (chairman), A. Morton, W. McL. Kennedy, A. H. Halcombe, G. Rogers, R. Masters, J. Young, G. A. Adlam, and Rev. Bradbury. The returning officer announced the .result of the recent election, whereby the Rev. Bradbury had been returned to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of' the Rev. John McArthur. The chairman in moving its adoption, cordially welcomed the Rev. Bradbury to the Board's table, stating that he felt sure the latter would prove a worthy successor to the Rev. McArthur. He also remarked that the election disproved the statement that had been made in some quarters that it was impossible for New Plymouth to get representation on the Board. Mr. Morton, in seconding the motion, said that he was pleased, not only from the personality of the Rev. Mr. Bradbury, but because he practically represented the New Plymouth school committees, and he felt sure 'that his election would do a lot to reduce the feeling that sometimes existed between the committees and the Board. He felt certain that in" a short time the Rev. Bradbury would be convinced that the Ccnj tral School Committee received absolutely fair treatment in all matters over which the Board had jurisdiction.

RAHOTU REQUIREMENTS,

Mr. Jas. Young reported on the request of the Rahotu School Committee for assistance in renewing the fencfhg, and ploughing and grassing the horse paddock. Fencing to the value of £l7 10s was urgently required, of which the Board's .share would be roughly £7, and he recommended that this amount should be granted if the work were done to the satisfaction of the Board. The request for a grant towards the ploughing of the horse paddock opened) up a very wide question, and he had no recommendation to make in this direction, as he considered it unwise to form a precedent in the present instance unless the Board was prepared to make a grant in all similar cases. He also recommended that a new tank be secured and also wire netting for fencing the children's agricultural plot. j The Teport was adopted, and it was also resolved that the School Committee be subsidised £ for £ towards ploughing and grassing the school grounds. ' TECHNICAL ORGANISER. Mr. Heatley, technical organiser, reported that the winter session commenced with about the same number as the first session. New students were enrolling for the various classes, especiallv dressmaking. The promised alteration in the cadet drill night had yet to be made. This would allow students who wished to take book-keeping to do so. Several cadets had been transferred to the Territorials, and as this necessitated a change of one night, he asked the Board to suggest to the authorities that these cadets should be allowed to drill with the cadets if they wished, ami thus be enabled to keep at their studies. Owing to the exertion of the ladies' committee convened shortly after the first session commenced, a successful social function was held on June 12. Thanks were due to all who helped, in time and donations, to make it a suceests. The millinery class at Waitara had begun. At Inglewood the first-aid class was going- on, as were also the woodwork and cookery classes. At Tariki, the first term in millinery had finished and students were enrolling for a second term. Arrangements had been made to send out sewing machines to' Ngaere and Toko. At Cardiff a successful class was current. During the month lie had visited the Urenui district, Okato, Puniho, Warea, Oaonui, Rahotu, Opunake, Pi•hama and Awatuna, for the purpose of assisting the teachers in agriculture. The organiser's report was received. It was also resolved, on the motion of Messrs Kennedy, and Morton, that the Defence Department be asked to allow those cadets who had recently been drafted into the Territorials to continue to dlrill with the cadets until their term of study at the Technical College was completed and to allow the drill night for the cadets to be altered to Thursday.

| TECHNICAL DIRECTOR. | Mr, W. A. Ballantyne (technical director) recommended that the sum of £ls 10s 6d be paid to Mr. D. Iv. Hutton, instructor of the art classes at New Plymouth. The Department, he reported, had approved of a grant of £2O towards the extension of the plumbing room at the New Plymouth Technical College, and he had, therefore, instructed Mr. Sandford to proceed with the work. A grant of £35 2s had also been I approved in aid of additional equipment for school woodwork classes at New Plymouth and Stratford. The report was received and adopted. SCHOOL ACCOMMODATION. Mr. W. A. Ballantyne, chief inspector, reported! on the application of the following schools for increased accommodation: Tikorangi Sclio)! —He could not recommend that the committee's request for a new class room should be acceded to, as at present there were 75 children on the roll, and the floor space would accommodate 94. 'He was, however, of opinion that the room should be divided by a curtain, and that the porches should be extended and lavatory accommodation provided. Several other matters required attention, which come within the province of the Board's overseer, who should pay a visit to the school.— The overseer is to be instructed) to erect the curtain and attend to necessary repairs and also to prepare plans and estimates before next meeting for the extension of the porch and lavatories. Omata—The present building provided accommodation for at most 88 children, whereas there were now 94 on the roll, with a likelihood of increase in the near future, and he therefore recommended that application should be made to the Department for an addition. As the Omata school would probably be entitled to an extra teacher next year, he considered that a sliding partition should be provided—The overseer will be instructed to prepare plans, and application will be made to the Department for a grant.

RADNOR SCHOOL, Mr. Rogers reported on the boundaries of tho proposed Radnor school district, as set out by a meeting of householders on June 13. The following committee was also appointed:—Messrs Askew Keiglitley (chairman), J. Vicars, F. B. Taylor, C. Crowe and R. Nelson. The report was received, and it was resolved that a copy of the boundaries recommended should be forwarded to those committees interested, and that they be asked if they had any objections to raise. LAY READERS' CONFERENCE. Rev. Houchen wrote that, being under the impression that there would be school holidays at the end of this month, lie had arranged a lay readers' conference at Inglewood and New Plymouth. As he now learnt that these holidays had been abandoned, he asked the Board's favorable consideration if certain school teachers asked for leave on that week. Mr. J. L. Pennington, Okau, who applied for leave to close his school in June instead of August, was granted the

necessary permission provided his school! committee were agreeable to the altera- J tion. ' GENERAL. ' Mr. W. E.» Richardson, who is leaving Tnglewoodi to take up his residence near Auckland, applied to have his son's scholarship transferred to the Auckland district, so that he could attend the Auckland College and Grammar School. Agreed to. The Bell Block Committee were granted permission to close the school at 3 p.m. during the winler months, with only half an hour for the midday recess. The application of the Waitui School Committee for an addition to their school ground was left in the hands of the chairman to enquire into and report. Mr. A. 11. Halcombe was authorised to arrange for the laying out of the Piko school grounds.

YESTERDAY'S SITTING. The Education Board resumed its meeting yesterday morning, when all the members were present, with the exception of Mr. Rogers. OVERSEER'S REPORT. Mr. Chas. H. Moore (overseer) reported that the erection of the new school and residence at Pukearuhe were well under way, although tlie weather had been very unfavorable. He had visited Musker's school, and suggested that a small porch, about 10ft by 6ft, be erected and! better ventilation provided in the class room, at a cost of £ls. Mr. Musker's estimate of the value of the building (£4O) was ren-onable. To do the work necessary .t Tikorangi would cost at least £7O or £BO, but as the building was over 30 years old and very inconvenient in design he suggested that it would not be worth while spending this amount on it. At FiTzroy a consider-! able amount of repairs were being exe-' 1 cuted, including the erection of new outoffices for the boys. ; The report was received and adopted, and the overseer was instructed to supply a stove and erect it at the Radlnor school; to supply a tank at Rowan; to have chimneys of the residence at the Central school attended to; to attend to necessary repairs at Cardiff, Bell Block and Kent road; and to prepare plans for the enlargement of porches at Tikorangi. APPOINTMENTS. Miss Henderson was appointed assistant at the Central School, and Miss A. Lewis, teacher, at Dudley, was granted | leave of absence owing to illness., Miss Wyllie's resignation of her position as assistant at the Oaonui School was accepted. It was resolved that the Ilurimoana School be declared a full-time school from July 1, 1912, and that Miss S. M. Browne be appointed temporary teacher. | TARURUTANGI SCHOOL MATTERS. A deputation from Tarurutangi, consisting of Messrs A, Street, F. Bishop. J. Giddy, R. Street, E. Marsh and G. Giddy, waitedl on the Board on matters in connection with the Tarurutangi school. Mr. A. Streetacted as spokesman, and asked that the school teacher should be transferred to another school. They also I pointed out that the ground available f for school purposes was one acre, of | which a portion was utilised for the ! school teacher's garden. It was danger- | ous for the fifty or so children to play I in the playground, where five horses, | on which the children rode to school, ! were also running. They had taken j steps to curtail the garden, which, howI ever, were objected to. I The chairman pointed out that if the I ground were not large enough it was the I duty of the committee to apply to the I Board, who would endeavor to secure j more ground; The deputation, who were given considerable latitudle, occupied a good deal of the Board's time. Some of the members, who became rather heated, had to I be called to order. , After the deputation had retired it i was resolved, on the motion of Mr. Adlam, seconded by the chairman, that after hearing the deputation the Board failed) to see reason to alter the resolution carried at its last meeting with reference to the transfer of the teacher at Tarurutangi. GENERAL.

Mr. J. J. Chapman, chairman of the | Tongaporutu School Committee, notified i that the hall trustees would not pay half I cost of erecting a chimney, as it was ex- | pressly stipulated, when leasing the hall, i that any alterations required should be [ carried out by the Board. He therefore \ requested the Board to send a stove, as [ both teacher and parents were eomplain--1 ing of the e.oldtaess of the hall. The secretary'of the Lepperton School Committee notified that they had raised the sum of £8 towards improving the appearance of the school grounds, and asked the Board to subsidise this £ for £. The Board resolved to subsidise the committee up to £6, the cost <>f topping the pines to be wholly borne by the committee. The Omata School Committee pointed : out that they had raised! £ls 10s towards improving the school grounds. Included in this was cementing the floor of the shed, which had not set, and would require renewing. They asked for a grant of £4 towards this. —Agreed to. The question of repairing fences at Waiongona was referred to the chairman, with power to act. It was resolved to pay for repairs to windows at Cardiff. The Board resolved to pay cost of removing and repairing out-offices at Lincoln road, not to exceed £3. The application from the Mangahume Committee for a new range was referred 1 to the committee for further information. It was also resolved to grant the Pukearuhe Committee's request for hedge plants, shelter trees and protective fencing at the new school. It was resolved to grant the Toko School Committee the sum of 3fls towardis the repairs to their school fence. The Board resolved to pay half the cost of the fence asked for by'the Urenui Committee. The Education Department wrote, approving of the transfer of the tenure of Miss Doris A. Lawn's Junior National Scholarship from the New Plymouth High School to the Girls' High School, Wanganui. The Board will take steps to acquire two acres for a school site at Oco under the Public Works Act.