TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, 24 May 1917, Page 2

TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Taranaki Education Hoard was held yesterday. Present: Messrs 11. Trimble (voted to the chair), K. Dixon, 0. A. Wilkinson, M.P., I*. J. 11. White, S. G. Smith. Leave pf absence was granted to the chairman, Mr. R. Masters, called to Wellington on urgent business. TEMPORARY APPOINTMENTS. The chairman reported that since last meeting the following temporary appointments were made:—Upper Mangorei, Miss D. Brown, sole teacher; Okaiawa, Miss E. Branley, assistant; Huirangi, Miss M. Blewman; Riverlea, Miss M. Fenton, assistant; Ptirangi, Miss E. Tiplady, sole teacher; Ackland, Miss M. Death, sole teacher; Okaiawa, Miss R. Hason, assistant; Bird, Miss' M. Holbrook, head teacher; Central, Mrs. A. Waters, assistant; Waitara, Miss R. Eason, assistant; Oeo, Miss J. Hyndman, sole teacher; Okaiawa, Mrs. M. Eggers, head teacher. The report was adopted. TRUANT? INSPECTOR'S REPORT. Mr. H. T. Ainsworth, truant inspector, reported that he had visited thirteen tchools during the month. It was r> very wet day when he visited the Peton* road school tut every scholar was present. The country schools generally had good attendances. The Ptagarehu school was not satisfactory, and he lial Sent notices to the parents but they had not had the desired effect. He had also sent over 83 notices to parents, a large proportion being to parents of pupils attending the technical college. The report was adopted, and it :was decided to review the whole position with regard to truancy before the annual meeting of the Board. • FINANCE COMMITTEE'S REPORT.

The finance committee recommended as follows in the question of annual holidays for the outisde permanent staff:—Overseer, three -Weeks; foreman of workshops, two weeks; other members of staff one week; all to be in addition to the visual statutory holidays, and to commence after twelve months' service. I The report was adopted. OVERSEER'S REPORT.

The reporb of the overseer, Mr. C. H. Moore, was as follows: — Pukengahu new school. —Owing to the contractor being called up for military service he wrote asking to ha relieved of his contract and t'he' lioard to take over any material already ordered in re spect .thereof. As instructed we complied ' With this and I have put on a gang 'of our own men and the iwork is well on. The settlers interested formed a working bee and have been a great help to us in many \vays. They have stumped the remaining part of the section and fenced the whole of the site. I have authorised the wire asked for to enable this to be done. The committee wish to have a part folding partition between the two rooms and are willing to pay up to £l2 to have this erected. I would recommend this be acceded to, as these partitions are . a great convenience both to schools and districts.

Te Roti.—The general renovating of both school and residence has received attention. At the request of the committee we put in a wooden floor in the shelter shed instead of concrete, the committee to pay for labor. ICaponga.—Tho general repairs and painting at school and residence are completed. Riverlea.—Tho general renovating at this school and residence is also receiving attention. We have built a new shelter shed, the committee agreeing tj pay the usual amount of the cost. Opunake.—As instructed grates have been placed in the school. In regard to the pump, I would recommend the matter to be held over. The present pump is certainly beyond repair but there is no necessity to replace' it at present. Oeo.—As'instructed 'I have visited this school and gone into the matter of the shelter fence." The committee have erected this boarded fence at their own expense. The position of the shelter fhed is too far away and when the matter of ownership is settlfed I should respectfully recommend that shed be removed nearer to the School. I understand that the committee will go into this matter.

Xfawera —With the, headmaster I went into the matter of space at the Hawera District High School and measured each olaas room carefully. After deducting 444 feet (which is absolutely necessary owing to the built-in cupboards and chimney breasts projecting into all class rooms and fixed benches in scienco room) the correct area is 7100 square, feet. As to tlie Hawera Technical School I have the matter of removing lavatory basins under consideration and will report later on same. # Otakelio. —I propose to start the additions and other work at this school during the week's holiday. It will be necessary to take the local hall for a fortnight besides; this matter I understand can be arranged. Amongst other matters my attention was drawn to the size of the shelter sheds and the position of same. The sheds are only 10 x 10 and there are about lt!lf> children on the roll; whilst carrying out the other work I would recommend those sheds be enlarged and placed in a better position. No doubt the committee will help towards the cost. Stanley.—At the committee's request I met several of the at the school and went into the matter of improvements to the ground round about the school building. As a result it was agreed to fill up parts and form a concrete path all round the school. Tlie committee liave raised funds and will form a working bee. I agreed on behalf of the board to take out a man for two days and help the work throiich. Whilst on this matter I would respectfully suggest that the old buildine. used as a temporary school be sold and any amount received over the cost of the building be handed over to the committee for improvements to the ground. Tatu. —I have gone into the matter of cutting down the proposed residence to within tlie grant as instructed bv the Department and hope to make satisfactory arrangements with the contractor as to same.

Lincoln—l visited this school at the request of the committee. The' water comes in badly under one of the doors, and the pate into the horse paddock also used for vehicle traffic has collapsed altogether. The committee will erect a new gate and take delivery of same from Inglewood, I would ask permission to supply a gate, The other matters wili be attended to', Plans.—l have completed amended plijns iov a uew sohoal at Normanby

and a new school at Owakino, and additions to Oluihukujra, .temporary schools at W-baflgo road and. Taitewhena; and speciiicaitions and particulars of material ou site for additions to Takirima school wcro also sent to the Public Works' Department. General.—'Die -whole of the woodworking lmii'hiniTy is now in position,ami the whole soon be in working order. This will enable us to manufacture all our joinery and furniture on the premises. I have had the machines put down by Mr. ilammersley, machin' cry expert to Anderson, Ltd. (the same firm supplied most of the machines), and he has carried out the work in a thorough and practical manner. I have adopted the race principle, thereby doing away with any overhead belts. This will enable uspto erect a two storey buildin ver tHe present site within a few yr Future" developments will, 1 think, ivp this necessary. Suppi'.iv..—f have had a list made out in detail showing the amount of supplies needed On an average for IS months. I anticipate considerable increase in the future.

The report was adopted, several small works authorised, and in connection with last clause it was decided to hold a special meeting on a date to be fixed, to go into the whole question of supplies. On the moton of Mr. Wjlkinson, seconded by Mr. Smith, it was resolved that the old building at Stanley be sola and the money paid to the committee, on oondltion that it he spent in improving the school grounds. % ! ' GENERAL.

Govett and Quilliain, solicitors, wrote stating that on the case v. Marsh being called at the Supreme (Jourt plaintiff's counsel had announced that it was intended to join the Attorney General as a, dependant, and the case had therefore been adjourned.—Received. Mr. E. L. Mcllroy, secretary of the Taranaki branch of the Teachers' Institute, wrote thanking the board for agreeing to receive a deputation from the hoard in connection with the promotion of teachers but pointing out that the day of the Board meeting was inconvenient to teachers. They desired a conference rather than that a deputation be received, and it was suggested that a committee of the board should meet them on the night before or tlie night after the meeting or on ft Saturday On the motion of Mr. Wilkinson it was decided to meet the Institute as previously advised in t!he form of receiving a deputation on the evening of the flay of the Board's next meeting. The Taranaki, School Committee's Association forwarded copies of the resolutions passed at their last meeting (already published) and invited members of the Board to attend, their annual meeting. 1 Air. Wilkinson said there were serious complaints throughout the district'in connection with the subsidy quest'iov., and suggested that the matter might hi considered at next meeting. Mr. Smith said the question of 'the large numiber of Ipxercise (hooks and writing pads used (by the children was, as pointed out in- the letter from the Association, one of a serious nature to .parent*. He movqd that teachers be requested to tako some measures to ensure greater economy in the use of tli'i materials specified.—Seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried.

Nino householders in the Oeo school district forwarded a petition objecting to the recent election of their committee on the ground that one of the electors and candidates had not been a resident of the district fo three months, as required by the Act. As the polling was very close it certainly would have made a difference in the result had the house* holder in question not been present.— Referred to the chairman of the school committee for his report). 1 The Stratford School Committee wrote, suggesting that the date of tho householders' annual meeting should be altered so as to make it nearer to the date upon which committees' accounts close. —To be informed that at present fully one-sixth of the committees were unable to get their accounts into the Board's office for audit before the householders' meeting, and that therefore, in the opinion of the Board, the suggested alteration would ho inadvisable.

Ari application from the Nawall committee to subsidise the work pf the agricultural show for the winter holiday was granted. A request by the Taranaki agricultural and Pastoral Society that committees be granted permission to close their schtfols on the Ist June, to enable the children to attend the school, was granted

An application from the .teacher at Okaiawa for permission to open the school at !),30 a.m. was referred to the school committee, with power to aet. The action of the Tura, Riverlea and Stanley committees in closing their schools on account of epidemics, was approved. ,It was decided to accede to tlie requests of the Awakino and Te Wakarae teahers and committees to forego the, winter holidays this year.

An application for the. establishment of a half-time school at the seven-mile peg, Ohura, was held over for further ,'onsideration. The Minister of Education asked to be informed as to what steps, if any, the hoard was taking to utilise the pub lie libraries for the benefit of tlie children attending the public schools. —On the motion of Mr. Wilkinson, it was decided to reply that the board intended doing what it could in the direction indicated, The Minister of Education intimated i/iat the department would agree to the erection of a school at Awakino, in pursuance of the representations brought before him during his visit to Taranaki. He therefore suggested that the board should send in an application on the usual form, accompanied by the requisite particulars.— I The secretary stated that r.he necessary steps were being taken The Director of Education wrote with reference to the. question of teachers s'ok leave, brought before tlio Minister on his recent visit to Taranaki, stating that the whole question of sick leavo was now receiving the uttention of the department with the view, if possible, of increasing the capitation allowance, or making provision of siqk pay by the iCovernment. In tlie nieantme the board's proposal could not be approved, and if the publicaton of the rules was urgent the clause should be omitted, and the other rules published without further delay:- .Received.