TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1917, Page 6

TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD.

I , MOXTI-ILY MEETING. The monthlymeeting of"the Tarauaki Education Board v, r as held yesterday. Ti.e euairman (Mr. K. Masters) presided, and there were present: Messrs 11. 't'rimbie, S. G. [Smith, P. 11'. J. White, C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., and E. Dixon. MANUAL AND TECHNICAL REPORT. The committee reported, making the following recommendations: —That, recognising the importance of primary education, the director of technical education be authorised to wait on the Employers' Association with a view to enlisting their sympathy with the board's endeavor to increase the facilities or further courses. That tlw judging for the Cuthbert Shield for this year take place in February, 1918. That Mr. Tugwell's salary be increased to £"250 per annum, and that he be appointed temporarily to the position of, supervisor of the Hawera technical school. That Mr. Jackson lie informed that the board cannot recognise his claim on account of the Saturday class having lapsed and his salary having heen increased. That a woodwork instructor be appointed at a salary of £ ISO per annuiji to take classes at Ilawera, Eltham, Manaia, Piliama, Kapuni, Kaponga, and Mangatoia, and that the department be asked to allow the grant of £IOO for motor cycle to he used in connection with these classes. The report was adopted, on the motion of Mr. Dixon, seconded toy Mr. Trimble. It was also resolved, on the recom- : mendation of the director, that the funds raised at the technical college concert he set aside for the pflrpose of laying down a tennis court for the girls attending the college, but that no expenditure be incurred until the hoard approved of a suitable site. RESERVES COMMITTEE'S REPORT. The Reserves Committee reported that tile lease of Reserve SI 7, block XII, Omona, 'held by the executors of Mrs. Colson, expired on 30th November last, and it was resolved that the overseer be Instructed to report on the condition nvd value of the reserve, with the view of a new lease being offered to Mr. W. P. Colson. The committee also recommended that Mr. B. T. Field be offered the lease of Reserve Sl4, Block XI, Ohura Survey District, containing six acres, at a rental of 10s per acre for a term of seven years, conditional in the event of felling the bush the land cleared to be sown down in good English grasses. The report was adopted.

SCHOOL GROUNDS. The senior inspector reported as follows on the care school grounds:— I beg to report that the marks for the beautifying of grounds and order and care in connection with buildings and grounds have been allotted. Before the final decision the Director of Agriculture and the Overseer of Works were consulted. A copy of the list was supplied to the Director of Agriculture for inclusion in the marks for the Cuthbert Shield. For the Tisch Shield twelve schools obtained 00 per cent or more. The first school is again Mahoe which will hold the shield for the ensuing year. The marks obtained by the twelve schools mentioned are:—Malioe Waihi 03, Bell Block, Norfolk and Pilama 02, Huiroa and Kaponga 91, .Marco, Matapu, Mangatoki, Ratapiko and IvorTto 90. TRUANT OFFICER'S REPORT. The truant officer reported that 04 notices to parents of children attending primary schools had been sent out and that 25 schools had been visited. The attendance in most cases was satisfactory, but there was room for improvement in some cases. It would assist the truant officer if teachers sent in their reports regularly in cases of irregular attendance. in order that the bad eases might be followed up'-and dealt with. A list of children not attending regularly, and to whose parents notices had been sent, had bpon made, and the officer stated that should tliev fail to attend regularly after the holidays it would be necessary to prosecute. —The Teport was adopted. OVERSEER'S ■ REPORT.

The overseer submitted the following report:— Awakino—The now school is finished and ready for occupation. The present desks in the old school are not satisfactory. I propose to replace these if possible before the end of the holidays.

Waitara—Timiier is on the site for the technical school and we shall proceed with the building immediately. Aukopa? new school—l hope to be able to carry out this work early in the new year, before school starts. Mt. Messenger—We have all the material on hand, and this new school will also be completed ready for the New Year opening.

Mokau—The painting of the outside of school was completed and small repairs attended to. The desks are very unsatisfactory. I propose to renew these. I also inspected the lavatory basin fixing and found it quite satisfactory from a sanitary point of view. Ahititi —I propose to renew the desks in this school also ; most of them are long desks without any back supports. Mangahume—As instructed, I inspected the stove in the residence and found it beyond repair. The chimney flue also needed lengthening. We were able to secure a second hand range in first class order. The setting of this range and other necessary work has received attention.

Matapu—As instructed, I went into the matter of fencing off part of the school section for the teacher's use, A member of the Committee met me and agreed upon the line of fence. The necessary gates and fencing material have been supplied. Repairs to t'v bath and water pipes at the residence were also attended to.

Tarata —Repairs to tanks, window cords, and steps, were attended to at the school. Kaimata—We lc-nowed the worn-cut boiler in the 'kitchen range at the residence. Hawera.—As instructed I went carefully into i.he various matters in connection with this school, principally affecting the infant department. I respectfully submit a separate report dealing with his matter .mil showing poet. etc. Midhirst. —At the committee's request 1 visited this school and went into various matters. The headmaster complained of the light in his room. There are plenty of windows, hut they are wrongly placed. I would recommend that three extra skylights be put in; this would improve the classroom. Blinds require attention in the infant department. A boarded fence at the back of the slielter-shed requires attention. I would suggest that the committee be nsked to pay part of the cost of same; Hie total amount would be about £4, About two chains of tlie board's property joins a (Ktion owned Iff, .the Midhir&t'

Dairy Company. This requires a new fence, and 1 would suggest that the company be asked to pay half the cost of same. Mr. Wilkinson moved that in future i}» account of the cost, when complete, of every new school erected, with the ;(mount of grant received from the Department, be submitted lo the finance committee. The motion was seconded by Sir. Trimble and carried. On the motion of Mr. Smith, seconded by Mr. White, it was resolved that the Central School Committee be informed that the board will tar and sand the Courtenay Street grounds, half the cost to be paid by the committee. Mr. Dixon moved, and Mr. Wilkinson seconded, that application be made to the Department for a grant to cover the cost of the alteration suggested by the overseer in his report on the Hawera infant department. On the motion of Messrs Dixon and Wilkinson it was agreed that the board accept with thanks the offer of the teachers of £l2 10s towards the cost of the sliding doors at Hawera, and that the platform in the infant room be removed. On the motion of Mr. Dixon, seconded by Mr. Trimble, it was decided to mike an application for a granf, for separate latrines for the infants at Hawera, and that the health officer's report be also forwarded to the Department. It was also decided that a suitable bicycle stand be erected at Hawera during the holidays. It was resolved that the two acres already fenced at Hawera, together with the one acre for the schoolmaster's residence, be apportioned for the use of the headmaster. GENERAL. In reply to a request, it was decided that a shelter shed be erected at Nev/all, provided the committee pay half the cost, which should not exceed £35. An application for fencing by the York Road Committee (Eltham) was declined, the board considering the fence not necessary. A grant of £1 10s /was authorised towards the cost of removing the outoifices at Tututawa, the removal to satisfy the requirements of the overseer. The matter of providing forms v -for open-air classes at Opunake was referred to the overseer for a report. The board approved the following appointments to school committees: Auroa, Messrs ,T. O'Dea and D, Barlow; Pembroke, Mr. Goldup.

The action of the Rotokare Committee in closing the school on account of whooping cough was confirmed. A letter from the New Plymouth Borough Council regarding the dust nuisance from the grounds of the Central School was referred to the School Committee. It was decided to make the Turoto school a full-time school, and that the Turoto South school be closed. The matter of overcrowding at the Riverlea school was referred to the inspectors to report upon.