NEW PLYMOUTH HIGH SCHOOLS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1918, Page 6

NEW PLYMOUTH HIGH SCHOOLS.

MEETING OF BOARD OF GOVERNORS The ordinary meeting of the New Plymouth High School Board of Governors was held last night, when there were present: Messrs D- Hutchen (chairman), 11. Trimble, J. S. Fox, 1!. W. D. Robertson. y. (1. .Smith, L. C SUuldeu, F. WAtkinson, and E. I'. Webster. THE CURLS' SCHOOL). Miss Barr, principal of the Girls' nigh School, reported as follows: The school re-opened on Wednesday, February li, when 53 new pupils were enrolled in the secondary department, making a, total of 131 as compared with 102 at tlie end of last year. In the primary department 8 new pupils have been enrolled, makftig a total of IS. This increase rendered an additional teacher necessary, and Miss D. Baker is in the meantime filling the position. The number of boarders on the roll was 43, and it had been found necessary to rent temporarily Mr. King's house, a very suitable addition to Strandon House. Miss Barr waited on the board in connection with the boarding accommodation required. The chairman explained that with the increased number of boarders it had become necessary to obtain additional accommodation, and he had secured the adjoining house, furnished, for a month. They were endeavoring to arrange for a lease of the house, but had not received a reply from Mr. King, whp was awav from New Plymouth at present.

Miss Barr stated that there were 30 boarders at Strandon. and 13 'boarders and two teachers at the new house. Tt could accommodate more, but with the limited kitchen and dining room accommodation at Strandon it would be necessary to limit the number of boarders to i) 0. She suggested that in (he event of a suitable house not being available the board should consider the erection of shelters at Strandon.

In reply to Mr- Smith, Miss Barr said thev had to cater for 43 boarders and 10 day hoarders, and only one boarder was a preparatory school flrj, Mr. Smith stated that it was satisfactory to see the school expanding in this wav.

Mr, Robertson considered the shelters would cost about £3OO. It looked, he added, as though the building programme in connection with the girls' hostel would be forced on them sooner than the board thought. Mr. Webster considered it would be the most suitable proposal to ereet t!. e shelters if the money was available. He suggested that the board might also consider building the dining and kitchen Mock on the new site, as part of the new plan. The chairman stated that, nothing could lie done until a reply was received from Mr. King, and he suggested that a committee should be set up to deal with the matter on receipt of the replv. Mr. Atkinson said the mal/ter bad to he attended to at once, and he moved that a committee of the town members be set up for the purpose He urged that, unless a suitable house could' be obtained at a reasonable rent, the committee should consider the erection of shelters, if the project could possibly be financed.

This was seconded by Mr, J, S. Fox and carried.

The chairman's action in securing extra furniture was confirmed.

THE BOYS' SCHOOL* lft\ W. H. Moves, principal of the Boys' .School, reported: The school' opened after the holidays with an attendance of 270, namely, 75 in the preparatory department and 190 i:i the upper "school, 120 being boarders. Of the upper school hoys ISO are the holders of a free place and 1.5 are paying In order to find accommodation for the increased number of hoarders I have found it necessary to convert the library into a dormitory. We are, therefore, again ;n the position of having no room for rending or for recreation, and 1 would suggest that a floor be put in liie room built last year. This would cost £-j!l 10s and would meet our requirements Mitisfactorilv. After consideration 1 decided to shift the preparatory boys over to the racecourse, and to ulilise ilie room thus vacated for a gymnasium. The boys have been given the totalisaror room, an excellent one for (he purpose. As space is now available for gymnastic apparatus I would respectfully suggest that this apparatus he obtained at once. On the motion of the chairman and Mr. Webster it was resolved to lay down a floor as sugge^ed. Mr. Robertson' was given authority to procure the gymnastic apparatus after consultation with Mr. Moves. TENDER. Mr. F. W. 0. MeLeod's tender for tuning the eight pianos at the school was' accepted. The tenders committee reported that tenders for supplies for the ensuing year had been accepted as follows, aII being the same as the previous year: Ovocevio, C. Carter; coal and firewood, W. Kendall and Co.; meat, City Heat .Stores; bread,' Farmer and Haugh. The chairman stated that under t\ie original Act with a membership of seven the quorum was sot down at three. In tlie new Act there was no provision made for a quorum. It was resolved that the quorum be fiveINTERVIEW WITH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. The chairman reported that the joint committee, comprising members of the board and of the Old Boys' Association, together with several representative business men, who were moving in the direction of raising funds to build the assembly hall, decided that it would be advisable to send a deputation to Wellington to interview the Minister on the question of the Government granting a subsidy. The town members of the board thought that it would be advisable for the deputation to be accompanied by representatives of the board, for the purpose of interviewing the Director of Education, and having a general discussion. The. deputation of the committee was arranged for last Thursday, but owing to shortness of notice, a number of prominent members were unable to get away, and the deputation was postponed. The board'B representatives—Messrs Robertson, Smith and himself—went to Wellington and met the Minister of Education and the Director of Education, and had a general discussion on the board's position. The interview was an extremely satisfactory one. They discussed the position fully with the Director of Education, and gave him information on all points where he required information, and the speaker thought that they had arrived at a satisfactory solution of the difficulties over which there had been

trouble in the past, and that in the future they would be able to work amicably with thi! Department. At the conclusion, the Director of Education thanked the deputation for the way in which it had met. him, and the candid way in which it had disclosed the board's affairs to him. There were, he stated, various matters of detail on which he would report in committee. Members considered the report very satisfactory. The board then went into committee.