TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 August 1918, Page 7

TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD.

' ; SPECIAL MEETIXG. : f§.. A special meeting of the Taranaki Education Board was held yesterday, ''. here were present: Messrs K. Masrera (chairman), C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., P. J. White, H. H. Grayling, A. (J. Knight, S. G. Smith, H. Trimble, and H. J. Ettyes. TEMPORARY APPOINTMENTS. The chairman reported that during the interim he had made the following temporary appointments:—Te ,lviri, Miss Giddy, head teacher; Te Kiri, Miss North?, assistant; Central, Miss Berntson, assistant; Waiongona, Miss D. Brown, sole teacher; Hawera, Miss & Frost, fourth assistant; Tuna, Mr. Head, sole teacher; Ongarue, Miss Devereux, assistant; Auroa, Miss Clarke, assistant; Inglewood, Miss Hamerton, assistant; Kapuni, Miss Xorris, assistant; West End, Mrs. Howarth, assistant. The report was adopted. FINANCE COMMITTEE'S REPORT. The Finance Committee reported as follows: — Additional capitation to oemmittees in charge of two or more school buildings.—lt was Tesolved that, whilst sympathising with the recommendation of the School Committees' Association and fully recognising the inadequate amount of capitation paid to school committees, this committee regrets it is unable to reiommend payment of capitation out of the board's administrative fund. The committee recomemnds that the association's resolution be forwarded to the (Department for favorable consideration. Oor.tinuous Readers.—That the offer of the Wanganui Board to sell to the board a supply of Continuous Keaders toe referred to the senior inspector for a report. It was recommended that the board advertise for a clerk for the office, at a salary of £l2O per annum. The report was adoptedRF -! VKS" COMMITTEES REPORT. The Reserves' Committee reported as follows: 1 Part 06, 'Block 11., Ngacre.—That Mr. W. P. Taylor be granted a lease for a term of two years of allotments C and I. only at a rental of £2 2s per annum. Section 17, Block XII., Otnona—That Mr. Iladen. the present lessee, be given six months' notice as. from the 3th October terminating the tenancy. Section 7, Block Xni., Mahoe—That'as Mr. Godkin considers the reserve of no commerti.il value, the matter be held over. The repwt was adopted.

TRUANT OFFICER'S REPORT. The truant officer reported that he lad sent out 168 notices to parents of children attending primary schools, for irregular attendance. Returns have been sent in from 62 schools for the July month. During the month ho had visited the following schools:—Tikorangi, Kent, Rotokare, Rowan, Omata, Tuna, York, Denbigh, Durham, Norfolk, also Inglewood, Stratford, and Eltham Convents, and Chetwode Private School, New Plymouth- At Inglewood, both in State and Convent schools, there is a great deal of sickness, which has interfered with the attendance. The attendance at Tuna for the first two weeks after the new teacher had taken over duties was very poor. There is now a better attendance. The attendance at the balance of schools visited is good. Technical.—New Plymouth: The summonses which it was intended to 6erve on irregular attenders at night classes have been withheld, as there was a great improvement in the attendance of pupils after the court cases of last month. Fawera: The attendance here is fair, except five youths whose parents will have to be dealt with at once through the court, if there is no improvement. Eltham: Good; no complaints- Stratford: Satisfactory, except three youths whose parents have been served with final notices for failing to send the boys to classes.

The report was adopted. HAWERA TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL.

The committee set up to discuss the matter of taking over an area of land from the Egmont A- and P. Association for the purposes of agricultural instruction at the proposed Technical High School at Hawera, reported as follows: The committee met in conference at Hawera on August 17, representatives of the Egmont A. and P. Association, Department of Agriculture, and the Technical School being present A draft agreement was submitted by the association, which, on most points, was satisfactory. Your representatives suggested a longer lease than five years—viz., seven years. The 'president of the A. and P. Association undertook to place this request before his executive. On further consideration by the A. and P. Association, a definite proposal will be submitted to the board. The delegates present showed a keen interest in furthering and placing on a sound basis the question of agricultural instruction in Hawera, and we feel that with a local controlling body much good will accrue in the Hawera'district as a result of this progressive step- The conference decided that a local committee be set up, consisting of three members of the A. and P. Association, two of the Technical High School Committee, and one of the Agricultural Department, to work in conjunction with the board. A definite offer regarding terms and area will be submitted to the board from the A. and P. Association at an early date, when final arrangements can be made. Owing to the land having been leased up to March. 191'!). the board will not be able to do anything in the direction of instruction until the lease runs out. The report was adopted. GENERAL. The application for the establishment of a school at Whareroa was referred to Mr. Eaves to report on. The board decided to accept the site offered by the settlers at Arawhata Road for the purposes of a school, and that an application for a grant for the same be made to the Department. The appointments of Mr. Taylor (vice Mr. Collins, resigned) to the Waitaanga committee) and Mr. F. Potroz (vice Mr. Elwards, resigned) to the York committee were approvedCommissioners were appointed as follow:—Denbigh, Messrs H. Hnkstep and M P. Christensen: Okahukura, Messrs G. Mear and T. Borthwiek; Okato, Messrs K P. ißoemiek and G. S. Hart; Piko, Messrs S. Smith and J- Hoskin; Pohokura, Messrs C. C. Prideaux and D. Pitcaithly; TJrenui, Messrs R. H. Pigottand A. H- Sheard; Paratetn, Messrs L. L. Parkes and R. B. Cole: Matiere, Messrs J Gray and A. M. Riddell. The action of the Mata and Rahotu committees in closing their schools on account of elcknega vm approved.

Sundry matters in. connection with repairs and supplies for a number of Kchoola were referred to the overseer to report upon. r It was decided to accept with thanks the oifer of the Public Works Department to erect a bridge over the 'Motu(ara stream, in order to give better access to the Te Wakarae School, the board to provide half the cost, and the work to fee carried out by the 'Public Works department. further correspondence was received from Mr. J. S. Mackenzie, Hawera, and, in reply, the board decided to insist on a straight-out apology, or that he forward his resignation in time for its consideration at the next meeting of the board on September 11. The consideration of the West End Committee's application in respect if) Improvements to the school grounds was held over pending the reply from the Borough Council on the question of tie proposed exchange of Bitea. A letter was received from the Central School Committee, asldng that the question of the appointment of a quali iied nurse whose duties should be to see that the recommendations of the medical inspection officer were carried out, should i>B considered and recommended to the Department. Mr. Smith said the matter had arisen through the fact that the headmaster, when asked if the reoemmendations of the medical inspector had been carried out, had said that there was bo means ci* ascertaining from the parents of scholars what, if anything, was done. He pointed out that if a nurse was appointed as suggested, she would be able to visit the homes of scholars and advise the parents as to how best to remedy any defects from which children might be suffering. He said that some sweeping statements had been made recently by the chairman of the Hospital Board, on the basis of a report by Dr. Gunn, to the effect that children were attending the schools in New Plymouth who should b» in the hospital. The report was a confidential one, and the teachers had no means of ascertaining details thereof. It was decided to inform the committee that the 'boar,d would make representations to the Department for the appointment of a nurse for the New Plymouth centre, for the purpose of seeing that the recommendations of the medical tifficers are carried out.

TEACHERS' APPOINTMENTS. The following appointments were made (subject to the approval of cotamittees concerned):—Tahora, Miss Helena Drader, sole teacher; Tuna, Miss T- Sage, sole teacher (war appointment); Mokoia, Miss A. V- Tobin, assistant; Omata, Mr. MTlardie, head teacher (war appointment) ; Toko, Miss A. Scott, first assistant; Okaia-wa, Miss M. Meredith, second assistant; Auroa, Miss P. Surgenor, second assistant; West End, Miss F. O'Brien, third assistant (war appointment) ; Haiwera, Mrs. Anderson, seventh assistant, Miss Straok eighth, Miss Sartori ninth, Mis 9 Mander tenth, Mrs. Moslem eleventh, Miss Foy twelfth, Miss D. Robinson thirteenth, and Mrs- H. Hilder fourteenth assistant temporary). GENERAL. A letter ,was received from the Taranaki branch of the Teachers' Institute asking for an expression of opinion by t!<e board on the matter of the time of children being taken up preparing them to take part in functions outside the requirements of echool work.—lt was deoided to reply that .the board was quite favorable'-to scholars being prepared to take part in concerts for the purpose of raising money for school funds, (but not for other purposes. It was decided to send to the School Committees' Association a copy of the letter from the Bank of New Zealand, with reference to school committees for Iceeping accounts. Accounts amounting to £0932 8s 7d were passed for payment.