TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 December 1919, Page 7

TARANAKI EDUCATION BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. 1 The ordinary monthly meeting of the Taranaki Education Board was held yesterday, when there were present: Messrs. R. Masters (chairman), H. Trimble, S. G. Smith, H. P. EaYC3, A. Lees, H. H. Grayling, F. Hoskin, ' and P. J. H; White. The chalrmnu formally vrr-lcomcd Mr. F. Hoskin, elected in place of Mr. T. Buchanan | resigned. Mr. Hoskin suitably replied. ! CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. Tho chairman reported having made the following temporary appointments: Tarurutangi, Miss D. Newton, sole teacher; Fltzroy, Mr. G. E. Arras, assistant; Rahotu, Miss Mason, head teacher. Miss IC. Clarke, assistant; Hawera, Mr. C. H. E. Strack, assistant; Kiore, Mrs. R. Stewart, sole teacher. TEACHERS' MOVEMENTS. The following teachers were granted leave 1 of absence: Miss G. J. Lock, assistant, FJtzroy, one month; Miss M. Trewin, assistant, I Mahoe, one week; Miss K. B. Dill, mistress, ! Kiore, oue month; Miss M. Taylor, mistress, Hurford, one month; Mr. A. Muse, master, Tarurutangi, two weeks; Mrs. .T. F. Harrison, head teacher, Rahotu. two weeks, illness in family; Miss I. Edwards, hoad teacher, Te Roti, to February 13th, to visit Australia; Mis 9 Bourke, assistant, HaweTa, one week. Resignations were received as follows: Miss L. Greviile, assistant, Tariki; Mrs. C. Soundy, mistress, Marokopa; Miss E. Butkhaxdt, mistress, Ahltitl; Mr. J. W. Connell, agricultural Instructor; Mr. F. W. Sandford, woodwork instructor. ARCHITECT'S REPORT. Mr. C. H. Moore (Overseer) reported as follows New Work.—The school at Arawhata Is all completed ready for occupation. The new Tawhltl School Is progressing well. The concrete walls of the class room are completed to the top plate. We have had the greatest difficulty in procuring the timber required for the job. Repair Work.—General painting and renovation of the Norfolk residence had been completed, and the residence Is now in occupation. General painting and paper hanging has also received attention at the Mangatoki residence. Repairs includo two new tanks and stand and drainage repairs. Several small repairs to the school were attended to, and the lire places will receive attention before the winter. The drainage at the school has been working badly, but the drain is receiving attention. Tho uncompleted painting and repair work at. Cardiff School and residence are receiving attention. The school is showing signs of general decay more so than the outside appearance denoted;, being high and exposed it received the full force of the wftalth. Work at Whakamara will be •completed this week. Improvements a* Mokoia residence had been effected, and I ] recommend that other repairs should bo carried I out. General.—Repairs to bath waste at PunihO, blinds at Fltzroy, and at Oaonul have been attended to; a small gate at the back of tho Central School has been erected, and the fence made good. Workshop.—All the joinery has been completed for all new work granted up-to-date. Plans.—Plans have been prepared for additions to tho Puniho School, Toko School, and , a new residence at Pungarehu. Plans for a , proposed new shelter shed at Inglewood, and a lunch building for the Stratford School | have been forwarded. Mr. Moore submitted a schedule of washhouses, etc., in order of urgency as suggested ' by the Department. Ho recommended that Instead of waiting for a grant, the Board should! re-lnstata any worn-out boilers at ■ once, or authorise the teachers to do so, on the understanding that they be repaired when the grant was made.

Tho Rahotu School Committee had brought before his, notice the matter of repairing and Improving the front fence. He had made certain suggestions* and nsked the Committee to place their requirements before the Board. Stratford Technical High School.—He suggested that' the. Stratford Borough Council bo asked to turn the storm water along Swansea Road instead of running through the High School grounds, as the present open ditch would be close on the boundary of tho south wall of tho proposed school, and be In the way of carting In material. He recommended various alterations at Lepperton residence, costing about £3O, and sug-1 geated applying to the Department for the amount. k The following matters were referred to the architect: Bell Block, painting inside of porches, etc.: Rahotu, new tank, gate for side ! entrance, and material for fencing front of school; Atiroa, sundry repairs and painting; Moknu. lighting and ventilation; Mangahume, repairs to roof. Necessary repairs to the Mokoia residence mentioned in the architect's report are to be attended to and various matters in connection with alterations and repairs to tho' school will bo referred to the architect for a report. Application is to be made to tho Department for the erection of a residence at Pungarehu., TRUANT OFFICER'S REPORT. Mr. G. Pascoe, Truant Inspector, reported having sent out 58 notices to parents of children attending tho primary schools for irregular attendance. Tho monthly returns from tho schools showed that the attendance was good, only a few children being reported. Ho had visited Cardiff, Eltham, Makak, Mata, Mokoia, Norfolk, Normanby, Ngaere, Oka to, Puniho, Oaomti, Rherlea, Rowan, Stratford, Vogeltown, and Whakamara Schools. Tho attendance at these schools was good, excopt at Puniho, where the Maori attendance, owing to tangis, was bad. These cases wero bring attended to. He had summoned three parents for their children's irregular attendance. Two were committed and fined; tho third being withdrawn.

Technical.—Tho attendance at ITawora and Stratford was good, and also at Eltham, with two exceptions. These two cn3es were brine dealt with for bad attendance. The police were also dealing with them for an aliened disturbance at the night classes. Four parents of the New Plymouth night classes were fined for Irregular attendance of their children. Further prosecutions would he necessary as the attendance was not as good as It. should he. Hn had also assisted the architect In repair norlc. LOWER MANGOREI SCHOOL. Messrs. H. Trimble, P. J. It. White, and H. Grayling reported that tlioy had enquired Into the question of the advisability of removing this school to some other site. They had visited tho school and met the members of the School Committee, who were unanimous In opposing Its removal, and subsequently the.v met a deputation from those persons whoi favored the removal of tho school to some point near tho junction of the Mangorcl and Avenue Roads. After careful consideration of the matter, and taking into account the fact that the children at present attending tho school-] were within comparatively easy distances of other schools, they could not recommend any action to bo laken hi the matter of removal at present. At the same time they believed that it would be necessary in tho not distant futuro to further consider the question. HAWERA HOSTELS. Regarding the question of hostels In connection with tho Hawora Technical School. Messrs. 11. J. Haves and A. Lees reported that they had made enquiries throughout tlio district: as to* tho likely number of puptlls, and found it very difficult to arrive at a definije number who were likely to attend. The general tone of answers received was that provided tho necessary hostels were erected parents would bo only ton pleased to send their children to take advantage of a technical training. Thev also interviewed tho Hawera Technical School Committee on tho matter, and discussed the prospects as to future attendance at the school. They were of opinion that if hostels wero erected there would be no difficulty In obtaining between 40 and fid boys and the same number of girls to take advantage of the boarding facilities which tho hostels would provide They therefore recommended that application, be made to the Department for a grant to erect hostols to provide accommodation for up to 50 boys and 50 girls. On the motion of Messrs. Grayling and Hoskin, the question was deferred pending a further Tcport from Messrs. Lees and Eaves in tho matter of sites for the proposed buildings. FITZKOF. Tho chulranan of the Fitzroy School Committee (Mr. 0. Q. Grorer) asked the Board's assistance in regradlng, improving and extending the asphalt parade ground, which would cost about. £IOO. He also asked the Board to undertake the levelling, filling and grassing of the section recently purchased. The letter stated that tho proceeds of tho recent "Day at Home," £GO or £7O, together with any subsidy, was enr-marked towards the Improvement. of the school grounds. The overseer reported that at the ranuest of the chairman of the Fitzroy School Committee he met Mr. Grover and Mr. Parkins and discussed certain Improvements the Committee wish to carry out. The greatest difficulty was In dealing with the surface drainago; the Committee wish to extend the present asphalt up to the gymnasium building, and iliey ask the Board to replace equal area to that part taken up by the last additions. The question of fencing the recentlv acquired adjoining section was also brought up. Mr Davy agreed to pay hair cost of a hoarded fence between his property and the school ground, about ]%' chains, the Board to pay the other half; the rest of the fencing requires practically all renewing, and I would suggest <1 tiattiiw fenca b» aror.tad with & viaw to

Crowing a hedge, the. adjacent owners to pay , half cost. The matter of ailing up the now section level wltl* the road required further , consideration as ho was doubtful of thla prov- ( ing satisfactory owing to the present school ground being so imucH lower. Ths matter was referred to Messrs. Smith 1 and Grayling for a report. MOTtJBOA SITE.

The Director of Education acknowledged re- i ce'lpt of the Board's comcnunicntlon that it was strongly of opinion that the site selected dur- , ing Mr. Sponcer'a visit was eminently suitable. The Department hoped at an earlv date to bo ablo to notify tlmt the site of , four acres would bo nested In the Board, RESERVE MATTERS. I Mr. E. Kellelier was granted a lease of the two acres of land previously requlredi by the Board for experimental purposes at Stratford for a period of eleven months at n rental of £4 10s, tho position to bo reviewed at the end of the term. Mr. Pascoe was instructed to interview the ' lessee of Section 17, Block XII., Omona, with respect to tho boundary of the reserve and the ownership of the shed, and report to the Board. The Board's solicitors were instructed to have all tho land taken from the Auckland and Wanganul Boards which are at present in the names of those Boards and vested in the Taranakl Board. MANUAL AND TECHNICAL COMMITTEE. The Manual and Technical Committee (Messrs. H. Trimble, H. ,T. Eaves, S. G, Smith, and P. .T. H. White) reported: That the whole question of an appointment of an agricultural Instructor for Hawera bo left in the hands of Messrs. Eaves, Masters, and Trimble, with power to act; that Mr. Connell's resignation be accepted to talte. effect op February 28, 1920, and that ho be granted leave of absence for Ihe month of February';' that the Dlreotor of the Ha.wera Technical High ' School be panted permission to Issue a prospectus provided the cost does not exceed tho gum of £3O; that tenders be called for the erectlota of the Technical High School at Hawera in the terms of the Department's memorandum of the 4th Inst.; that the sum of £5 each be granted towards the cost of prizes to be given'to students attending the New Plymouth and Hawera Tochnical Schools; that the question of obtaining additional engineering apparatus for the New Plymouth Technical School he referred to tho chairman of tills commlttec.with power to act; that paragraphs 10 and II of the Director's report be referred to tho chairman of this committee with power to act; that clause 12 of the Director's report be» referred to the chairman of this committee to report on; that the director's report on the conference with tho agricultural instructors be referred to the Board; GENERAL. The Board confirmed the appointment of Mr. James to the Mokola School Committee in place of Mr. A Catchpolo resigned, and of Mr, S. G. Wiliians to Korito In place of Mrs. Ansford, resigned. The Auroa Committee is to be Informed that he Board suggested that application should be made for a Departmental subsidy towards the cost of the erection of a stone fence round the monument, proposed to be erected in the school grounds. The matter of fencing the Mnngahume School grounds was referred to Mr. Eaves. On receipt of the voluntary contributions amounting to £.lO, application will be mado to tho Department for a subsidy towards the cost of Installing a hot water system in the Kaponga residence, and (hat providing a subsidy is granted, a high pressure boiler will be Installed forthwith. Mr. F. J. Hodges' tender for the purchase for removal of the Durham Road residence was accepted. Miss Sartori, assistant at Hawera, was granted two weeks' extension of the holidays to enable here to observe advance methods in in.ant schools in Sydney and Melbourne resolved that application be made I made to the Minister for such leave JIK Ho u kln , U", 8 appointed to the' Reserves , and Teachers Selection Committee. I Application will be made to the Department 1 the purchase of sections In order to 1 pr< ! v ~ b .® ttcr ? cces » t0 tf >e Douglas School. Application will be made for a grant for the . erection of a residence at rukengahu. ' frw ? tho Committee t regarding cattlo grazing In the school grounds 1 to Mr. Trimble for a report. 1 «, , Moltau School Committee asked for an , official inspection of the Mokau School with . a view to providing increased accommodation HtlfS at present, and three ■ after the Christmas holidays. The . lighting and ventilation and heating apparatus s required attention —To be informed that the BoiiTd regrets that It cannot see Its way to ; avply for a grant for .Increased accaminodaf l ' on aa Mie school already had an area of over 5 l« square feet per child In average attend' f mice.