EDUCATION BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 April 1922, Page 7

EDUCATION BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Taranaki Education Board met yesterday. Present: Messrs. P. J. H. White (chairman), H. Trimble, S. G. Smith, MT., A. Lees, R. Masters, M.P., R. J. Deare, and F. Hoskin. Leave of absence was granted to Mr. H. J. Eaves. TEACHERS’ APPOINTMENTS, ETC. The chairman reported that during the interim he had to make the following relieving appointments: Ohangai, Miss L. Walker, assistant; Mangatoki, Mr. F. J. Cumberworth, head teacher; Awatuna, Miss P. Nicoll, sole teacher; Radnor, Miss M. K. Spence, sole teacher; West End, Mr. M. J. Smith, third assistant; Fitzroy, Miss T. Simpson, fourth assistant; Koru, Miss M. E. Hodder, head teacuer; Hawera, Mr. W. J. Metcalf, third assistant; Hawera Technical H.S., Miss K. Monteath, cookery instructress. Leave of absence was granted as follows:—Mr. G. H. Percy, Opatu, sole teacher; Miss J. W. Jemison, assistant, Courtenay Street; Miss K. King, assistant, Bell Block; Miss M. Kirton, assistant, Vogeltown; Miss L. Finnerty, assistant, Eltham; Miss W. Chapman, assistant, Central; Miss E. Andrews, assistant, Fitzroy; Miss A, Berntsen, assistant, Waitara; Miss E. M. Pearce, assistant, Central; Miss G. Mouat, assistant, Hillsborough; Miss D. Brown, sole teacher,. Upper Mangorei; Miss J. McLean, assistant, Opunake; Mr. J. Jennings, probationer, Frankley; Miss C. Murphy, assistant, Ohangai; Miss I. Edwards, head teacher, Te Roti.

The following resignations were accepted: Mr. J. W. Thomas, head teacher, Inglewood; Mr. P. C. Heath, head teacher, Te Kiri. The following report from the teachers’ selection committee was adopted:— Appointments: Awatuna, sole teacher, Mrs. M. L. Lennane; Kaixniro, sole teacher, to be held over until June; Radnor, sole teacher, Miss H. Carroll; Piopiotea West, sole teacher, Miss o. Lumsden; Mangatoki, head teacher, Mr. A. H, Grant; Huirangi, assistant, Mrs. A. E. Brightwell. That in view of the department’s reply concerning Mr. Palmer’s transfer to Koru, he now be transferred from Otangiwai to Te Kiri, subject to the department paying removal expenses. That Mr. C. V. Whittington’s application for leave of absence in order to exchange with a teacher in Canada be granted. ARCHITECT’S REPORT. ‘ The following report was submitted by the architect (Mr. C. H. Moore): Hurimoana School.—The remove 1 to a permanent site and general iniuiovements to this building has been completed. The whole of the class room is now lined.

Stratford Technical High .School laboratories.—Most of the benches and fittings are ready. I expect the laboratories to be in working order when the next term begins. Hapurua Movable .School.—A grant has been made for this work, and I propose to convert the movable teacher’s batch into a school, similar to Matemateaonga. It will ’be necessary to decide on a site as soon as possible to enable the building to be sent aJong before the winter sets in.

Mimi School.—ln company with tne chairman a visit was paid to this school, and the committee brought forward the following matters: Extension of shelter shed, the committee to find half the amount, total cost £l6; providing iron for shelter between the school and shed, and removal of out offices, the committee to dig the pits. The urgent need of protecting the shelter trees with a fence was pointed out to the committee, and they agreed to undertake this work. The question of putting in a permanent plantation at the back boundary of the school was discussed, with the understanding that the committee will keep this in view. Hawera Primary Schoo).—l visited this school and went into the matter of seating accommodation and teachers’ chairs. As a result, I would recommend supplying 12 teachers’ chairs and 2 folding tables, and 30 tables and chairs for the infants. The latter will need to be increased to about 70 later on.

Cardiff School. —At the request of the committee a visit was paid to tms school in company with the chairman. The following matters were brought forward: Renewal of the whole class room floor, the committee to find most of the cost; renewal of tanks (board's liability) and general painting repairs to the school; request for more hyloplate and 3 dual desks; this has already been attended to. The committee are carrying out, with the assistance of the teachers, considerable improvements to the school grounds. Tawhiti School. —I also called at this school, and their chief want seems to be always more desks. The drainage complaint by the committee 1 found to be the storm water and waste from the wash basin. This matter has received attention. Fraser Road School.—A visit was paid to this school, and the committee of the board appointed went into tne matter of accommodation.

Rotokare School.—On the way back a visit was paid to this school. The building was comparatively new when the board *took over the school from the Wanganui Board, and the building, excepting the outside painting, is in good order. This committee have attended to the repairs of the out offices, screens, and other work. This committee is evidently very self-reliant. Hawera Drinking Bubble Fountain. —As instructed, this matter has received further consideration. I would suggest that the Hawera committee be asked to subscribe to the cost of erecting two bubble fountains, one each for the boys and girls, with 5 or 6 jets to each fountain. The cost would be about £3O (drainage extra). The report also dealt with genera) repairs carried out at Marco, Pohokura, Huiakama, Bell Block, Omata, and Egmont Village. Numerous requests had been received for school furniture throughout the district, and a large quantity of desks and hyloplate. had been supplied. A quantity was sent through to the Ohura district. The workshop staff were very busy making benches and cupboards for the Stratford science laboratories, and also school furniture. A number of applications for grants were placed before Mr. Spencer, officer in charge of school buildings, during his recent visit. The attention of the Hawera committee > is to be drawn to the architect’s suggestion regarding the fountain, and they are to be asked if they are prepared to help in the matter. ATTENDANCE OFFICER'S REPORT. The attendance officer (Mr, G. Pascoe) reported that eighty-six irregular, attendance notices have been sent to parents of children attending primary

schools. Thirty-three schools supplied this list, the balance, except in cases of sickness, being very good. The following 22 schools nave been visited, the attendance being good: Carrington, Central, Egmont Village, Frankley, Hillsborough, Huirangi, Kaimiro, Kent, Korito, Koru, Lepperton, Mangorai Upper and Lower, Oakura, Okato, Puniho, Tarurutangi, Tataraimaka, Waiongona, Waitara, Waitara Convent, and Inglewood Convent. FITZROY SCHOOL. The question of accommodation for pupils at Fitzroy was the subject of a report from the senior inspector (Mr. J. A. Valentine). He said: In this school the rooms are occupied thus: Standard 1, 60 pupils, occupied a room of 650 square feet; ■standards 2 and 4, 68 pupils occupy a room of square feet; standard 3, 43 pupils, occupy a room of 650 square feet; standards 6 and 5, 56 pupils, occupy a room of 576 square feet. Thus, in the school itself, 227 pupils are accommodated on a space of 2618 square feet. "the primer classes, numbering 99, now occupy the gymnasium, wsJch contains 960 square feet. Hence the conclusion that one must draw from these figures is that the use of the gymnasium as a school room has materially eased the acute conditions formerly obtaining, and, though the actual school rooms fall far short of the space required, yet the whole accommodation now available is at present, enough for the needs of the school. Opinions may differ as to the advisability of using the gymnasium as a school room, and of regarding it as part of the school space, but it cannot be denied that its use has been of present benefit to both teachers and pupils.

GENERAL. A complaint of overcrowding at Matapu was referred to the senior inspector. The Hawera committee is to be informed that the board cannot make a grant for saddle sheds. It was decided to ask the senior inspector to report on an application for a school at Opua. It was stated that there -were 32 children in the district, 22 of whom were of school age. With reference to a proposal to secure additional land for the school at Frankley, it was decided to inform the owner of the property that the conditions of sale could not be accepted by the board. It was decided to make application to the department for a subsidy on the money raised by the rstrariorU people for school grounds improvement. The architect was instructed to dispose of th© old school residence at Ngaere to the best advantage. On the recommendation of the finance committee, the senior inspector is to report on accommodation at Marokopa and Mokau. The chairman reported on a deputation to the Minister of Education on the occasion of his visit last month, when the question of accommodation at New Plymouth, Waitara, Okaiawa, and Tawhiti was discussed. The officer in ; charge of school buildings had since ■ visited the district, and an early reply i from the Minister was expected. I In reply to the Stratford Borough j Council, it was decided to write statj ing the board did not consider it adi visable that overhead wires from the electric light station should run through the Technical School grounds, and asking that these be removed as soon as possible. The chairman reported that when the repair gang was at Huiakama Mr. Masters had made representations regarding the erection of a shelter shed, towards the cost of which the committee was contributing. He had therefore decided to take the opportunity of the presence of the gang and autbbrised the work to proceed. —The action was confirmed.

The chairman and Mr. Hoskin reported visiting Urenui in connection with repairs. The committee had offered to pay half the cost of the removal of the boys’ shelter shed and renovation, and they recommended that this be accepted. They had noted with pleasure considerable improvements to the grounds since the last visit. In the course of his report to the board the director of the Hawera Technical School mentioned that some inconvenience was caused owing to the noise resulting when seats and tables on the top floor were moved. The architect (Mr. C. H. Moore) reported having considered this question, and he recommended that in order to deaden the sound three-ply malthoid be put down in one room as an experiment. The suggestion was adopted. A report on a visit to the Fraser Road school was made by the chairman and Messrs. Lees and Eaves. They stated, on the question of accommodation: This is a school situated in a magnificent dairying district which has grown rapidly. Last quarter’s average was 46 on a roll number of 51. The fl opr space is 440 square feet. The best solution to us appears to be the provision of a sma.ll additional detached room, to avoid the great inconvenience of two teachers conducting classes in the one room. This method would also be cheaper than an addition of a few feet to the building. We recommend that, subject to a favorable report ■from the senior inspector, urgent application be made to the department for a grant on the lines suggested, so that the work can be done prior to opening of school after the next holidays.