WAITOHI FLAT SCHOOL MEETING.

Temuka Leader, Issue 909, 26 January 1882, Page 3

WAITOHI FLAT SCHOOL MEETING.

The annual meeting of Householders was held at the schoolroom last Monday, and was well attended. Mr J, Talbot was elected Chairman. MINUTES. The minutes of the last annual meeting were read and confirmed. The following report was then submitted : ANNUAL REPORT. “■Your Committee, beg to, report as follows i: — Attendance. —The number on books at present 76 as against 73 at the end of last year. The average attendance for the last quarter is 52. The teaching staff consists of Mr Mahan (master), Mrs Mahan (sewing mistress), and Mahan (pupil teacher). “ School Accommodation, The Committee applied to the. Board of Education early in the year for an enlargement of the schoolroom, but the application was deferred, pending the result of an agitation for the erection of another school within the district. The Board have now decided to carry out the work, and will at once call for tenders for adding 15 feet in length to the present roqm, Water Supply. —The well and pump at the schoolhouse has been a source of trouble and. expense during the year, and a serious inconvenience to., the Master. The w,ell, which is upwards of 60 feet in depth,, produces a precarious and generally inadequate, supply of water, and the quality is, also, very indifferent The well was deepened, and the pump repaired in April last, at a cost of £4 10s. In September the master again reported. that the. pump was out of order. This was put right by Messrs 5 indlay and Henry, but during the late dry weather, the supply of water has again failed, and the Committee seeing no other course open, have decided to take out the pump altogether, and not to replace it again, or at all events until a permanent supply of water is assured. This will of course mean a return to the old system of windlass and bucket, as a means of raising water. • The. incidental fund has been too severely taxed to, meet the coat of the above, and it will be necesssary to ask the Board to recoup some portion of it. “ Irregular Attendance. —The Committee regret that the attendance is small in proportion to the number on the roll, a great number of children attending very irregulaly. This state of matters is much to be deplored as it shows carelessness and neglect by parents of the education of their children, which is the more unpardonable, when it is considered that the means were so easv of access. Children of tender years are also in some cases kept from school and made to do work unsuitable to their age, showing an amount of cupidity and selfishness on the part of their parents almost incredible. “ Inspecctor’s Examination.—The standard examination held at the beginning of past year was not as satisfactory as could be wished for, due in a great measure no doubt, , to the irregular attendance above noted, it ' being utterly impossible for the Master to do justice to the pupils under bis care unless they attend to their work with more constancy. The annual examination has again just been held but a sufficient time has elapsed for the report being received. The Late Committee—who now retire in accordance with the ordinance are Messrs Talbot, Moore, Thornley, Anderson, Clark, Young, and Stevenson. Financial. —-The Committee commenced the , year with a credit balance to incidental account of £I(X Is 2d. The receipts during the year on this account are £2l, and the expen-, diture £22 6s 4d, leaving a credit balance of £8 14s lOd. This amount must, however, be charged with a quarter’s payment due for cleaning school. This will leave an available balance of £5 9s lOd. The amount received for salaries, and duly paid over to the teachers, is £169 2s 6d. The accounts have been audited by Mr Bolton. “ Children’s sports were held on Thursday, January 12th. £8 3s Id were collected, and £7 15 5d expended in prizes, and in providing a supply of cake. The sports were successful, and 1 created a good half day’s enjoyment for the children. “ Harvest Holidays.—The school is now closed for one month from January 11th, in consequence of harvest operations. There having been as usual only one week allowed at Christmas.” Mr Currie proposed, and Mr Thornley seconded—That the report be adopted.” Carried, The Chairman then called for nominations, when the following gentlemen were nominated: —Messrs J. Talbot, T. Thornley, M; Moore. S Carrie, J. Anderson, M. Harney, W. Hulleen, D. Seaton, A. O. Gilmore, D. Cunningham, W. McS. Gentlemun, and McCabe. A ballot was then taken, which resulted in Messrs Barrie, Anderson, Talbot,

I Tbornley, Harney, Seaton and Moore being elected. Committee Meeting, At a meeting of the Committee subsequently held, Mr John Talbot was elected Chairman.