BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1300, 7 February 1885, Page 3

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

L At the ordinary meeting of the South Canterbury Board of of Education on Thursday there were present the Rev. Geo. Barclay (Chairman), Dr Foster, and Messrs S. W. Goldsmith, G. G. Russell, M. Gray, and K. A. Barker. The minutes of last meeting having been read and confirmed, the Chairman made his usual statement. In it he said that Messrs Talbot, Wakefield and Steward required leave of absence for the day; that Miss Strong had been appointed pupil teacher at tha Orari Bridge school ; that a new master for the Timaru School had been advertised, for, and that Mr Soott had consented to hold the position till April Ist; and that Mr Hammond was now actiDg as locum tmtns in the absence of a second mastei at the same school. The scholarship examination had been fixed for the first Tuesday in March next, the work being divided among the examiners thus—Mr Melville Gray to take Mathematics, Archdeacon Harper Latin, himself History, andDr Anderson, the Inspector, the remaining subjects. These were all the matters that needed referring to. The Education Department wrote, stating that the Board's share of the building grant would be £2230,- and that it would be available on the 31st March ; also forwarding a list of bocks which might be used in any public school; also forwarding a notice that Mr Wm. Browne, a teachtr in the Board's district, had been certificated E 4, and that Mrs E. Dunnett and Miss Kate Walkington Vance had been granted licenses to teach. The Secretary reported that letters had been received from fifteen school committees nominating members to serve on the Board, the nominees being Messrs Gray, Talbot, Postlethwaite, Bruce, and Dr Foator. The Architects reported that the repairs at the Geraldine Flat Scheol were nearly completed, and that the repairs and alteration! at the Timaru Main School had been completed. The Works Committee's report recommended that masters' residences be built at Makikihi or Redcliff, Kingsdown, Geraldine Flat and Orari Bridge, and with pecuniary help from the districts of Cannington and Upper Waitobi schools could be erected there, the whole expenditure being £1525, which left some few pounds of a balance. It would be seen that the. Committee had been obliged to leave out a number of undertakings that tbey would gladly have entered on if possible. The remaining £7OO will be absorbed as follows :—Refund to Waimataitai (half amount owiDg), £250; reserve for architects' fees, £IOO ; school furniture, £75 ; geneial contingent?, £275; total, £7OO ;-thus leaving £1530. —lt was resolved on the motion of Mr Eussell, seconded by Mr Gray -" That the report of the Committee be adopted, subject to the loan from the Waimataitai School Committee being continued on a reduction of the rate of interest and power to pay off the whole or one-half on giving them three months' notice ; that a schoolmaster's house be erected at Makikihi and a schoolhouse at Silver■tream." Messrs Cormick and Steel attended as a deputation from the residents of Upper Waitohi Flat, and in answer to the Chairman stated that about twenty children of school <ige were in the district, that a site could be secured fren, and promised to make up any deficiency there might be in the teacher's salary or the cost of school building 3. The Board said the school would come under the "aided" school regulations, thanked the deputation for attending, and instructed the Secretary to take the necessary steps to proclaim a school district at Cannington also. The Chairman made a statement as to what had been done in refarenc* to the request from the Waimate District High School for an assistant teacher. It would be remembered the Board of Governors of the Waimate High School had written stating that if this Board found it necesBary to add to the teaching staff of the school they would be prepared te contribute £75 towards the payment of an additional teacher. What the Committee (himsolf and Dr Foster) -uggested wbb this: That an additional third master be appointed ; that there be two third teachers at the school. The salary required would be something over £IOO, and as the Board of Governors had promised £75, only about £3O would be required of this Board.—After discussion the report was adopted. In the course of the discussion Mr Barker asked if the Board would be prepared to increase the staff of the Tsmuka High School, which, he thought required it as much as the Waimate School, as it had been pointed out more than once that the Temuka school was suffering through the Head Master's time being so much taken up by particular scholars,—The Chairman said Bhould an application come before them, they would no doubt favorably consider it. He added that the Board were not doing the whole of their duty as regarded iecondary •ducation. Letters were received from the Timaru School Committee, asking the Board to allow their Inspector to confer with the Committee in making the appointment of Head Master, and drawing the attention of the Board to the want of increased school accomodation .—The Board decided that th*re wax no reason to depart from the usual rule in the appointment of the Head Master, and that nothing could be done as regards increasing the school accommodation, funds beinpr too low, In Committee the appointment nf a second maater was oonsidered, and Mr Wake appointed. The sixth teacher having resigned, the Secretary was instructed to take the usual steps to fill the vacancy. Mr W. Deßenzy wrote, protesting sgainst Mr Nortbam being elected on the Committee for the Winchester School: Jie beiag a logger, no{; a hpusehpldpr.— It was depided to Bend a letter to Mr Northam asking for an explanation. Letters were read from the Gapes' Valley, Opihi, Kakahu, Wai-iti, Pleasant Valley, Woodbury, South Orari, Mount Gay, and Geraldine Commictees, stating tp.»t the communications re Inspector's report had repeived attention. The Sepretary was instructed tp write' to the Scptsburn Committee, asking for an explanation of the low per centage gained by the school. The Milford and several other Committees applied for grants for repairs, butth.e appUpatipnji were deferred until the Secretary had niajle a list of all similar applications.

The application of the Makikihi School Committee that the aided school there be taken over was granted, similar requests from the Gapes' Valley and Albury Committees being refused for the present.