GERALDINE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1802, 13 October 1888, Page 4

GERALDINE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

•' ' The monthly meeting of the members of this Committee was held in the schoelbouse.. Geraldine, on Wednesday last. Present—Messrs W. S. Maslin (chairman), J., W. Pye, N. Dunlop and J. Biordan. ; ; '. MINUTES. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. ' . The S.C. Education Board wrote in t reply-to the Committee's application for a new range for the master's 1 house, stating that Ihe sum o£ £7 10s "had been granted for the same. The fencing and repairs asked to be attended to, would be inspected by the Rev. G. Barclay, who would report to the Board as to the work required. HEAD MASTER'S EEPOET. The master's report upon the workingof the school during the mont ; h was laid upon the table and read, and considered satisfactory, The average attendance was shown to have been 185.6, which just saved the reduction in the teachers' salaries. The highest attendance had been 210. The head master also wrote with regard to the annual school concert, the time for which was now approaching, and made several suggestions re the same, the consideration of which the Committee decided to hold over for the present. THE PRIZES.

The chairman stated that the financial position of the committee was fairly satisfactory. He stated that in company with the head master he had selected a number of books for prizes at a considerable reduction in price. His action was approved of. The chairman also drew attention to the way in which the prizes were allotted. They had usually been given according to the marks accorded to the pupils during the year. He thought, however, that justice was not always done to deserving children by this method. He mentioned one instance where the pupil bad gained first prize on the master's marking, and yet had totally failed to pass the Inspector's examination. He thought a better plan would be to add ten extra marks to each subject the pupils passed inv and deduct ten. marks from all the subjects in which they foiled to pass, and a*ard the priz-.s accordingly. He considered the Inspector's examination was the b-jsfc test of thoroughness. The pupils being examined, in a different way to that usually adopted by the teacher it would show whether they had a good grasp of the subjects they were being examined in or not. The failure of a child in any standard should be sufficient to disqualify it for receiving a

prize. The members were of opinion that it was essential for a child to pass its examination before it received a prize. After considerable discussion it was decided to postpone a final decision on the subject till the next meeting. '" VISITOR'S KKP.'KT, etc. Mr'Dunlop, on behalf of the visitors, reported having visited the school during the month, when everything was working satisfactorily. He drew the Committe'e'n attention to several repairs needed at the. master's house, and also 'to the state of the drain in the back yard.—lt was decided ; to point out the same to the 'Rev., G. Barclay when he came to inspect the premises. Messrs Pye and Riordan were appointed visitors for the ensuing month, and the meeting >