S.C. BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2172, 7 March 1891, Page 3

S.C. BOARD OF EDUCATION.

■t- The monthly meeting of the South Canterbury Board of Education was held on Thursday. Present —Messrs S. W. Goldsmith (chairman), Pearpoint, Howell, Talbot, Jackson, Gray, and Rev. T. J. Smyth. In his opening statement the chairman said Mr Archibald declined the appointment to Upper Waitohi, Mr, Greaves to Waimataitai, and Miss Oxby to Rangitata. Mr Kelly was appointed to Upper Waitohi, Miss Oxby to Gapes’s Valley, and Mr J. Wood to Waimataitai . accumulated funds. Mr Talbot, pursuant to notice, moved—“ That out of the sum which has accrued to the credit of the maintenance account of the board —some £ISOO or thereabout—the sum of £SOO be allocated for the payment of a bonus addition on the salaries of teachers who were in the service of the board on the 31st of December, 1890, ard for more than a period of six months previously, such bonus to be calculated as follows ;—On the amount received by each teacher by way of salary for the year ending December 31st, 1890, if in the service of the board over six months and less than one year, 2 per cent; one year and less than two years, 3 per cent; two years and less than three, 4 per cent; three years and upwards, 5 per cent. No bonus to be paid to any teacher unless he shall have been in the board’s service for a period exceeding six months from December 31st, 1890. Should this scheme of distribution involve an expenditure of more than £SOO the payment to each teacher to be proportionally reduced bo as to bring it within this sum.” After some discussion the motion was carried.

Mr Jackson then proposed to move that a bonus of 10 per cent on the incidental allowances of the past year be given to the larger schools.

Mr Howell said that such a motion required notice. He would move that a committee, to consist of Messrs Talbot, Gray, and Pearpoint, be appointed to consider the allocation of the accrued and unused maintenance fund.

Mr Pearpoint supported Mr Howell. After some discussion, the secretary explained that the £ISOO had not accrued in three years. There had always been a balance in hand at this time of the year, but it practically included the salaries for February, and the true credit balance was £419. They had a larger balance than usual, and they had been fortunate this year in having two quarters, and two schools had earned capitations without expenditure. The board was not saving £SOO a year, but £l2O, or £l5O in fortunate years. Mr Howell then said the motion had been passed in too much of a hurry and Mr Talbot should ask leave to withdraw it, but Mr Talbot declined to do so, as £ISOO had accrued on the maintenance account, and he understood it had accrued in three years. Mr Talbot said he could not sit on the committee proposed by Mr Howell, as he would have nothing whatever to do with it. He would approve of a committee to revise the scale of incidentals, and would be willing to act on such a committee. *

Mr Howell put in a notice of motion —“ That Mr Talbot’s motion be rescinded, so that the matter may receive further considerption.” In reply to a question the chairman said he could not pay the bonus in the face of such a notice, and after some rather acrimonious remarks the subject dropped. BUILDINGS. A return prepared at the request of the Department of the building requirements of the district showed a total estimated cost of £IIOOO, of which £6600 was distinguished for “ urgent ” work. The architect reported that the additions to the Bangitira Valley School bad been completed satisfactorily, and the additions to the Kingsdown School would be completed in a few days.

Tenders were received for additions at Belfield School :—J. W. Higgins, £sl 10s (accepted); J. H. Dean, £55 ; D. Oloiiston, £64 14s ; B. Tooth, £65105. Also for Upper Waitohi: J. W. Higgins, £54 10s (accepted) ; B. Tooth,' £67 10a; Tubb, £67 10a ; T. Poden,' £69; Clinch and Xdoyd, £7B 16s. DISTHICT HIGH SCHOOLS. The inspector submitted his report on tjm Piatrict High Schools of Waimate and Twenty-one scholars took part jin tfop examination at Waimate and nine at Miss M. Miller, one of the Waimate scholars, has bee» a»gssssful in passing

the matriculation examination of the New Zealand University. ? , . '1 he following are the inspector s on the Temuka Schooli— Latin, 7 pupils: An average mark of 83 per cent for all the papers in Latin attests the high quality of the work done. There was not a single weak paper in the lot French, 6 pupils: In French two papers were very good, two good, and two of very little value, Euclid, 9 pupils: la euclid two excellent papers were given in—one by a pupil taking the second course, and the other by one taking the senior section of the first course, Two papers were marked 55 and 54 per cent, respectively, and the remaining papers averaged 24 per cent. Algebra, 9 pupils : In this subject the only pupil in the second course gained full marks with an excellent paper. None of the pupils in the other classes showed to advantage, the highest marks obtained being 60 per cent., and the average marks 38 per cent

BOARD ELECTIONS. The chairman reported the result of the election of members to fill the three ordinary vacancies. Thirty five schools voted, and the result was: Talbot 33, Gray 24, Pearpoint 21, Rhodes 20, Balfour 5. He therefore declared the three first - named elected. These were the retiring members. Nominations had been received for the two extraordinary vacancies. In place of Mr Barclay resigned—Mr W. Storey, Temuka; Mr W. M. Moore, Geraldine ; Mr G. H. Rhodes, Claremont ; Rev. W. J. Williams, Timaru; and Mr H. Watts, Waimate. In place of Mr R. A. Barker, deceased—Messrs Storey, Moore, and Balfour. auditor. The secretary was appointed as usual to audit the school committees’ accounts. COMMITTEES’ CORRESPONDENCE. Fairlie Creek was granted £7 towards renewal of school floor. Master Seymour Willoughby was appointed pupil teacher at Geraldine. Pareora was granted £2 towards providing ventilation in schoolroom. A petition from Pleasant View (formerly Rhubarb Flat) for a school was favorably received. —Inspector to meet residents to fix boundaries and report. An application for an adjustment of staff at Seadown was left to the office to deal with.

Temufea was granted £5 towards grading floor in infants’ room, (£7 10s asked for). Architect to report on repairs to the roof. Inspector to report on need of increased class room at the Timaru school.

The Upper Waitohi Committee sent an explanation of a matter complained of by the late master, that they retained a letter they ought to have sent to the board. The chairman wrote that the master resigned after writing his letter, and the feommittee therefore thought it unnecessary to send in his letter, — It was resolved on the motion of Mr Smyth—“ That while the board accepts the explanation of the chairman of the Upper Waitohi school in not forwarding the master’s letter as partly satisfactory, the boarn consider it was an error of judgment on the part of the committee in not either returning Mr letter of explanation to him. or forwarding it to the board.” Correspondence was read regarding a complaint against the teacher at Eedcliff.—The Inspector was called in, aad after hearing him the board considered the complaint a trivial one. The meeting then terminated.