ELECTION OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1894, 28 January 1875, Page 2

ELECTION OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

PAR AWAI DISTRICT.

The annual meeting of Parawai householders under the Education Act was held at the schoolroom last night at 7 o'clock. Mr G. Bagnall, senr., was voted to the chair. Mr Coburn, teacher, was requested and consented to take minutes of the proceedings, and proceeded to read th« clauses of the Act under which the meeting was held.

Mr A. J. Allom then read the following report :—

BEPOET.

To the householders and other ratepayers of the Parawai educational district. Your Committee, elected *on 26th January, 1874, have the honor to make the second annual report for this district. No change has taken place in the direct management of the school, Mr Coburn having continued to give the greatest satisfaction to your Committee as teacher during the past year. The Committee are gratified to hear that their pupil teacher, E«bert Skeen, has been placed at the top of the list with 436 marks at the recent examination in Auckland for Provincial Scholarships. The attendance, of pupils has been generally satisfactory, but the Committee would draw the attention of parents to the great importance of enforcing continuous attendance on the part of their children. Absence ev^n for a few days from school is very injurious. to them, and is much to be regretted. The following figures are submitted for general information :—

It will be observed that the number of children on the roll during the respective quarters of the year 1874 has been very uniform, and it is satisfactory to find that the average daily attendance of boys and girls has. increased from 71 in the March quarter to 74 in the ~J)ecenTber quarter. There has been a fallingoff in the attendance of girls, which may be partly owing to the fact that the .Committee are-notyet in a position to appoint a female teacher. Whilst, however, the average daily attendance of girls has decreased from 27 in the March quarter to 17 in the December quarter, it is gratifying to see that the average daily attendance of boys has increased from U in the March quarter to 57 in the December quarter. It is worthy also of note that the average daily attendance of boys and girls is increasing, as will be seen from the following figures:-— '

1873. . Average jnimber on roll ... 84 Average daily attendance ... 63 1874. Average number on roll m Average daily attendance .'.'. M 67 Number on roll to date 4 ?92 Average daily attendance ■'.'.!■ 76

Your Committee have much pleasure in acknowledging the liberal VncoiiraKement already given and promised in the future by the^Hon. the Native Minister, to their efforts to promote the education of children of the native race. The number of Maori children received since the opening of the school in October 1873 is 18, and the number actually attending school at this date is 12. Until the school building be enlarged the Committee can. not receive any more children, whether they be Maori or European. It will be in the recollection of the ratepayers, that neither the Maori children now attending, nor a large proportion of the European could have been received, but for the timely assistance given to this Committee by the Hon. the Native Minister at the close of the year 1873. A statement of the expenditure incurred upon the school building and site, and of the sources whence the funds were- derived is hereto appended, from which it will be seen that out of the whole sum of £237 5s lOd expended, only £72 thereof was contributed by the Board of Education towards the building and school furniture, whilst £130 was obtained from the General Government through the Native Minister, and the .balance of £35 5s lOd was raised by Mrs Mackay and other contributors in this district. Notwithstanding the enlargement of the school house in December 1874, it has been for some time apparent that considerable further enlargement of the building is necessary. With a view to the health of the pupils and to efficient working, the present building is a 'great deal too small, especially in the summer season.

The school was visited by Sir Donald McLean in December last; upon that occasion these matters were pointed out to him, and also that we could not expect-* to obtain all the funds required from the Board of Education. The letter from Sir Donald McLean, dated 24th December last, hereto appended will inform the ratepayers of his munificent offer to pay £150 towards making up the amount required ! for the extension of the building, which is estimated at £200. Tour Committee hare no doubt that on this occasion a resolution will be unanimously passed thanking Sir Donald McLean for this handsome offer, and assuring him of our high appreciation of the practical interest he has taken in our proceedings. Tour Committee applied to the Board of Education to supplement the balance required. They have received no official reply, but they learn from the newspapers that the Board have declined to grant the amount. Tour Committee therefore regret that they are compelled to suspend any further action in the matter. If the £50 could have been obtained from the Board of Education before Christmas, as we heped, the whole of the work would have been completed during the holidays. Tour Committee are much pleased to state that they were requested by Sir Donald McLean to expend for him a sum of from, £5 to £10 in purchasing cricket materials and other suitable playthings as presents for the children. As the playground is not large enough for cr&ket, your Committee with Sir Donald McLean's approval, have therefore expended the sum of £9 15s in the erection of a swing for the girls, a couple of substantial see-saws for the smaller.boyi, and a trapeze and horizontal bar for the larger ones. This very liberal gift your Committee are pleased to observe has already borne good fruit, as the children now find ample amusement in the play-ground instead of loitering about the streets as heretofore.

During the week previous to the Christmas holidays, examinations -were held orally" and by written papers, and on the 18th of December a large number of book prizes were awarded, the particulars of which have already been publisibed. Your Committee were enabled to roe these prizes by the liberality of residflk of the district. A statement showiniHe names of the subscribers to the amountof < £7 4s Bd 3 with particulars of expenses ' showing a balance of 15s 5d in hand is appended. In conclusion, your Committee bee to express the hope ,that the results of the the present year as regards all matters connected with the Parawai School, may bear favorable comparison with those of the past. Signed on behalf of the Committee, Albebt J. Allom, Chairman.

Thames, December 24th, 1874. Sir, —I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23rd inst., and in reply beg to inform you that the sum of one hundred and fifty pqund* will be paid by the Government tcjrTirds making up the amount of two hik^dred pounds, which you informed me wtfuld be required to complete the proposed extension of the Parawai School. Taking into consideration the assistance already rendered by the Government in this matter, every facility should be allowed for the attendance of Native chilren at the Parawai School; and accommodation for an increased number of Native scholars must be provided for. I do not think after the further assistance which is now authorised, it will be too much to ask that provision for the accommodation of not less than thirty children be made.

A capitation allowance of one pound for each. Maori child Trill be paid to the school master in consideration for the extra trouble he has to take with the Native children; this will date from the Ist of of January 1874. It is gratifying to me to observe the interest that is taken by the Parawai School Committee in promoting the education of the Maori children, and I have every confidence that their efforts in this direction will bear good fruit; the advance already made leads to the hope that much good will result from educating the children of two distinct races in the same school.

I have the honor to be, sir, Your obedient servant, Donald McLean". The Chairman Parawai School Committee Shortland.

The report was adopted on the motion of Mr Lipsey, seconded by Mr Tookey. Mr Tookey moved, and Mr Stoncy seconded, a vote of thanks to the retiring Committee for their work and their report. : .T- - ■■•;.'■' ' \ Messrs A. J> Allom (chairman) and Spencer returned thanks. Mr Lipsey moved, and Mr Vernon seconded; that the thanks of the meeting be given to Sir Donald McLean for his generous support to the Parawai School both, past and present. Carried unanimously. The next business was the election of Committee for 1875.

Mr Verron proposed, and Mr Lipsey seconded, that the 1874 Committee be reelected for the current year. Carried nem con.

Mr Yemen requested the opinion of Committee on the matter of the proposed amalgamation of School Committees on the Thames. .

Mr Allom replied, that the Committee would continue to oppose any change as regards this district, on account of the special circumstances in which it is placed. He did not think it likely any such change would be, made. Mr Vernon proposed—That in the opinion of the ratepayers of this distrietthe late Committee have not received the amount of consideration at the hands of the Education Board that is due to this district in the matter of the grant for the extension of the school-house, and they request that the present Committee urge the reconsideration of the matter upon the Board of Education, as the £150 promised conditionally by the 1 Hon. Native Minister i 3 too important to the interests of the district to be lost. Carried unanimously. Mr Stoney proposed, and Mr Allom seconded, a vote of thanks to the Chairman. ,

•n roll quarter Boys. Girls. ending March .., 64 49 „ June ... 73 36 „ September 77 35 „ December 80 33 Total. 113 109 112 113 -Yerage daily attend- Boys. Girls. ance March. qr. 44 27 „ June „ 40 18 „ September „ 48 17 „ December „ 57 17 Total, 71 58 65 74

Attendance, 1874.

Receipts. £ s d Prom General Government.., 130 0 0 From Board of Education ... 50 0 0 From Board of Education for furniture ... ... 22 0 0 Prom Mrs Mackay and oth«r contributors in the Farawai District ... ... 35 510 ■£9.3* X Irt

Statement of Receipts and Disbursement* on Account or Parawai School.

contract for extension of £ s d building ... „. 91 10 0 Contract for original building 86 0 0 School furniture, fittings, &c. 27 2 0 Darting shells for school allotment ... ... ... 11 16 0 Fencing 8 16 3 Labor, draining, and improving school site ... 82 2 _ Sundries ... ... 3 19 5 £237 5 10

Disbursements. /