MASTERTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8406, 22 April 1907, Page 7

MASTERTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

ANNUAL REPORT. The following is the annual report of the Masterton School Committee to be submitted to the annual meeting of householders this evening:— Including the Main and Side schools there has been an average roll number of 749, with an average attendance of 675, and a percentage of attendance of 90.1. In addition, there have been 81 scholars in the Secondary Classes, with an average attendance of 75, and a percentage of attendance of 92.6. The general efficiency of the school has been maintained in a highly satisfactory - manner. The inspectors have again awarded the mark "Good," for efficiency, order, discipline, and tone of the school. At the annual examinations held in December last, four scholars passed the matriculation and Solicitors' General Knowledge examinations, thirteen passed the Junior Civil Service examination with credit, ten scholars qualified for Senior Board Scholarships, and five for Junior National Scholarships. Only one of the whole number of scholars who went up for examination failed to pass in one or other of the examinations named. Under the able management of the headmaster, Mr W. H. Jackson, your school has fully maintained the reputation it has gained in past years, and more than once during the year your Committee has had pleasure in commending the efforts of that gentleman and his zealous and untiring staff to promote the welfare of the school. One of the last public acts of the late deeply-lamented Hon. R. J. Seddon was to open the new brick building added to your school for Secondary work, science teaching, and cookery classes. This building was opened in April last, and has proved of very great benefit to the school, excellent work having been done in these departments. A distinct success has been made of the experimental gardening scheme. The thanks of your Committee, and of yourselves as parents, are due to the Trust Lands Trustees for a large measure of the success attending this branch of school work. The Trustees have not only provided the land required and large monetary grants, but they have taken a warm personal interest in the work, which has been . very gratifying to your Committee. The work of the Agricultural Classes has been a work of love to the Headmaster and many of the scholars', who gave up holiday time to work in the gardens. Although the land was the most unpromising piece of ground, excellent results have been obtained to the lasting benefit of the boys, who have been taught how to grow good crops on poor soil. Your thanks are also due to the Masterton Borough Council, the Masterton A. and P. Associatin, the Chamber of Commerce, and others for valuable aid in this important work. Your committee has had an income during the past year of no less than £504 15s 2d. The larger part of this has been derived from grants from the Trust Lands Trustees, which grants carry with them a Government subsidy of £ for £. The Trustees have given not only the usual grant for general school purposes, but also a grant of £BO for fencing the Agricultural Classes' ground, and a grant of £SO to build propagating and tool houses. Without these generous grants your Committee would have been unable to make the Agricultural Classes the Valuable addition they have proved to be to the education of many of the boys of the Masterton School, i Your Committee desire to express their appreciation of the untiring efforts of the Secretary, and the satisfactory manner in which he has carried out his many duties. . During the year your Committee has held fourteen meetings, thirteen ordinary and one special, and the attendance has been as follows: Mr R. Brown 14, Mr J. Carpenter 14. Mr W. Gillespie 14, Mr H. O'Leary 13, Mr W. A. Pendall 11, Mr E. H. Waddington 11, Mr G. Townsend 11, Mr C. Perry 11, Mr T. Duncan 6. Late in the year Mr Duncan resigned his seat on the Committee in consequence of his removal from the district Your did not deem it necessary to fill the vacancy.