WAIRARAPA SCHOOL COMMITTEES' ASSOCIATION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9117, 17 June 1908, Page 7

WAIRARAPA SCHOOL COMMITTEES' ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL REPORT.

The following annual report of the Wairarapa School Committees' Association will he read 'at the annual meeting to-day : Your Committee has the honour to report that thrct meetings of the Association have been held during the past year, when the following subjects were dealt with:Septic Tanks. Your Association has tried to get one or more septic tanks made at country schools by way of experiment, but so far withcut success. Both the Education Board and the Health Department appear to shrink frjm making the experiment, hut some improvement in the sanitary arrangements of country schools has been promised. Royal Proclamation. —The Hon. the Premier, when approached by your Association, promised to provide copies of the Koyal Proclamation mak'ng New Zealand a Dominion, to be placed in all public schools. School Books.--The frequent and unnecessary changes in school books have Deen felt by your Association to be a very heavy tax nn parents, and the Government has been urged to provide uniform school books for all schools, to be sold at cost to parents. Inspectors and teachers appear to oppose this desirable reform, but your Association has reason to believe that the matter will be dealt with by Government. School Earnings for Plasticene and Other Woik.—At the instance of your Association, the Education Board has agreed to furnish statements and pay to Committees the amounts &o j earned. | Government Subisdy.—There appears to be a lack of information amongst Committees with regard to this. The Government pays a subsidy of £ for £ on all voluntary subscriptions to school funds, and this includes amounts raised by concerts, etc. The amount collected ia ser.t to the Education Boards with a request that Government subsidy be claimed, which is done, and the amount, with flu'* id/ added is returned to the Com; mitteo. Your Committee regrets to notice a hK'k of interest in the Association by Committees. Many Committees make no effort to be represented at the quarterly meeting?, and some do not even pay ihe mode&t levy entitling them to membership. This is to be deplore.!, for if the Association is to be the vital force in educational I matters it might easilv be made, it j io essential that all Committees should tiko a lively interest in its procoedugs, more especially small country Committees, for it is only by the united weight of the Associa- [ t'r"i that the interests of such Committees can be constrved. Committees will shortly be called upon to nominate candidates for the I Education Board. It is very desirable that country Committees should be represented by a membar acquainted with their needs, and Le \ able to place their requirements \ before the Board from actual knowledge. Mr R. Brown, Chairman of i the Association since its inception, j will offer his services if assured j of a reasonable measure of support, i Committees are therefore r.xujat, d to be represented at the annual meeting, or, if this cannot be, to say in writing if their support will bo given to the candidate brcujht forward by the Association. The balancG'Biieet show-* the receipts for the year to have been £l2 16a 9d, and the expenditure £5 ss, leaving a cr balance of £7 lis 9d. The assets show an increaso tf 15s I 9d tver the liabilities I