FEATHERSTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1528, 6 November 1883, Page 2

FEATHERSTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

■ a The adjourned meeting of the Feathersthn School Committee was held on Saturday evening, November 3rd. Pre: sent—Messrs Cox (Chairman), Bunny, O'Neale, and Toogood. Mr Qakly was excused through illness. An account from Mr Hitenian of £l l2s was passed for payment, Correspondence inwards'was read from Secretary of Education Board re appointment of Mi- H. E. Amner, late of Blenheim, to Cross' Creek School. The Chairman gave an analysis of the petition presented to the Committee by Messrs Jas. Donald and Eiddick, showing but few who had signed the petition had any interest in the home work question, the parents named only representing thirty children in the fourth, fifth, and sixth standards who did home work. This return was made from a' statement supplied by tho head teacher, the exact number was 15 in the 4th, 11 in the sth, and 4 in the Gth standards. Many of those parents who signed it have been warned under the compulsory clauses, The Committee had to deal first with those who wero entirely opposed to home work, secondly with those who consider the home work that has been given too much, and thirdly those who signed the petition for home work. How tho latter as a wholo could be interested with homo work was a puzzle, seeing so many of them care little or nothing for the school in any way. The specimen of homo work supplied tho Committee of the 4th and sth standards are all in arithmetic, and the Gth standard arithmetic was varied occasionally by sentences to analyse and parse, or poetry to paraphrase. The arithmetic in' each case ho thought would take a child of moderate ability 45 minutes. His opinion was that in any case home work should only bo permissive, not compulsory, as the Act demanded a certain number of lessons daily.

Tho following resolutions were then passed: —That llio appointment of Mr Amner to Cross' Creek School bo confirmed, That tho attention of tho head teacher be directed to a former resolution passed by the committee, ro the compulsory clauses, and that he will be good enough to supply the committee with the names of all children between the age of 7 and 13, within the radius of two miles, who do not attend school, naming those who aro exempted, as required by clause 92 and specified iii the third schedule. That the head teacher be requested to supply a return of attendance made since July last of each child belonging ■to the petitioners re homo lessons. 1. That the Chairman obtain the following information: "Are tho rolls called ■once or twice daily, and at what hours." 2. If a child comes lato or is absent when the roll is called in the' morning, and comes afterwards, is such child marked absent for tho half or wholoday, That this Committee aro of opinion that Miss'Medloy cannot do justico to so large a number of children as she has under her charge, and recommend she should have more assistance without delay. Messrs Toogoodand O'Nealo wore appointed visitors for the month,

The Teachers' Association not yet having sent into the Education Board their report on home work, as represented by the report in tho newspapers they intended doing, this committee decided to allow that question to stand ovor for further consideration. The meeting then terminated.