Annual Report of School Committee.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 51, 29 January 1884, Page 2

Annual Report of School Committee.

To the Householders of Palmevston. , Yovir Committee, have much (pleasure | m submitting to you the followirtg, re : l 'port for the past year. The number' of children on the. roll is 387 as sigainsfc 35T for 1882. But the increase onjthq average 'attendance is ;: .more f,inar keel, \ and has reached 3X3 as against 2,48. for 18S2. ■.. It is very gratifying to have to • report the large average of Standard passes which at last- 1 exanviuaj,iqu leached 87 per cent. of. those presented*." Ihe teaching staff consists of the liead master, one male assistant, four female assistants and two pupil teacher.*, and the numbers on the rollgive3 about 50 pupils to each. The Act provides that each pupil teacher is not to have more than 25 scholars, so that giving 1 the head master and . assistant their, full complement, there are 50 children' on •bhe roll for whom tuition is not provided as by the Act stated. ,In addition to; this, the roonis. where, gihgle classes are being taught are too :smaii to accommodate these classes, and, there :aie three classes m one ;room— -infant and Fi.ist Standard pnpils. Tjiis' state of. things is against .the health/of: the children, and the teachers. Where a single class occupies i room, and those classes m one room with no division between the classes, it makes it impossible to do justiceto the, pupils and mnst be very trying to the .teachers. The floor space for each child is under nine feet, which; js far too small. This ' matter-has been laid before the Education Board, and steps are being taken to have another school erected at Terrace End. ,As yet nothing definite, has been arranged about tbatr ' j . Financially, the Committee is in'a good position. Two years ago, there was over £20 of debt. The Committee have now a balance m haud of £6, About £30 were, expended m prizes, and as a treat to 1 the children given m Mr Lintoa's paddock at Terrace End. The Committee regret that so little interest was shown by the parents m the children's fete, scarcely twenty parents jbeing pivsent. ; ; . . ." It is necessary " then that more school-room accomodatipn.be provided, for there are over a hundred' children over school a*e either , attending private schools or going to none. 1 1 is necessary also tliat at I 'least another pupil v teacher be appointed, and the Committee ;woh.ld!,like to seethe householders taking a greater interest m educational matters. '. ; \ . A. D. Weight,: '"''':' . Secretary.* io ; — ' i aimcrapbu iNTJrttT^rr:^ ' :.•';■' 0 anuary 28tli, 1884. ■ ' J : ' . The Balance Sheet showed that the total receipts for the year amounted to '"£ 1011 4s 4d aud the disbursements to £97 755 d .: ' ■ /•■ \ ■ .- . ■ ■:..!: The Chairman' thought the householdets could congratulate themselves oiijtho position the School holds at piesent. Now was the time if the householders deßited any explanation of matters. \ ,-,.; Mr Pa.rrridge wanted to know about the penny per week business. Some paid and some did not. , .The Chairman stated that financially speaking, the school was two years ago m a bad state. They were m debt, and' no means to pay it'otf. The capitation: money was only £8 4s per quarter, It was determined by the Committee to form apenny per week, fund, to supply the, children, with school necessities, and the^balance, if any, to be devoted to ar > school fete. Itfiwa^s" limited to threein one family. The scheme had' worked well) although it had met with, opposition,.. Some fe w\, had refused to pay it, and here a diifi- " cttlty arose. It ■ ooiild not be made compulsory, and the schoolmaster could not -refuse- to supply school requisites to the children of those parents who would not pay, but it was considered that it would be tmjust 'fco' the children/of those who paid, if all obtained the same privileges. ; It was: therefore de-j termined that the children of those who.; did not contribute to the fund should; pay-one shilling" entrance to the' school fete, which was free to . the; others. Altogether- the scheme had worked most satisfactorily, and < with' benefit to the school., • ■ : ?.- Mr Partridge complained that.be-. cause ho did not pay his children were snubbed at the school.. , , ; . Mr Abrahams movgd" that the report and Balance Sheet be adopted.'' Mr Grace seconded the motion. Mr Sinclair St. George asked if the balance-sheet had been audited. The Chaii-man replied m the nega•tivel: The Government* Auditor would arrive iv Palmerston m a few days, wh'eh'-it would be submitted to him for. approval. — .Mj? Hawkins said tjhe report appearedto be that of. the Secretary, and not. tjaat of. the Committee. It did appear . grange, that the Couiiipittee^had no 6 -; met aud approVcii of' the ro[»OFt, before submitting it to the meeting. The Chairman replied that it was the duty of. the Secretary t°' PP ce P ar ?. report.'" 'Last year the l X3naiiniunhi>d drawn it up and laid- it 'before the (i meeiiug. Theßev.' Mr.' Wright (the secretiuy^ , said lie : knew the minds of the mittee, and therefore virtually the observations were those of the committee. It lay with the meeting accept or reject it. ■;..-■ £_ , Mr Grace thought the diHcussion was a ( waste of tiuiei J as ; no benefit could, result from' itl' He would second the motion foi the adoption of th« report* ; The Chairman "then put Iho resolution, when it' was carried unanimously. The following gentlemen were, then. .nominated as dommittee' men, vi* j Messrs A. Stewart, ,Gr. F. Hawkins, J* P. Leary, G. Woadioofe, Sinclair George,-

Wright, G. W. Bussell, S. Abralams, j. Milverton, and J. Fraser. .Messrs Liuton and Snelson were ijso nominated, but it being stated' ,hat neither of these gentlemen were lesirous of being members tJiis year, their nominatioiis were withdrawn. A ballot was then taken, with the following result : —

: " '•• ANALYSIS. S. M- George, 14 voters 59 votes ' G, F;~B&wkrar,-ttvotenr « votes G. Woodrooffe, 11 voters 38 votes «T P. Leary, 11 voters 2(1 votes A. Stewart, 8 voters 19 votes A.' M. Wright 6 voters 13 votes G. W. Rusßell 5 voters 13 votes S. Abrahams, 6 voters 12 votes J, MilvertoQ, 5 voters 7 votes . J. D. Frsser, ' .fibers; ,j The first seven gentlemen were declared elected, am] -jcetupned, thanks for the conndenc-i their felio w nousenolders had p.lfrded' m themC \ ! j 1 A vote of thanks was passed to the members' of 'tlie outgoing ■Gb'riMiffee. ■ v The chairman m Jffejn for the vote said, he was $*lad to see r that the peop'e of-Palmerston were taking an interest in^he.-scbopj}- as was evidenqfrl by, the ' large number pre sent asconstra§ted with previous annual meetings. Before a tew householders came and, elected one another to office, but tonight ;thfc keen cdJnpetitiori showed Umt they had awoke to the necessi ty of more actiivrty .m scftcjol matters. ' " ' ■'''' JIU ' ; -" Ou the motion of Mr Hawkins a vote 'of thanks was given 1 ' to IVirWttistfn the head-master* , .Li. -Mk Wntson thanked, the meeting for 'the'vo'te'tney lfad-given : h4hP It was a pleasure i% hijn ; tQj kwowrthafc he had the confidence of the householder?; such a knowledge would strengthen him m the future m working for the benefit of the scholars entrusted to his charge. After a vote of thanks fco the Chairman tne'niveting-^oparafedi-k& committee meeting was afterwards head, when Mr "• J? ~P. Leary wss chosen CBairman tf tlWOommitiee. 2

S*. M. Georee, 6471724723222 7... 59 G'.F Hawkins, 7 7712172 421 ... 41 Q Woodrooffe, 62122717172 . 38 J.P. Leary, 1213311 1313 ... ... 20 A. Stewart, 31132 3 24 19 A. M. Wright. 313132 13 Q. W.RasselJ, 24 2 23 13 S, Abraham* 111612 12 J. Milverton, 1 1 4 1 7 f, V. FraSer, 11 .'.-* "..T*"*7.T- *• ... 2