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NEWPORT SCHOOL BOARD.

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NEWPORT SCHOOL BOARD. » A monthly meeting of this Board was held on Monday last, at the Town-hall, when there were pre- sent—Messrs. W. Christophers, Vice-chairman, pre- siding F. J. Mitchell, R. N. Osborne, W. Vaughan, and C. Lewis. THE LOAN FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE BRITISH SCHOOLS. A letter was received from Messrs. Barnes and Bernard, solicitors to the Public Works Loan Com- missioners, acknowledging the receipt of the mortgage deed of the purchase of the British schools (now known as the Stow-hill Board schools). It was as- sumed that as no mistake had been pointed out by the Commissioners, everything was in order. In answer to the Chairman, the Clerk said he had inquired at the bank that morning, and the account had not been credited with the amount of the loan. A CONTRADICTION. A letter was read from Miss Griffiths, assistant mis- tress at the Central Tnfant School, in which she con- ». tradicted a statement which had appeared in the Telegram that she had taken a certificate in the 3rd division, 3rd class, the fact being that she had taken a 3rd division certificate in the second class. She also asked to be given the form which announced her success, and which had been sent to the Clerk. It was thought that a copy of the form would be sufficient, and the Clerk was directed to furnish her with one. SITES COMMITTEE. Mr. Mitchell stated that the Committee appointed to consider the question of purchasing sites for new infant schools bad not met, and consequently there was no report to lay before the meeting. SCHOOL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE. The minutes of the last meeting of the above Com- mittee were read. AmoRg the matters dealt with, which were of a minor character, was a request from Miss Griffiths, the assistant school mistress at the Central Infant Board School, requesting that a grant be made her to bring her salary up to the same amount as she received last year, viz., j657 10s. The officials at the Stow-hill schools having applied some time ago, the Correspondent of the Committee had been directed to apply for information as to the salaries paid in voluntary schools in the district, and also to apply to one school in the respective towns of Cardiff, Swansea, and Gloucester, It was stated that the monthly visitorsunder the new arrangement made since the acquirement of the British schools, had not visited the central infant school, and the Chairman remarked that he was afraid there was some truth in it, but two new members had been appointed who, it was believed, would actively attend to their duties. The Finance Committee presented accounts which they recommended for payment, one subject to the Treasurer passing it. The Compulsion Committee reported that they had met twice since the last ordinary meeting of the Board, and had investigated 45 cases, receiving 34 promises making three orders three of the cases were thase of very bad boys, and one was a case of parish relief. The remaining cases had been adjourned, or otherwise dis- posed of. It was agreed to raise the salary of Miss Griffiths to the same amount as she received last year, on the mo- tion of Mr. Mitchell, seconded by Mr. Vaughan. Mr. Osborne remarked that perhaps if the school were looked more sharply after, the deficiency might be made up. The Clerk stated that there was a resolution on the books to the effect that when Miss Griffiths left, in- stead of another assistant mistress being appointed, the work hitherto done by her should be done by pupil teachers. He suggested to the Board whether they would make any provision on the matter. It was understood that the question be allowed to stand over, as it did not press, Miss Griffiths's resignation not taking effect till the 25th June. THE PROPOSED ALTERATIONS AT THE STOW HILL SCHOOLS,. It was decided at the last meeting to add two class rooms, and carry out other improvements at the Stow Hill Schools, and Messrs. Habershon, Pite, and Fawckner, architects of the orginal building, were appointed to prepare the plans. Mr. Fawckner now- attended, and stated, in answer to the Chairman, that he had gone iuto the question of cost, and he thought it would be something like £ 264>, but he did not know what the exact additional accommodation would be when the alterations were completed. He had kept in view the requirements of the Department as to beat, area, &c., and had provided for efficient ventilation. The plans were considered in detail by the Board, and, ultimately, a Committee was appointed, on the motion of Mr. Vaughau, to deal with the plans and report to to the Board. Reports of the attendance and fees received at the schools under the control of the Board were read. Mr. Brown, visiting officer, reported that he had served 52 notices, and had summoned three persons before the Magistrates, the result being that one case was dismissed, one defendant was fined 5s., and one 2s. 6d. Mr. Stephens reported that he had served 4S notis 's three persons he had summoned, one of whom was fined 5s. THE WORK DONK BY THE BOARD. Mr. Osborne had given a notice of motion to the 0. effect that in order to secure abetter average attendance of children at school, a reduction of 20 per cent. being allowed for non-attendance, the visiting officers be relieved of other duties at present performed by them, -such as making out school and other returns, attending meetings of the Board and Committees, &c. thus enabling them to devote their time and energies in looking after absentee children. The resolution, he said, was rather thorough, but he felt a sense of humiliation in thinking that after the existence of the Board for five years, and with all the measures they had taken aud the appliances they ha-d at hand, they were obliged to confess what seemed to him to amount to failure in the great purpose for which they were really in existence. It seemed to him that the great cause of the existence of School Boards was the de- ncienfy of educational means, and that they were appointed for the purpose of seeing that every child in the borough of Newport was educated. The sta- tistics and returns and reports which they had re- ceived that morning were calculated to remind one of FalstafFs bill which he put in the hands of Prince Henry, in which there was an enormous quantity of sack and only one pennyworth of bread. It seemed to him that they had been getting all sorts of returns and multiplying all sorts of appliances, but the real pr. c ical work was, he would not say absolutely neg- lected, but it was not attended to with that amount of thoroughness which should be bestowed upon it. When the visiting officers were appointed they were inexperienced, and the idea was that it would really be their work to look after parents and children, and do their best to get the schools filled. Now a Com- mittee was appointed to look after new sites, whereas it had been admitted that, allowing 20 per cent. for absentees, their school accommodation was adequate. That was an anomalous state of things. He did not disapprove of more accommodation being provided, because he believed it was thoroughly necessary, but by their present action they were putting the cart before the horse. He thought that at present they should exhaust all their efforts to get the present schools filled as nearly as possible then the necessity for increased accommodation would be more apparent. There were 30 schools in the district in which their visiting officers acted, and in each of these schools he computed that it took the visiting officer three quarters of an hour to prepare the returns of absentees. That meant 22 hours per week employed in preparing re- turns alone. It appeared a reasonable thing to com- pute the average time in which the visitors were engaged per day at eight hours, viz., from nine in the morning till five in the evening, and considering that the returns must be done during school hours, reckon- ing at the rate of eight working hours a day, nearly one half of the week would be found to be spent in procuring returns. Then again, before a parent could be summoned it was necessary that every school in the district should be visited to make certain that the ih'ld had not been attending any school. There was the serving of notices also, and he should like to raise the point whether it was any part of the officers' duty to serve notices on members of the Board. In his opinion it was not, neither was it absolutely necessary for the officers to attend at the meetings of the Board. On that day they bad been in attendance from twelve o two, aud their services had not been required. Again, the Compulsory Committee sat once a fort- nigh and the officers attended their meetings, although he did not know how long those meetings lasted. [Mr. Christophers The average is, I think, from three co four hours.] Well, this would bring the really effi- cient time of the officers for looking after the children to one-half at least. One, if not both, of the officers was required to attend the meetings of the School Management Committee. These duties might be necessary, but it was evident that they kept the officers from their specific duties, aud the all-impor- tant part of their work. The present way of looking tfter children seemed to him to be necessarily partial — it was not impartial by any means; It was arbitrary, ior certain districts and parties in the OW 1 must receive more attention than others. The p' inoiple of compulsion should be thoroughly carried out if it carried out at all. Mr. Osborne went on to call attention to the number of children of school age to be found in the streets, and who were to be seen of a morning tramping into the country, observing that he counted fourteen children of school age, running thfe streets, on one occasion, between his house ip Dock- street and Llanarth-street He took it that the • present expenditure was really more extravagant than if they entailed a little additional expense, which would enable them to set the visiting officers at their specific work. He remembered a year ago a slight remunera- tion was asked for making the returns, but the Board considered they had no power to grant it. Mr. Lewis asked if Mr. Osborne was quite sure that he was correct. Mr. Osborne thought he was, but whether he was or no, it did not affect the principle for which he was contending. In the course of further remarks, Mr. Osbone urged that it was time for the Board to look the question seriously in the face and to put the visit- ing officers to their specific work. Mr. Vaughan seconded the resolution in order that t the matter might be brought fairly under discussion. Mr. Mitchell suggested the appointment of a committee to whom the matter might be referred to consider and recommend. Mr. Osborne mentioned a fact which he had previously forgotten to remark upon, viz., that the absentees from the infant department were something less than 10 per cent., whereas with other children it was considerably more. This was a suggestive piece of information, inasmuch as it showed that children who could not be of much use at home, could be sent to school, while those who were old enough to be useful were detained. Mr. Mitchell pointed out that the attendance had increased. Mr. Osborne said if there had not been an increase, the state of things would be stilJ more lamentable. The Chairman said he should like to make & re. mark or two on Mr. Osborne's statement. Mr. Osborne began with the remark that the work of the Board had been a failure, as the children had not been got to school. Now it would be anything but creditable to the Board if it had to be admitted that such a statement was strictly in accordance with fact. It was not, however, a fact, according to the records, for a report in May 1874, which was presented to the Board, showed a total increase on the average attendance of children in the schools, of 967. He could not clearly remember, but he thought the whole- number of children was from 4,000 to 5,000. Mr. Osborne said it was 5,000. The Chairman proceeded to say that on 5,000 the Dumber he had mentioned would be an increase of about 20 per cent., which he thought could not be regarded as a failure, but might be looked upon as a very material prosecution of the work undertaken. Then he had before him the Clerk's report on the educational census of 1875, and among other state- ments he found that there were 1190 more children in the schools than in 1874.. making the increase about 30 per cent. The first report showed an increase of 20, and the second of 10 per cent', to be aided to that. This he thought was sufficient proof that they had been pro- gressing, and he merely mentioned it that it might not go forth to the public that as a Board they were utterly a failure. With regard to Mr. Osborne's observations as to the appointment of the Sites Committee he would pass that over with one observation, viz., that Mr. Osborne admitted that additional accommodation was necessary. That point therefore need not be discussed. Another point in Mr. Osborne's speech he did not quite understand. Mr. Osborne said the attention given by the visiting officers to the children, with a view of getting them to school, was partial; he (the chairman) did not understand the sense in which the word partial was used. Mr. Osborne explained that he did not intend to use the word in an invidious sense:: what he meant was, that the visiting officere could not but be partial in respact of number; they were partial in respect of the whole, but not partial ia. respect of selection. The Chairman thought it well that the explanation should have been made. With reference to the Attendance of officers at meetings of the Board and of the Compulsion Committee, he thought the first question should be left to be decided by the inquiry of the committee, if the committee were ap- pointed; but with regard to the Compulsion Committee he would state at once that the attendance of the visiting officers was indispensable. In answer to a question, Mr. Osborne said he was willing to agree to the appointment of a com- mittee. Mr. Vaughan said the Chairman had very properly called attention to the amount of success which had been achieved by the Board, but he would remark that complete success, if attained, would clear the streets of children of school age which were to be found in groups. Mr. Lewis observed that until they got the parents to have a better estimate of the value of education they would be a long time before they could get the success spoken of by Mr- Vaughan The principal fault was with the parents. Mr. Osborne said they must tighten the rein 1 gently. In reply to Mr. Osborne, Mr. Stephens, visiting. officer, said that on one occasion 40 children were- absent from Stow-hill Board Schools who, according, to the account given by their parents, were playing; truant. Mr. Osborne, in reply to an observation which feU from Mr. Lewis, said that in stating eight hours per day as the time in which the visiting officers were occupied in their duties, he meant their out-door duties only. They had besides that a lot cf writing at home. In the end Mr. Osbosne withdrew his resolution, and substituted another, the gist of which was tie appointment of a committee to inquire into the matter under discussion. This was seconded by MB. Vaughan. and carried. THE TRANSFER OF THE BRITISH SCHOOLS. Mr. Lewis, pursuant to notice, moved the following resolution That the seal of the Roald be affixed to the counterpart deed of assignment of the British Schools to the Newport School Board, which deed and counterpart contain a covenant on the part of the School Board with the Trustees of the British Schools, to pay the ground rent and perform the covenants contained in the lease referred to in such deed and counterpart, and to deliver such counterpart, deed over to the said Trustees upon completion of the business. It was explained that the motion was necessary to relieve the Trustees of responsibility. Mr. Vaughan seconded the motion, which was car- ried. Mr. Lewis then moved, that the Clerk be instructed to take the necessary steps for the completion of the purchase. It appeared that all steps had been taken, and that all that remained to be carried out was the payment of the money. The motion was therefore with- drawn. Mr. Lewis had prepared another motion bearing on the subject, but as the rules rendered it necessary that notice should be given, and this regulation had not been complied with, Mr. Lewis contended himself with giving the necessary notice for the resolution to be taken at the next meeting. The account of the Board for the half-year ending 25th March last, as prepared by the Clerk and ex- amined by the Chairman, was read and passed.

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COUNTY POLICE.-SATURDAY.

BOROUGH POLICE.—MONDAY.

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POSTAL REGULATIONS FOR NEWPORT.

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