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Carnarvon Education .Authority.

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Carnarvon Education Authority. BETTWS-Y-COED AND THE SCHOOLMASTER. THE INSPECTOR'S REPLY. Mr. D. P. Williams presided over the meeting of the County Education Committee at Carnar- von on Thursday. The other members present were Dr. R. Arthur-Prichard (Conway), Mr. Hugh Owen (Llandudlno Junction), Mr. Robert Roberts (Llandudno), the Rev. O. G. Owen, the Rev. Ceidiog Roberts, Rev. W. Lloyd, Mrs. Jones (Ceridwen Peris), Dr. R. Owen, Messrs. W. J. Parry, J. Issard Davies, Maurice Jones, J. R. Pritchard, R. O. Jones, j. E. Roberts, C. Humphreys, Abel Williams, William George, G. H. Roberts, R. E. Jones, G. Jones, R. J. Roberts, Edward Roberts (ex-H.M. Inspector), and J. T. Jones with the Secretary (Mr. E. R Davies), and the Assistant Secretary (Mr. David Thomas). Mr L. J. Roberts (H.M. Inspector of schools) was also in attendance. SYMPATHY. A vote of condolence and sympathy was passed with the Chairman of the Authority on the death of his wife. TEACHERS' RESIDENCES. A return was submitted shewing that there are 99 teachers in. the Ctoimanittee's employ who reside more than a mile and a half from the schools at which they are engaged. The matter having been considered at some length, it was resolved that all teachers in the employ of the Committee be required to observe the regulation with the exception of those who obtain special permission from the Chairman of the Staff Com- mittee to reside at a distance from their school. THE BETTWS-YJCOED SCHOOLMASTER. On behalf of a public meeting of ratepayers held at Bettws-y-Coed, Mr. W. T. B. Corns for- warded a resolution expressing unabated con- fidence in Mr. Rowland, head master of the Council School, in the face of the recent _mis- uniderstanding with the Education Commit,tee, and desiring the Committee to' reconsider his case if possible in public. There Was a recom. mendation by the Staff Committee that as the case had received every consideration they re- gretted their inability to reopen the matter. Mr. William George feared that the proposal might be looked upon as somewhat curt and peiemptory. Though he recognised that the de- cision come to in regard to Mr. Rowland was a just and liberal one, be did not think that the Committee would desire to stand in the way of a public inquiry. The Secretary submitted a petition, Purported to be signed by 90 per cent. of the parentis and ratepayers of Bettws-y-Coed, strongly desire that Mr. Rowland should be reinstated-. Mr. L. J. Roberts, His Majesty's Inspector of Schools, whose adverse criticism of the state of the Bettws-y-Coed School had' given rise to the friction, wrote to refute a statement recently made by Mr. Rowland that it was at the request of the Education Committee that he visited the school. The statement, like others which did not deserve notice, was absolutely without foundation, as he merely visited the school in the ordinary course. It was stated that he had described the school as one of the rowdiest in the county." Though the found serious fault with the discipline, the vulgar adjective quoted did not appear in his report. He had visited practically all the schools inl seven counties in Wales, and the fact remained that the discipline at the Bettws-y-Coed School was the worst he had ever seen, and it would have been derelic- tion of duty on his part not to have called at. tention to it. His opinion was confirmed by an independent report made by the drawing mastei for Wales, and he understood that this was not the first time that Mr. Rowland had found fault with inspectors' reports. By his intemperate be. haviour, Mr. Rowland had failed to. gain the support of the teachers, who. would be the first, and rightly so, to defend one of themselves from injustice. The officials of the National Union of Teachers had sent him (Mr Roberts) a special message expressing regret that one of their body had behaved so unfairly towards one, whom the teachers had always found to be just. He main- tained that his report was a fair and just one. He merely did his duty in writing it, and he was not ashamed; of having done so. (Hear, hear.) The Chairman confirmed the Inspector's state- ment that it was absolutely incorrect to say that it was after an interview with him (the Chair- man) that a visit was paid to the school. Mr. Edward Roberts, ex-His Majesty's Inspec- tor of Schools, expressed his belief that the re- port was a perfectly fair one, describing the condition of the school exactly, and as the in- spectors had always found it. In seven out of ten points Mr. Rowland was an efficient teacher, but in the other three he was certainly very backward, his drawing, discipline, and order having always been weak features. Had the writing of the report rested with. him (Mr. Ro- berts) he would have done exactly the same. (Hear, hear.) M&. Wm. Gleorge moved that the petitioners be informed that the Education Authority would raise no objection to an independent and public inquiry into all the circumstances by the Board of Education. The Chairman We cannot object. Mr. W. George: But I think we ought to put it on record. Mr. W. J. Parry was prepared to second the proposal, on the understanding that the ap- plication for an inquiry came from the peti- tioners. The Chairman emphasised the fact that Mr. Rowland's case had had every fair play at the hands of the Committee. The resolution was eventually carried. A CHURCH SCHOOL TO BE CLOSED. As the result of inquiries by the North Car- narvonsbire Enquiry Committee, it was agreed, to discontinue the maintenwnce of the Church of England School) at Llanrhos because of the low attendance. LLANFAIRFECHAN SCHOOLS. In a report of the Board of Education re the Llanifairfechan Church of England School, it was stated that any children excluded from the school could presumably attend the Council School. It was resolved that the attention of the man- agers of the Llanfairfechan Church of England School be directed to the suggestion of the Board of Education, and that they be asked to arrange for the exclusion of a sufficient number of children now attending the school so as to re- lieve the overcrowding complained of by the Board of Education, and that it be suggested to them that the children living in near proximity to the present Council School should be ex- cluded first of all. PENMACHNQ COUNCIL SCHOOL. A letter from the Board of Education dated the 19th October, 1909, was read, stating that this school had now been placed on the Annual Grant List as from the 4th January, 1909, and is recognised as providing accommodation for not more than 140 mixed and 60 infant scholars. BETTWS-Y-COED SCHOOL ACCOMMODATION. A letter dated the 18th October, 1909, from Mr. R. Parry, Pendyffryn, Bettws-y-Coed, was read, stating that a meeting of the members of the Bettws-y-Coed Ratepayers' Association and the Urban District Council suggested (1) the lower part of Mill Field, and (2) the ground be- hind Ty'nybryn, as the most suitable ,siites for the proposed new Council School at Bettws-y- Coed, in,, preference to the site already provision. ally adopted by the Committee at Tanlan. A letter of the same date received from Miss Pullan, of the Royal Oak Hotel, Bettws-y- Coed, was submitted, in which she urged (1) the Mill Field site is the lowest situation in the village, the river almost surrounding it, and at times flooding a large part of it, the mists from the river in winter, and the smiells from it in summer when the water is low, render it most unhealthy, and (2) the other site at the back of Ty'nybryn j the approach is not good, and the ground would require draining and a lot of fill- ing in to level it. She suggested another oite, proposed at the joint meeting referred to, but rejected by the meeting, although it appears to be far more suitable than either of those chosen. It is the ground between the quarry incline and the Pentre Dwr-street. It was resolved that full particulars with re- gard to the site originally adopted by the Edu- cation Committee, and the three other sites now proposed, be forwarded to the Board of Educa- tion, and that they be invited to express an opinion as to the site which is most suitable and satisfactory, having regard to the representa- tions made. CAPELULO SCHOOL. Letters were read from Mr. David Jones, Tanlan Farm, Dwygyfylclhi, and Messis Tatham, Worthington, and Co., with regard to the terms upon which they were prepared to sell land to provide a site for the new Council School at Capelulo, and it was resolved that the Secretary be authorised to further negotiate therefor. LLANDUDNO JUNCTION COUNCIL SCHOOL. The following report of His Majesty's Inspec- tor was submitted:- Mixed.—Since this school was last reported upon, handsome and conveni-ent buildings have been erected, and excellent provision has been made for cookery, laundry work, and manual ,instruction. A thoroughly good scheme of work has been drawn up, but the ideas expressed in it are not always carried out in practice, and the attainments of the scholars generally are disappointing. Arithmetic is weak in all classes, method in several cases is faulty, the child- ren's work is often careless and badly put down, and the reasons for the various processes em- ployed are not satisfactorily grasped. In com- position the work of Standard 5 is fairly good; but the exercises of Standards 6 and 7 are too meagre, and are .seldom well arranged. In Standards 2 and 3 spelling is poor and gram- matical errors are too numerous, while the writ- ten composition of Standard 1 takes up much time that could be more profitably spent in oral work. 'Ihe children's exercises also need much more careful revision and correct ion. Reading varies much in quality, and the proportion of good readers is smaller than usual. Standard 3 is particularly weak. In the lower classes spell- ing should be discarded as a means of teaching reading, and a more careful explanation of the subject matter should be given. Penmanship requires better teaching throughout the school. The writing of the upper classes especially needs attention. Much of the freehand drawing fairly good, but progress is retarded by the lack of careful, grading. Brushwork has been neglected. Cardboard work and clay modelling have been introduced, but the value of the work is marred by inaccuracy in the cardboard ex- ercises, and by indifferent teaching in the clay modelling. Needlework is tauglht with credit- able success. The making and mending of garments will doubtless form a more pro- minent feature of the curriculum in future. lit would be well to adopt more modern and intelligent methodls of teaching in giv- ing the geography lessons to the lower classes. The children are well behaved, and, with careful and thorough teaching, the school could soon be raised to a satisfactory state of efficiency. Much of the weakness is due to the fact that the subordinate teachers, who require considerable help and guidance, have been left too much to their own devices. It was decided to forward the report to the managers of the school, and that they be asked for their observations thereon,. HIGHER STANDARD SCHOOL FOR CARNARVON. The Committee appointed to inquire for a suitable site for the proposed higher standard school at Carnarvon reported that the area to be acquired be as near as possible one and a half acres, and that the County Council be asked to apply for permission to borrow a sum not ex- ceeding ^6,000. It was resolved to ask the County Council to take steps to apply for a loan of £ 6,000. Mr. Issard Davies failed to find a seconder for a proposal to have a scale of salaries adopted for the head teachers of the Council.

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