Conisborough School Board

The monthly meeting was held last night. The following members were present:—Messrs. Dufton (in the chair), J. Pagdin, G. Kilner, and W. Norwood.

The minutes of the last meeting having been confirmed, a little difficulty arose as to certain parents wishing their children to leave the school at Denaby. Several parents attended and applied for an exemption order, and stated that their children had been moved up into the 6th Standard, but Mr. Hoyle had told them that they ought to have applied at the examination, and then stated that they wanted to leave and he could not now get them a certificate. The parents had not got the certificate. When they previously appeared before the Board they were not told that they had to apply for an exemption certificate before the examination.

Mr. Dufton said it appeared to him that Mr. Hoyle had advanced the girls on supposition that they had passed the standard. It was eventually decided that the parents would have to send their children to school until the return of the examination were received.

Mr. Senior appeared and asked permission for the use of the Board Schools on behalf of the Hospital Sunday Committee to hold practices and committee meetings. On the proposition of Mr. Kilner, seconded by Mr. Norwood, it was decided to grant the use of the rooms.

Mr. Senior then made a serious complaint concerning the ill-usage of his child at school by one of the teachers. His child was very delicate, and he would not have it caned and knocked about. Mr. Taylor also made a second complaint about his little daughter being ill-treated at school. She came home a week last Wednesday with her ear and face cut.

Mr. Haslam also pointed out another serious case. Mr. G. Taylor also made a similar complaint about his daughter, and it was decided in all cases that both the teachers, the parents, and children should appear before the Board at the next meeting, when the cases will be thrashed out.

Mr. Pagdin stated that he had seen the heads of the departments about the punishment, and he was told that there was no law on the matter.

Mr. Norwood: We will thrash the matter out next Board meeting, and we will reprimand the teacher if necessary.

A letter was then read from Mr. Hoyle, which stated that there were several children in Denaby at the present time who had never attended school. He admitted that day into school a lad who had never attended school in his life and had been in Denaby 18 months, and he would advocate that a census of Denaby children be taken at once.

The letter then stated that there had been great improvement in the attendance during the last quarter, and the average attendance read as follows:—30th June, 1893, 78 per cent.; September, 75 per cent.; December, 75 per cent.; March, 1894, 86 per cent.

Mr. Kilner: We should want a census taken every twelve months. There is so much moving about.

It was agreed that the attendance officer should do his best about the matter.

The attendance report for the month was considered very satisfactory. In the boys’ department there was an average percentage of 89 against 90 last year, whilst the girls’ school returned an average of 94 per cent.