Conisborough School Board

The monthly meeting was held on Thursday evening, Mr Dufton presiding.

The attendance committee dealt with a large number of cases of bad attendance, the majority of them came from New Conisborough, and in many instances the excuse was that the children had not sufficient clothing to attend school in.

Mr Sargentson (attendance officer) presented the attendance report for the past month, which showed an increase at the Denaby Main schools, and a decrease at the Conisborough Schools.

Mr Marsh raised the question as to why a Mrs Curtis was not prosecuted for bad attendance, as decided at the last meeting?

Mr Stacey: It is because I would not sign the summons she being a widow. I thought it would be very hard to prosecute.

Mr Marsh, in accordance with his notice of motion, moves that the attendance committee be dissolved. He said it was only nine weeks since the committee were appointed in order to facilitate the business of the Board, but they found it out since that the committee could be, and was, use for other purposes, namely to try and gain popularity for some of the members of that committee by posing as a special friend of some members of the community, at the expense of the Board as a whole.

At the last meeting that committee decided to prosecute Mrs Curtis, Mr Stacey would not sign the summons, and he has since been boasting about it, making himself out to be a special friend of the widow, and more tenderhearted than the other members of the Board. He claimed to be as tenderhearted and as thoughtful as Mr Stacey, yet they were legally bound to prosecute, and objected strongly to be made the scapegoat of the Board, and therefore proposed that the attendance committee be dissolved.

Mr Walker second the proposition on the ground that such committees turn the Board into a subsidiary authority.

The Rev GH Stock said it was a matter of indifference to south what the committee was dissolved or not, but he considered it a pity that the conduct of members should be brought into question on such matters. He felt very strongly on this point because he was reported to be opposed to corporal punishment, when as a matter of fact he was in favour of it, if administered in a proper way, and by the head teachers.

Mr Marsh in justification of his charge, said that it could not have been made public unless some member of the committee had divulged it.

On being put to the vote the resolution was carried unanimously.

On the motion of the Rev GH Stock it was decided that the whole of the Board form the management committee.