School inspection and reorganisation (1903)

Post date: Feb 24, 2012 8:42:2 AM

The following is an extract from the Parish magazine of April 1903:

NATIONAL SCHOOLS.

The Annual Meeting of voluntary contributors to the foundation was held in the Church Rooms on March 30th, ten people being present, the Vicar in the chair.

The Annual Report of the Committee of Managers was presented, and in accordance with a scheme submitted to the Board of Education Mr. A. Leney and Mr. Edward Goodwin were unanimously elected to serve for three years as Foundation Managers (under the Elementary Education Act, 1902, sections 6 and 11) upon the Committee of Managers that will come into being on 'the appointed day', July 1st, 1903.

ANNUAL REPORT.

The following is the summary of the report of His Majesty's Inspector upon the schools for the year ending 31st January, 1903.

Boys' School.—" The School is a good one, and continues to be worked with good methods and marked ability and vigour."

Girls' School.—" The School has been improved in appearance, discipline is good, and the work appears to be satisfactory throughout."

Infant School.—" The instruction is satisfactory, but there is not much brightness or good attainment in the upper class, which is partly due, probably, to the unskilled preparation in the lower classes. The accommodation is bad, especially for the lower classes, where the seats are without backs, and there are no desks."

There was no inspection of the schools by the Diocesan Inspector during the year 1902.

The percentage of attendance shows that the schools continue to hold a premier position in the district, and it is satisfactory to the Committee to be able to state that under the new system of block grants every department has received the highest possible grant.

NOTE.—Percentage of attendance : Boys, 96.5 ; Girls, 90.6 ; Infants, 86.8.

The Education Committee of the County Council appointed under the New Education Act (1902) comes into being on April 1st ; and it will assume the supervision of all Elementary Schools on July 1st the appointed day for the County of Kent. From that day the Committee of Management of the Wateringbury National Schools will consist of

Four Foundation Members.

One Member appointed by the County Council.

One Member appointed by the Parish Council.

The Parish Council has appointed Mr. Amos Baker as their representative. The Committee has made recommendations to the Board of Education, which, if approved by the Board, will, by the issue of an Order of the Board, have the force of law, and will in future regulate the appointment of the four Foundation Managers. Pending the issue of such order, the Committee recommend that the first election of Foundation Managers be made in accordance with the aforesaid recommendations. Under those recommendations the Vicar will be a Member ex-officio, and will have the privilege of nominating one of the remaining Members, the two other remaining Members will be elected from time to time ''by the vote of such Contributors to the Foundation as shall have paid the voluntary school rates for which request shall have been issued during the three years immediately preceding the election, or in default of the issue of such requests for voluntary rates by the vote of such Contributors to the Foundation who shall have been annual subscribers of at least 2s. 6d. during the like period. Vacancies in the number of non-official Foundation Managers caused by resignation or non-contribution shall be filled up by nomination on the part of the remaining Foundation Managers." The non-official Foundation Managers must be " by declaration bona fide members of the Church of England."

The County Council, through the Secretary, has communicated to the Chairman of the Wateringbury Schools Committee a request that he will send him without delay, for the information of the Education Committee, the names of the Foundation Managers, so that it will be the duty of the voluntary ratepayers in general meeting to proceed at once to the election of two Foundation Managers.

With regard to the financial position of the Schools, the Committee would state that the recent issue of request notes for a rate for the year ending 31st January, 1902, was founded upon consideration that it is advisable that on the appointed day no adverse balance should remain in the accounts. At the time it was reported on good authority that the appointed day would be October 1st, 1903. The County Council has since decided to make July 1st the appointed day, and as from that day the County Council will finance the Schools in all respects, excepting landlord repairs, the Managers will probably find themselves in a somewhat, better position than they would have been had the originally proposed date been adhered to. Any favourable balance that may remain will vest in the Foundation Managers, to be expended from time to time on landlord's repairs, or upon such enlargement of the buildings (if any) as may be required by the County Council. That fund will further be increased by the rental of the school house paid by the County Council, and by such voluntary rates or subscriptions as may from time to time be contributed.

The Committee is not prepared at the present juncture to give full figures, but they think it well to explain that the large deficit of £290 in the balance-sheet for the year ending January 31st, 1903, is in part accounted for by the deficit of £105 with which the year was commenced, and in part by a decision not to include in that balance sheet the proceeds of the rate recently collected. That rate, together with the Government grants that will accrue for 1902 and for 1903 up to July 1st, will, it is hoped, more than suffice to enable them to issue, a favourable final account made up to that date.