The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-06-18 00:00:00

BRIERLEY HILL SCHOOL Bac% RD.

A monthly meeting of this body was held. at
Brii-Tley Hill on Tuesday afternoon. The Rev. T.
Chairman presided, the other members present
being Mr. E. S. Haines, the Rev. C. H. Cole-Webb,
Dr. Bodington, Messrs. Waldron, Bennett, Barlow
and Carder.

The reports of her Majesty's Inspector, on his
examination of the various Board Schools, were sub-
mitted to the Board, and were on the whole satis-
factory, as far as the results attained ' went. The
grants obtained were Moor-street Board School,
£735 is 8d; Quarry Bank School, £545 8s Od, with
99 per cent. of passes; Bank-street School, £269
18s; and Pensnett School, £33 13s 6d. The grant
for the last-named school was in respect to the night
school only, the grant for the day day school having
been with-held by the Education Department owing
to the average attendance of scholars having ex-
ceeded the number which the Department allowed
the school to accommodate. Attention was also
called to the want of home lessons for the scholars
attending the school
With reference to the with holding of the grant
for Pensnett ztchool, the Board decided to send to
the Department a letter which the Clerk (Mr.
berton) had drafted, and which pointed out, among
other things, that a third of the school year had
elapsed before their lordships' decision as to the
stipulated accommodation was communicated to the
Board, also that the present school premises did not
admit of enlargement or improvement, and that the
Board contemplated building new schools for that
locality.
Upon the motion of Mr. Benuott, seconded by
Mr. Carder, it was resolved that a special committee
be formed to look after and report upon a site for a
new school at Pensnett, the committee to consist of
Mr. Barlow, Dr. Bodingtou. Ir. Haines, the Rev.
C. 11. Cole-Webb and the Chairman.
A letter was read from the Education Department
which pointed out that according to the last census
figures 1,431 children between the age of 3 and 13
years, 676 between the ages of 5 and 13 years, in
the Board's district, were returned as not attending
any school. Their lordships had communicated
with the school inspector, who had reported that the
supply of school accommodation in the district
seemed far from sufficient. Apart from Brierley
dill (where new schools were about to be built in
Bent-street). Brockmoor and Pensnett were insuffi-
eientlyesupplied, and wanted more satisfactory school
premises. Quarry Bank school, even with the re-
cent enlargement, was inadequate, and at Wordsley
there was urgent need for the provision of further
school accommodation, unless a private school there
was taken as a public elementaty school which
might somewhat reduce the deficiency. In con-
cluding their letter the Department expressed a
hope that the matter would receive the attention of
the Board.

Mr. Haines was requested by the Board to ask the
proprietor of the private school at Wordsley if he
would submit to an examination of his scholars so
as to obtain a grant and make his school a public
elementary school.
A letter was next read from her Majesty's In-
spector. proposing to inspect the various dame
schools in the dietrict where he was allowed to do
80.

The Board left it with the clerk to make arrange-
ments with the inspector for such an examination.
Mr. Barlow moved, "That Clause 8 ef the scheme
of education, which provides that tt n annual inspee-
osion in religious knowledge E hall be held in all
schools provided by the Board, be rescinded.
Mr, Carder seconded the resolution, which, on
being put, was lost, three members only voting for
and four against it. Mr. Bennett was neutral.