NEW ZEALAND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 6, 8 January 1891, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

The business transacted at the meeting of the Council of the New Zealand Educational Institute after we went to press yesterday is reported on page 2, from which we continue our report of to-day's business as follows :—

POSITION AND PAYMENT OF TEACHERS AND

inspectors.

■ The Committee appointed under this heading reported, and bheir reporb was dealt wibh as follows. — " Thab inasmuch as an attempb has been made by some Education Boards, and restrict teachers in their civic and political rights, this Institute desires to enter its most emphatic protest against any attempt to interfere with the rights of teachers as either ratepayers or electors.

Mr Ward, in moving the adoption of the clause, said it was inserted on the repre sentabions made by two institutes. He thought they should retain nob only the integrity, bub also the freedom of teachers. Rev. R. Coates questioned whether it was worthy of a grave Council like this that they should _ trail their coats in an Irish fashion, issuing a challenge to bhe Education Boards of New Zealand to tread on their tails. They should consider the cause which led the Auckland Board to issue these instructions, and he did not personally think the circumstances justified them in passing any resolution on the subject. He thought the Board indicated in a very mild way what they wished to prevent, and what ho considered inadvisable that teachers should take an active parb in politics. If teachers were to flood our public platforms, in furtherance of the interests of rival candidates for Parliamentary honours they would have a most extraordinary state of affairs. In large schools the teachers would be found on opposite sides, and the children of opponents would not take the same degree of'interest in school work, m would the children of parents who were on the same side in politics. Mr Fitzgerald agreed with Mr Coates, and advised that the Council should proceed circumspectly. Mr Mahoney thought the teachers in this colony were very liberally treated in this matter. Mr Scott said the resolution passed by the Auckland Beard was founded in misrepresentation. He believed that it was actuated by a desire for bhe teachers' %vel-' fare.

Mr Grant supported the resolution. He said so long as teachers attended to thoir duty and were of a good moral character,

they should be permitted to look after their own interests. Mr Ward was of opinion that the intention was simply to close the mouths of every teacher in the district. (Several voices : " No.") The resolution having been pub, was lost by 8 to 20. Auckland remit No. 7: "That the Council urge upon the Department that Agricultural Science be made an optional subject for D examination." This clause wes paEsed without discussion.