SCHOLARSHIP WORK.

Press, Volume XLVIL, Issue 7717, 24 November 1890, Page 6

SCHOLARSHIP WORK.

TO THS -tMTOR OW Mtß PRESS. Snt,—ln -tee report of the meeting of the Education Board in your issue of the 14th lost. I notice that someone in bydenham is complaining that the teachers in the borough Bchoolhad refused to give extra instruction to scholarship candidates, but "as the teachers had §iace agreed to give such instruction, there was no occasion for considering the matter.'* From this we are to infer that the Sydenham teachers were guilty of dereliction of duty in scholarship affairs, but that on being threatened with pains and penalties they immediately struck their colors and caved in—another strike collapsed. How, I wonder did this apparent strike originate t Was it caused by the action of the local Committee in docking the holidays of their teachers a short time ago and refusing per mission to three or four of the assistant teachers to attend the annual-examination at Canterbury College f It looks decidedly like it, and if such were the case they should have stuck to their colors. lam surprised at the usually belligerent head master caving in so quietly, and showing such a lamb-Tike demeanor in the matter, considering that the work is not, compulsory, at least so. far as I can learn. Is this extra instruction, Sir, compulsory on the part of the teachers? I was always under the impression that the scholarships were for the bright boys of a school —a reward for intellieence and industry in the ordinary work of a primary school. Such being the case, no extra in-, stmction would or ought to be necessary, at all events: very little. It seems now that the. examinations are much beyond the ordinary standard syllabus, and therefore require tbis extra instruction—have degenerated into plums and cherries for precocity. I take this to be the result of rivalry among the Christchurch and suburban schools, competition being carried to such an unhealthy extent as to require candidates, as well as teachers, to work either before or af♦er.ordihary school hours, in fact to do double work, or else try the effect of one stone on two birds, by taking pupil teachers and scholarship candidates together for instruction, to the detriment of , one or the other. Pupil teacher work they must do, being part of their duties, the regulation, I understand, requiring instruction for one hour a day. Now, if the teacher instructs - pupil teachers' and scholarship candidates in the same hour in dissimilar work, then the pupil teachers must suffer because this hour is theirs by right. If the scholarship people are taken after school hours, but at a different time from the pupil teachers, then all I can say is that the teacher is a whale at work. Some teachers, I have heard, give the extra instruction during school hours in a special class. This must take his attention away from the legitimate work and therefore must be placed to the debit and credit of the profit and loss account of the school, whereby the annual dividend must be affected. ■ - ■ Now, when the work necessitates this there must be something rotten iv the state of Denmark audi, as a parent, protest' against the energies of the teachers being compelled to pander to the unhealthy competition rife among the town schools in the matter of scholarship work, and trust that the Board in Its wisdom when next dealing, with such a complaint as Mr Denham'a will show Its decided disapproval ot such work, and stop it. ' The question has just presented itself to my mind, with whom have the teachers agreed to give, the extra instruction, the candidates, Com mittee, or Boards ? The reports of late Committee meetings are silent on the matter. Perhaps the Secretary, Mr Veei, dreamed it; he is capable of it. —Yours, &C,

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