THE HIGH SCHOOL APPOINTMENTS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9606, 22 December 1896, Page 4

THE HIGH SCHOOL APPOINTMENTS.

A somewhat interesting discussion took place at the meeting of the Board of College Governors yesterday in reference to the appointment of teachers at the Boys' and Girls' High Schools. It arose, apparently, out of a previous recommendation of the College Committee having been set aside by the Board. In filling up the vacancy on the'Girls' High School staff caused by the resignation of Miss Lorimer, the third assistant, the Board, at a previous meeting decided to promote Miss S__.v_.nson, the fourth assistant, to " the position. The College Committee, we gather from the remarks made yesterday, had supported a recommendation of the lady principal to the effect that Miss Gibson, of the East Christchurch School, be appointed. At yesterday's meeting the College Committee came down with a further recommendation, that " the responsibility for the iuture appointments and dismissals of teachers at the Girls' and also at tbe Boys' High School, should be vested in the lady principal and the head master respectively, provided that any teacher dismissed should have the right of appeal to - the Board of Governors." The Bishop ofChristchdrch moved theadoption of this recommendation, but we cannot say that his Lordship made out a very strong case in favour of the motion. The Board of Governors are responsible for the proper conduct of the schools in question, and while ihe appointment of teachers, is in their own hands they hold the most potent means o. securing the efficiency of the institutions. They might delegate the power, but the public would not allow them to divest themselves of their responsibility. They would still hold the Board directly answerable for the success and efficiency of the institutions under their care. . It would have been peculiarly illogical if the Board had agreed to the recofla--mendation of the College Committee at this particular moment. Immediately after having decided that .an appointment favoured by tbe Lady Principal was not the best in the interests of the school, it would hava been completely sfcultiTying themselve-i had the Board decided that henceforth

they would have nothing to do with - -'< such appointments themselves, but leave them entirely in the hands of the Lady Principal. We confess that we do not know what the College Committee were about in supposing for one moment that a body of presumably intelligent and common sense men would consent to place themselves in such a false position. Apart fcom this we I believe that the rule of allowing such appointments to be made by the Board is a good one. The Bishop acted wisely in withdrawing the motion after the discussion had uumiatakGabty shown the feeling of th© Board on the subject, and the latter are to be congratulated on having acted in this matter in accordance with the judicious conditions which have usually guided their actions in the past.