SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND TEACHERS.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15263, 27 April 1915, Page 2

SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND TEACHERS.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS." Sir, —The skies will not fall, even though the Elmwood School Committee has refused nomination, and no doubt wo shall have protests galore to-riis'it from an outraged democracy, that fancies its powers have been curtailed. For nearly half a century teachers have proved up to the hilt that the system of appointment was not in the interests of true education. In actual fact, what did the School Committee achieyo as an appointing body? Nothing, except a: shuffling of the cards, a re-grouping of ; appointments. So. many vacancies occur, so many applicants apply. The committeeman creates neither vacancy nor applicant. He simply manoeuvres the round peg into the square hole, thu s spoiling the adjustment made by some' half-dozen officials, experts, at aboui £500 each per annum. The expense does not seem to matter. An indulgent public is prepared to cram children into buildings at Elmwood and elsewhere rather than save a few thousand pounds' worth of red tape. All that teachers ask is to bo put on a level with the Civil Servants. "When our friend/;, the stationmaster and policeman, are subject in their final appointment to the veto of a small body of committeemen without the necessary data, then we as teachers will acquiesce in the old system. The past chaotic system resenibles what would have taken place in. say. our Canterbury A. and P. Association if all its judges, instead of being experts in their own particular sections, of cattle, sheep, or implements, were just the "man in the street." The position is unthinkable, in any business or profession outside of teaching, which is always the last profession to gain its rights. Headmasters, who, as well a<? committeemen, have lost some power in appointment, are not croaking. During the past eight years it has been my pleasure and privilege to be associated with parents, committees, and teachers, in raising in various ways a sum now approximating a thousand pounds for the partial equipment of a new base school, and our work is yet incomplete. Let school committees abandon their "shadow" hunt, and di>voto their energies to the "substance" —good hard cash spent in the Interests of our best asset, children.—Yours, etc F. J. ALLEY. April 26th,