Le Bons 'must accept teacher'

Press, 15 July 1982, Page 3

Le Bons 'must accept teacher'

Le Bons Bay parents had to accept the new teacher at their school or risk dividing the community, said the principal of Le Bons Bay School. Mr Murray Winchester. yesterday. "The Canterbury Education Board has made its decision and we have to accept it.” Mr Winchester said.

Some parents threatened to withdraw their children from the school last week after they heard that the board had appointed a teacher from outside the district as the school's second teacher.

The chairman of the school committee, Mrs Jenny Inwood, said most parents wanted the job to go to a local woman who was working as a teacher aide at the school. Mr Winchester said some parents had reacted emotionally at first, but now only a “small minority” were still upset about the decision.

“The new teacher has started and she is being accepted. I think most people want the issue dropped," he said. “In a community like this any dissension of any kind can lead to a split." Until Monday, when the second teacher began work. Mr, Winchester was in sole charge of the school. The school became entitled to a second teacher recently, when its roll reached 26. Mr Winchester said the board had consulted him about the second teacher’s appointment but “nothing I was asked about would have influenced the appointment.” “As a professional I have to accept the board’s decision." he said.

One parent spoken to yesterday said that she and several others were still angry about the appointment. They had thought about organising a petition but had dropped the idea because the issue was "getting too personal and hurting people." It was probably better to accept the appointment, she said.