TECHNICAL CLASSES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 27, 26 October 1907, Page 5

TECHNICAL CLASSES.

•-————r i ' ; , .^;A ■; ; Tlid-Boirdi'OftoManagerajiqf tlro XeehnicnlAssociated ; .Classes - mot last;. evoning.. -.Pro-'-sont :-frMessrs;. J. ,P. ■ Luko: (in tho chair), W. Allan, D. : M'Laren.i ,T. ' .Cannichael, T. Ballihger,''and D; Robertson. ' i 1 A vote' of -'condolence was passed ■ by > ' tho members, standing, in connection with, tlio death ,of .Mrs..- : La Trobo, ' wife 1 of. tho director of tho school. ~

The' Education Board notified ■' that Mr. J.. G. ;^.;7Aitkon,':,M'.H-.JJ.; had .been appointed as one.of its representatives -on. the Board iii ' placo'.'of the Rov. W.' A: 'Evans: Tlie chairman <spoko of 'Mr.' Aitken's interest in educational ■ mat-tors; ■■ and said hoiwas suro that.he would make a valuable member.

; The, 'chairman expressed the pleasure felt by members at so'oing Miss Slattor, registrar' of the !; 'school,' "able to resume work after' her illness;- .They hoped- that Miss -Slattei\ would soon be'fully , recovered. ( , . Mr. J. Allan wroto'resigning, for, business, reasons, his instrnctorship of tlie painting ; and decorating class. The appointment of a successor Was held over till Mr. La Trobe's return from Sydney. ' : Tho. balancc-shoot showed a credit of £397 19s!' 2d. for . 1906, and orio-of £175 10s. Bd.' for 1907. 'Accounts were'passed for payment itotallilng '£648 Bs. Bd. • . ' A. circular was laid beforo members which had boon' addressed to instructors' urging a more regular marking of tlio registers. ; Tho 'circular, .which,was, signed by,the .chairman, concluded'with .-these words: ;

"I dosiroVfurther to point out that neglect of routine duties'.of this character by an ' instructor does not' tten'd.to assuro tho'Board that lie is giving .his best attention to his work .in the school. The Board expects loyal support ■ and a constant endeavour to .further,utile';interests of- the school, in i the most practical, \yay .froin,every .person on the !staff.", ./ . \

J The Chairman stated that olio instructor. liad : addressed to him tho following lotter, in reply .to li the circular: —"In '•so..far as it is intepdod to refer to imo I am soiTy to object to the inference which tho Board has drawn .'from' the 'face of omissions on tho part- of "tho staff to' mark tlio rogister properly.; 'It is certainly due to mo to have iny. : class , ; work: .referred ..to in at. least a dirccjt. way and. not in... the vaguo .and incidental your letter. And, may

I suggest, thnty 'if the' requests, inserted in tho registers- with regard'to marking, wcro moro in thp usual courteous stylo on such c'asos, implying ■ loss pf offico. authority-/and more of government requirement,. bettor feeling would be engendered and tho desired objoct more .perfectly'.realised." ■ . The j Chairman also drew tho attention of members' to; a card, addressed to this same instructor,-on which the registrar (Miss Slattery)..; had written, "Attendances must-be marked ,ill ink," this. direction. being in accordant with- tho,: Board's regulations and those laid'down by tho Government. Tho instructor'had'crossed out tho word '"must," and substituted . "should," writing underneath, I 'must' not bo 'rousted.'" Tho Chairman commented 011 'the. discourtesy which lie thought attached to this action.

The "instructors' conduct in both matters was resented by tho other members of the Hoard, and a suggestion of tho Chairman thit ho should write to, the offender asking him to withdraw his 'otter was not deemed sufficient. Sir. M'Laron said ho would move that, the Board ask the teacher to withdraw his letter to tho Chairman, and inform him that it considered it his position as 1 an instructor, and in tone offensive to the Board, sco'ing that i the instructions ill tho circular wore" tho samp >as tho Board had always given to all instructors. Mr. itoberts:;n seconded the motion, which wasicarricd in the following form" That tho Board- ask Mr to withdraw lijs statement, and insist' that ho ' comply with the regulations." On the motion of Mr. Carmicbacl, seconded by Mr. Robertson, it was decided: "That it. he an instruction to Mr.La Troho to report on the desirability of introducing Gregg's 'shorthand.* iii conjunction or otherwise, with. Pitman's;"