RESIGNATION OF CADET OFFICER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 50, 22 November 1907, Page 9

RESIGNATION OF CADET OFFICER.

" NO GROUND FOR ACCEPTANCE.'' A DELICATE POSITION. Tho case of Captain Erskine was advanced a further stage at yesterday afternoon's meeting of the Education Board. It mil bo remembered that the Board, at its previous meeting, decided to forward a " carefullystudied letter " to Captain Erskine, pointing out that it was his duty to continue his office as commander of the Terrace School Cadets. The following is the text of tho letter: — " I am directed to acknowledge receipt of your explanation given under date October 17 of the reasons which have led you to tonder your resignation of the office of captain of the Terrace School Cadet Corps. Whilo not inclined, to over-rate, the Board is equally disinclined to under-rate the value ot tho element in the education of tho schoolboy contributed by a thoroughly efficient training in military drill. " Now, the essential condition of maximum results is'the efficiency of tne officers of tho various corps. Hence in practically all our schools the command is ontrusted to tho senior assistant: Throughout this district;' with tho singlo exception of tho Normal School, whero tho first assistant is not only ineligible, but has tho special duty of instructing students in military and physical drill, the senior assistant has the command of the corps if tho head teacher himself cannot undertake the duties. MILITARY DRILL COMPULSORY. "Tho more acceptance of your resignation as captain of the corps would in no way relieve you of the responsibility of continuing the work that is prescribed by the regulations relating to the course of instruction in public schools, wherein (Clause 31) is found tho following:— ' Military drill as prescribed in the regulations for public school cadet corps must be taken by boys of twelve years of age or upwards! Boys who take military drill will be hold, to satisfy tho requirements " under the head of (5) Physical Instruction. " Your resignation would involve the transfer to less experienced hands of the duties which you have performed with some satisfaction; and were the course of instrucUion to bocontinued as suggested, though not formally proposed, thcro would bo involved the creation of a divided authority. Further, not only has battalion drill been for years an essential part of the military training of boys, and included in the prescribed handbook of instruction, but attendance at the parades is a condition of earning capitation. • "In view of these considerations, and of the pleasant relations which have long oxisted between tho Board and its teachers, the Board feels convinced that you will see the. justice of its request that you should continue tho work as before." • CAPTAIN ERSKINE'S REPLY. • To this letter. Captain Erskine replied :— " In. answer to your Jotter dated i6th inst., I . beg to', state that I did not tender, my resignation ;withqut. giving the. matter;, the fullest consideration. There is no cadet regulation which, requires, the first assistant to undertake the duties of the officer commanding tho school cadets, and 1 respectfully submit that no argument lias been adduced which would convince anyone that the acceptance of my resignation would injure the cadet movement in general, or tho Terrace School cadets in particular. " The statement that my company must necessarily become inefficient is hardly borne out by facts, as junior assistants at'Thorndon, Willis Street, Mount Cook, and Newtown schools command companies, and I nave not heard that they have failed to meet requirements. My proposed successor has had command of the company on various occasions. 1 must confess that tho manner in which my resignation, after many years' service, was received caused me considerable surprise, especially as the resignations of other officers havo been accepted." ■■ ' THE DISCUSSION. . Captain M'Donald said the position was this: Tho Board was not called upon to make any recommendation in the matter. The Department had forwarded the resignation on to the Board for acceptance or rejection. The regulations were clear upon the compulsory nature of military drill, and this drill included battalion parades. The Board therefore, could not consistently agree to an officer resigning from his compulsory duties. Liefcrring to Captain Erskino's contention that junior officers commanded companies at c6rtain schools, the speaker said that in those schools there was more than one company. The senior company in every case was commanded by tho first assistant. In the case of Thorndon school, the Board had previously held that when a teacher held a volunteer commission he had the option of retaining that commission, in which case he could not command a cadet corps. If the Board receded from the position, tho cadet movement would soon be dead. "A good thing, too," observed Mr. Vile. "Have you ever been a cadet?" queried Captain M'DOjiiald. " Yes, I have," replied Mr. Vile. " Well, all I can say is that you must havo been a pretty poor one," retorted Captain M'Donald.

PROPOSED REFERENCE TO THE INSTITUTE. The Chief Inspector, appealed to, said that, while he had nothing but praise for Captain Erskine's school work, yet there was an important nrinciplo involved. He thought that the whole position regarding the control of the cadets should be reviewed. Mr. Hogg -moved that the matter bo referred to the Teachers' Institute. It was a delicate position. The motion was lost. It was finally decided that the Department's letter be returned, with the following resolution attached:— " That the Board cannot see its way to recommend that the resignation of Captain Erskino he accepted, his reasons being insufficient."