A RURAL COURSE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1054, 17 February 1911, Page 6

A RURAL COURSE.

SCHOOL COMMITTEES AGGRIEVED.

Tho Petone West School Committeo is aggrieved becauso it has not been consulted upon tho proposal to establish a rural courso in tho secondary department of tho Petone District High School. Tho West School.-.Committee was not asked to send i representatives to a conferenco at which tho proposal was recently considered. At its meeting last evening, the committeo • expressed its opinion of tho position in tho following resolution, proposed by Mr. Castel and carried unani-mously-.—"That the Petone West School Committeo places on rccord that it' was not asked to tako part in tho recent conferenco between inspootors and . tho PetoiK District High School Committee, for the purpose of disenssing the proposed rural courso, seeing that tho question affects the interests of education in Petone as a whole, in which this committdig' is interested equally as well as the l'ctono District High School Committeo, and, further, that : this committeo it of opinion that'the-introduction of n rural course iit the' secondary department of tho District High School, to tho detriment of existing courses, is i subversive of the best interests of general education in Petone." A view similar to that above expressed is taken of tho matter by the Hutt School Committee. At -its meeting on Tuesday evening, members expressed indignation at the action of Mr. D. M'Kcnzie (chairman of tho , Petono District High School Committee) in canvassing the Hutt district for pupils for tho proposed agricultural course at Petone. Subsequently it was unanimously resolved on tho motion of Mr. Rishworth: "That: this committee fully endorses tho action of its chairman (Mr. Mneaskill) and its headmaster .(Mr. Yeates) in making public tho extraordinary conduct of the chairman of the Petpno District High School." ' Mr. Yates stated, in a letter to Mr. M'Kenzio: "That a canvass of tho Hutt district for pupils for the proposed rural courso at Petnin was entirely unfair, and tlio best possible way. of advancing your scheme would have been to advertise it."