INDIGNANT BOARD

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 138, 7 March 1929, Page 10

INDIGNANT BOARD

LETTER FROM DEPARTMENT “UNDERSTRAPPER” Dominion Special Service. Auckland, March 6. Indignant at expressions used in a letter from the Education Department, the Auckland Education Board- decided this morning to send a copy of the letter, accompanied by a protest, to the Minister of Education. “It is criticism of an understrapper upon a letter from the board that was fully justified,” said the chairman (Mr. A. Burns). “It would be loss of dignity to accept such language from a junior official in the Department” The letter was in reply to a communication from the board supporting a complaint by the Waimauku School Committee about the quality of new school books. The letter read: “The Department Is obliged to you for passing on information which will enable a change from the old to the new to be carried out with the minimum of friction. It is thought, however, that the inconvenience caused by the non-arrival of new text books is unduly stressed. Most of our teachers are able to carry on for considerable periods without text books, and most of them will loyally endure a little inconvenience in order to effect the change smoothly. With regard to the prices of hooks, it is understood that a comparison of the prices of the new books with those of similar books in use in private schools revealed the fact that the new books contain more reading matter and cost less per book than the imported article. Condemnation of the quality of the books seems unjustified. The complaint about the inversion of pages, a phenomenon which is familiar to all readers. Is trivial.” Mr. Burns: It is not a proper letter .to semi to a board of representative members. The motion of the chairman that the matter be taken up with the Minister of Education. ' and a protest made against the tone of the Department’s letter, was carried. The letter was signed by Alfred Cowles for the Director of Education.