UNKNOWN TO THE RESIDENT MINISTER.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXV, Issue 3702, 31 May 1869, Page 4

UNKNOWN TO THE RESIDENT MINISTER.

On Saturday a deputation of teachers waited upon and were moßt courteously received by the Hon. Dr. Poilen, who entered fully into their various grievances The Resident Minister was of opinion thab his Honor the Superintendent had committed a great blunder in refusing to pay the teacher? the paltry arrears of salary. With reference to the compensation to those teachers who, according to Mr. Greighton, had beau brought here on false j pretences, Dr. PcJlen thought that a rfistinct'on should be drawn between "train'd" and "auoateur"' teachers — betwen + ~-ch»rs induced i > come to \A c colony on the representation of the provincial agents at home, and tho->e who — not belonging to the profession — had merely taken to it as a means of earning a livelihood. He was also of opinion that such an important subject a3 education ought to be removed ertirely beyond the reach of these "local gusts of policy, passion, and impecunio ity." that had such a disastrous < j 3ect on the educa r ional position of the province. He thought a general system might be devised that would be much better adapted to the needs of the colony than any that would emanate from the prorincial authorities. The following memorial to the members of the General Executive was the a presented :—: —

" To the Honorable the Members of the New Zealand Government. "The memorial of Jamei Glanfitsld, Alexander Grant, and William Taylor, these being a deputation of certificated teachers employed under the Auokland Education Act, 1857, " Showeth— That many of us wore induced to come to this prorince by information circulated by the authorised »gectfl respecting the encouragement held out to teachers under the aforesaid Act. " That we have reoeived no salary from the Government for teaching since the end of December, 1867, and that we have in the meantime beeo worse paid than if the people of the province had never been assisted by the Government in eduoating their children. " 'I hat our salary for one quarter prior to the repeal of the Education Act, 1857, has been withheld by the Superintendent and his Executive, notwithstanding that the committee of the Provincial Gotwcil reported th.At our claim to that quarter's talary is just, and the Council unan : mously requested h'B Honor to place a sufncieut Bum on the '^timates for the current yer* to pay that salary • acd although so long as the abovenamed Act was in force we were prohit.il.ed from charging more than a limited amount of school-fee ; and although clauses 7, 27, and 28 of the said Act prescribe the circumstances under which teachers could be deprived of their* salary or any part of it. " That several of us, who left England assured of a grant of 80 acres of waste- land after teaching five years, have been unable to complete that term owing to the action of the Provincial Government in withholding the Government subsidy; and that the Superintendent of this provino has refused to comply with the requests of the General Assembly and of his own Council to give such teachers as were employed under the Eduo*tion Act, 1867, at the time that Government assistance wns stopped, immediate titles to their 80 acres. "That we consider our eugagemeat as teaohers wi'-h the Provincial Government under the above Aot to 1 -ive been an engagement for a period of not less than a year, for our salary was fixed at a yearly amount ; and therefore we insist that we ara entitled to at least one year's salary as compensation, seeing that we received no notioe of the time when our services were be dispensed with finally. "That Robert J. Creighton is retained in the Government Executive of this province, although in hii place in the Council he charged the teacheis with 'cooking; their returns,' which statement we know in our own cases to be a calumnious falsehood, and as regards our fellow teachers as a body we have reason to bel'eve that they were as upright in the matter as ourselves ; and although R. J. Creighton, when asked to explain publicly his reason for making such a statement, instead of doing so pxplainrd his words in a manner altogether unsatisfactory for his own reputation. "That under the Auckland Common Schools Act we are placed in an unfair position, seeing that the Superintendent snd his Execatlve, together With the Waste Lands Commisbioner, holding office under them, forma majority of the members of the Cential Board of Education ; and, fiom what has been above stated, they cannot be regarded by us as other than prejudiced; and seeing that the Secretary and Accing Inspector of Schools, appointed by them, is also an official of the Provincial Government in another capacity. "That the maximum salaries of toachers were fix-d so low in the Common Schools Bill as drafted by the Provincial Executive that we are necessarily of opinion that it was their object to insult and injure us a3 a body, to spite us because we petitioned the Geueral Assembly at ita last sitting, and because of the offence given by us to a leading member of the Provincial lixemtive. "That since the Education Aot, 1857, was repealed in March, 1868, two Acts having the promotion of education for their osteusible object have been passed by the Auckland Provincial Council ; that the fitst of theie proved a dead letter, oi rather a succedaneum ; and the one now in force has been more satibfactory in its operations in so far as to secure extra pay to Mr. O'Sullivan for being Secretary to the Bonrd and Acting Inspector of (no) schools, but in no other respect so far as we know. " That we hare reason to believe that in other provinces of this colony there is at pre3ent a strong feeling that the provincial management of education has been found wanting,— besides in this province. "We therefore beg respectfully to express our desire and prayer : — " That the General Government take into their own hands the subject of education. " That our salaries for the quarter ending March, 1868, be paid by the General Government, and charged ajainstthe province of Auckland. "That the salary for the remaining period of the year 1868 be paid to those who continued teaching, and be charged as the salary for quarter ending March, 1868, may be charged. "That steps may be taken for the immediate issue of Crown grants to those teachers whose term of five years harl not expired ia December, 1867, for their eighty aores. "And your memorialists will ever pray, "Alexander Grant, M.A., Of School near Otahuhu. " James Glalwield, Of Newmarket School, "William Tatlob, St. Matthew's Sohool, Auokland."