TEACHER AND COMMITTEE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 104, 4 May 1915, Page 2

TEACHER AND COMMITTEE

TROUBLE AT SOUTH WELLINGTON.. In his annual report the headmaster (Mr. Geo. Flux) said at the meeting of householders last night that he had always contended for a partnership in the conduct of school affairs, but he was not content with a sleeping partnership. Unfortunately for the complete success of the school, some of the committees with which he had had to deal had taken the opposite view, and during the past year this antagonistic attitude had reached such a stage that, of dire necessity, he was compelled to make a clear, plain statement of the origin of that spirit, which had rendered his work,, more or less a torture to himself and a hindrance to the well-being of the school. Going into details at considerable length, he remarked, inter alia, that "it is monstrous that men dressed with a little brief authority should be able to thwart the efforts of a man who, with all his shortcomings, has for nearly nineteen years in this district given the best that was in him to advance the best interests of the children placed in his hands." He traced the source of" difference to some years ago, when he protested against the committee commandeering for a school picnic about half of a sum raised for library purposes. Against that action he strongly protested, as a breach of faith with those who had provided the money, but his protest was unheeded. That was the genesis of the differences between himself and the committee, and that had gone on, with one short interval, up to the present timeThe end, he added, had been disaster. The headmaster's report was listened to with great interest. In answer to a question, Mr. Flux said he believed that the committee elected was not a fair representation of the householders. Probably the result was due to the fact that householders generally did not realise that nominations had to be made at least seven days before the meeting. Tho secretary (Mr. W. J. Keys) deprecated the suggestion that any discourtesy had been offered to the headmaster. "This has grown up bit by bit," said the headmaster, "until it has grown beyond all patience, and I am quite sure that the parents will back me up." The only man on the committee that he could get any sympathy from was Mr. Keys, the secretary. The Chairman said he was given to understand that Mr. Flux was always consulted about matters affecting the school. After discussion it was decided to recommend the committee to invite the headmaster to its meetings.