EDUCATION INQUIRY

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 123, 25 May 1920, Page 8

EDUCATION INQUIRY

TO THE EDITOR. . Sir, —In your issue of "Wednesday, ths 19th inst.,l noticed' a paragraph dealing with the. Lyall Bay School Committee election, in ■which it stated: "That an inquiry will be held on Friday, 21st, at the board's offices:" Hoping to gain information that would .assist school committees at their annual elections, I attended the above meeting,'and was politely told, "'No admittance-" The Press, I understand, were treated in the saoaio manner. Nriw. Sir. what I would like to know is: "Is the Education Board at liberty to deal with public allegations concerning a public meeting behind closed doors, and in secret? It seems to me that this matter' should be dealt with absolutely above board and no Star Chamber methods allowed. The school committees throughout this district want to conduct their annual meetings in the right and proper way, and look to the Education Board to assist them, but evidently the board does not want the assistance of committees, and, further, does not intend to help the committees.

The Lyall Bay Committee is alleged to havei made mistakes. Well, why not lot other committees know what was done wrongly, so that they may avoid similar errors [if any) in future? Further, I should like to ask you, Sir, could you give me any information as to what meetings (if any) of the Education Board are open to the public.—l am, etc..

A. J. WHITE, Hon. Secretary, The Wellington School Committee*' Association,

[A copy of the above letter was shown to Mr. T. Forsyth, Chairman of the Wellington Education Board, who stated that the inquiry was purely a private nounced that though he could not see of one. Buring the proceedings he anwhat interest it would be to the School •Committees' Association, he was quite prepared to allow a representative of the association to be present, but it would have to be a unanimous vote. A member of the Lyall Bay School Committee thereupon objected to Mr. White being present, and as a consequence he was excluded. Mr. Forsyth added that it was quite in order for Mr. White or anyone else to attend the monthly meetings of the Education Board, other than those in committee.]