ORDER-IN-COUNCIL

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 117, 13 November 1929, Page 13

ORDER-IN-COUNCIL

POLITICAL CONTROL

TRAINING COLLEGE

REGULATIONS

BOARD'S PROTEST

Amendments to the Training College

regulations affecting Training College • staffs and students brought into force by Order-in-Council gazetted on 31st October were discussed at the Wellington Education Board meeting to-day. "You know, gentlemen, that there lias always been a little trouble in connection with the administration of the Training College," said the chairman, Mr. T. Forsyth. The administration was in the hands of the board, subject to the approval or veto of-the Department. The Department had created many anomalies and friction. Tho board would recollect the trouble over the appointment of tho principal to the Training College, and the attitude of the Department and Minister in refusing to confirm tho appointment of the Committee of Advice which had chosen the applicant best suited to the position. It was a very deliberate attempt by. Order-in-Council and regulation, "framed up" so that these regulations would be retrospective, to give full power to the Minister by direction of the Department. The Department directed the Minister. However, on that occasion public opinion was bitterly opposed to the matter, and 'it was dropped -and withdrawn. The bitterest point was that the present Minister of Education was at the time directly opposed to the action of the Minister and the Department. Now the position had arisen when the board was appointing a viee-prineipal ,to the Training College. Mr. Atmore was now in the place of Mr. "Weight, and the Department stood where it had always stood, and was out for centralisation. Tho board's recommendation for the vicc-prineipalship had been sent to tho Minister, who. declined to approve it. He wanted a certain man appointed,, but the board declined to do this, and there had been many conferences on the matter. In the meantime the delay had been detrimental to tho working of the college. At last, after considerable pressure on the Minister, he had decided to ignore the advice of his officers and allow the board to readvertise the position. The Department immediately asked tho board when it would bo readvertising, and was told Ist November. On 31st October the new regulations had- been quietly slipped through. This was a distinct"reversal _of policy, said Mr. Forsyth, and he believed the regulations had been put through to enable the Minister to appoint the nominee he mentioned months ago, or one suggested by the Department. Orders-in-Couneil and government by regulation were obnoxious to all men, but when it was carried still further, and the regulations put through •for one individual, it came to a point where tho board should express its mind quite clearly. There was a very grave danger in this latest move of the Department, and he believed that the Department had done it. The Minister had been directed by his officers to bring in the regulations, and he would not be surprised if the same gentleman the Minister had recommended were forced into tho position of vice-principalship. OTAGO AND DXJNEDIN SUPPORT. The other boards had. been communicated with, and Otago and Auckland had sent telegrams supporting the Wellington Board. That from Dunedin read: "Board still adheres.to views expressed in its memorandum of 21st June last year. The board is strongly of opinion that the combined recommendation of a committee of advice and the board of an appointment is possessed of merit equal to, if not greater than, that of the Department." Mr. Forayth then moved:— That tho board make strong1 protest against this move of the Minister and the- Department in seeking to obtain centralisation and control, and against the gross act of discourtesy in passing the regulations with; ont either consulting the boards or notifying them afterwards. Mr. P. Robertson supported the chairman. He had a particular detestation of legislation by Order-in-Council, particularly when it referred to an individual. He thought that the resolution should be sent to the Prime Minister to sen if they could not get redress before the applications that they would have to call for were dealt with, for automatically under the new regulations they had no power. Although the Prime Minister was ill, the matter was one of such urgency that he should be approached.

Mr. C. H. Nicholls referred to the continued "whittling down" of the board's powers. He was convinced the Minister was acting on information supplied to him by his Department. He suggested that the resolution should be telegraphed to every Education Board together with a line on what the Wellington Board thought of the matter. "POLITICAL CONTROL." The opinion that any candidate who could pass the Committee of Advice and the Education Board must be a suitable candidate for the position was expressed by Mr. A. C. Blake, who said ie considered that the board already had the right machinery for appointments to the Training College. The Committee of Advice and the board possessed the local knowledge which the Minister had.not got, and that was'always important in making appointments. The regulations were another example of political control, and there had been a good many instances of it lately. Mr. Of. T. London did not think the most capable men would bo appointed under the new regulations. The new regulations meant the taking away of any power that the Committee of Advice or the board had, said Mr. A, W. Hutehings, and the Minister could choose who pleased him. '

■-.■ Mr. Forsyth's resolution was carried, and Mr. Eobertson's suggestion to forward it to the Prime Minister and Mr. Nicholls's motion to communicate the board's attitude to boards throughout the Dominion .were also adopted. It was explained that the Committee of Advice was made up of the Senior Inspector, a representative of the outside districts which sent students to the college, tho Professor of Education, and the chairman of the "board. The principal of the Training College also attended. Mr. Nieholls: "You could not get better men." "A QUESTION OF SEX." Mr. J. J. Clark brought up the subject of women applicants for the position of vice-principal. He had been struck by the disparity of the sexes in tuition at the college, the women outnumbering the men by four to one, and he thought that the Committee of Advice should seriously consider the claims of women for the vice-principal-ship. Members of the board had used the argument that it was inadvisable to select one who would in the natural course of events become principal. He would mention that the senior woman at the college was called a woman warden. If a woman were appointed to the principalship, or viceprincipalship, and later became prin-

cipal, there would bo nothing wrong in appointing the senior male on the staff to look after the interests of the male students. He moved that the clause in the Committee of Advice's report regarding the choice of applicants for the viee-principalship should be referred back to it, so that more consideration could bo given to lady candidates. Mr. P. Robertson seconded the motion pro forma, but considered it should be voted out. Mr. A. C. Blake said if Mr: Clark had had in mind a lady candidate of outstanding qualifications it would have been a different matter. The question of sex did not interfere with the board's appointments at all. In this case there had been outstanding male candidates, but no oustanding female candidates. Mr. Nicholls said he would not think Of doing anything on this subject that would weaken the recommendations of the Committee of Advice, but he thought" if the lady teachers knew that these avenues of promotion were open for them they would strive for them. The Chairman: "Every application was carefully considered, particularly so the lady candidates, but the board must choose the best candidate for the position." The board took the best, irrespective of sex. Dr. M'llraith mentioned that women wore often appointed to principalships and vice-principalslrips in England, and particularly in America. Mr. Clark said there would be no want of confidence in the committee implied by passing his resolution. It was a question of sex. Mr. Forsyth: "It may be with you, but'not with the Committee of Advice; with it it is a question of qualification." Mr. Clark's motion was lost, Mr. Nicholls being the only member who approved it other than Mr. Clark himself. REGULATIONS COMPLAINED OF. The regulations complained of by tlio board read as follows:— Clause 6 (1): Appointments to-the staff of a training college shall be made in the manner following: (a) For every vacant position on the staff of a training college the board shrill invite applications by advertisement in the Education Gazette, or elsewhere as the Minister may require or approve, and shall, after consultation with the Committee of Advice, select the applicant whom it considers best qualified for the position and submit his name to the Minister for his approval. The board shall at the samp time forward to tho Minister all the applications that have been received for the position, together with the testimonials of all the applicants, (b) If the Minister approves of the selection so made lie shall inform tho board of his approval, and the board shall thereupon appoint to the vacant position the person selected; but if the Minister- does not approve of the selection he shall notify the board of his non-approval, and the board shall thereupon select another applicant and. submit his name to the Minister for approval. Upon receipt of notification of the Minister's approval the board shall mako the appointment accordingly, (c) If no appointment has been made in accordance with, tho previous paragraphs of this sub-clause within three months after the date on which tho board's'first selection was submitted to the Minister, tho - Minister may either direct that the position shall bo readvertised, in which case the procedure shall be that prescribed in paragraphs (a) and (b) hereof, or may himself select and appoint one of tho applicants and notify the board of such selection and appointment, (d) Except in regard to the appointment of the principal and the vice-principal, of the training college, the- Committee of Advice may delegate its functions in respect to appointments to the Senior Inspector of Schools."

. (Under the.:former regulation the wording of elauso 6 (1) was: "After consultation with the Committeo of Advice the board shall make recommendations to the Minister rogarding appointments to the staff of the training college and of each practising school, and on receipt of tho Minister's approval thereto the board shall make appointments accordingly. Except in regard to the appointments of tho principal and vice-principal of the training college and the headmaster of each practising school, the Committee of Advice may delegate its function in respect to appointments to the Senior Inspector of Schools.")