THORNDON SCHOOL

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 115, 18 May 1938, Page 12

THORNDON SCHOOL

LOCAL CONTROL

'committee required

ACTION OF BOARD '

The action of the Wellington Education Board in asking members to attend the householders' meeting at the Thorndon School to help to secure a school committee there had a sequel today when the, board received a letter from Messrs. R. McDonald and A. L. Holloway, who acted as commissioners lor the school during the j?ast year. The letter suggested That the board had set out to wreck, the administration of the school, although that administration was satisfactory to the householders. In the discussion that followed, appreciation of the ser-~..-es given by commissioners was expressed, but board members were emphatic that the school should be controlled \T>y a committee as provided in the Education Act. Arrangements were made to enable city members to meet the writers of the letter so that action can be taken to secure a committee at the second meeting of householders.

LETTER TO BOARD. Messrs. McDonald and Holloway wrote'to the board as follows:— "We thank you for your letter pf the 2nd. instant in which you informed us that those members of your board who could'- conveniently do so would attend at the, school to urge householders to elect a school committee in lieu of commissioners. You are no doubt aware that two members of the board —Mr. J. J- Clark and Colonel f W. McDonald—attended the meeting, and .it.is.in, regard thereto that we now address you. . "We i wish to premise our remarks by assuming that your board desires ' (as we do)' tQ act only in the best interests of the. school, but after listening to'the remarks of the last-named member of the delegation, we had good reason to doubt the correctness of assumption. , In effect that gentleman, whilst admitting that the. affairs of the school had been very ably administered by • commissioners, informed the meeting in no uncertain terms that if the householders of Thorndon School did not- elect a committee, the board would no longer tolerate the' present position but would-itself assume control of the school and remove.the commissioners' from office. In fairnessto Colonel McDonald we.wish to mention thftt he stated he was not authorised to pledge the board in this respect, but nevertheless we wish to protest in the strongest possible manner against the truculent an,d threatening attitude he adopted towards t the meeting gene*' rally.'' ■'■'''. . To us as business men it is inconceivable that the board, to gratify wh'at* > appears. to be a whim of one or two of its members, would deliberately set out to wreck an administra- ' tton which, on the admission of these same members, has worked harmoniously and efficiently during the past five-years.

From the fact that once again no nominations for a committee were received, although all the regulations in that connection were strictly observed, aid,that only a very small number of householders attended the meeting, it can safely be asserted that parents generally are quite satisfied with the present system of control and do not desire a school committee. . «We as commissioners have no desire, to, usurp the functions of a school committee, but when it has been made plain toi us so . often that Thorndon parents are. satisfied with our adinipistration, we wish to inform yo\i as clearly, as possible, and with no desire to emulate the conduct of Colonel McDonald; that if the board in its wisdom decides to act as we have been led to believe it will, then we.will, in the interests of the "children of bur school seek redress from a higher court. We feel .surerhowever, that such a course will not be necessary and that the board,- after a careful review of all the circumstances, will decide to maintain the status quo and leave well alone.

'in conclusion we wish to assure you that whikt we take strong exception to the remarks of Colonel McDonald, we have always been courteously treated by your board to whom we now appeal with entire confidence to weigh the position very carefully before deciding on a course which, may introduce dissension into a wellnamed, well-administered, and thoroughly contented school, second to none under the' board's jurisdiction.

"P.S.—We beg respectfully to ask if t it is Hhe intention of the board per media of the two members mentioned above,, to engage itself, overtly or otherwise," in canvassing the school district in the hope of obtaining a minimum number of nominees for a school committee when the next meeting of householders is called -in the near future." ' colonel Mcdonald's ' . ' ■' COMMENT. / "I desire to move that, the letter signed by R. W. McDonald and A. L. Holloway, purporting to be commissioners .of Thorndon School, just read by the secretary, be received," said ' Colonel McDonald. "Mr. Clark and I went to the Thorn- . don School on the evening of Monday, : May 2, on the authority of a resolution of the board at its last meeting. The object of our going was to endeavour to obtain a school committee for Thorndon School. This is the second time the board has resolved in this direction., "The important > principle of control of our schools by school committees was, and is at stake. Mr. Clark and I endeavoured to explain the position to the meeting. I told them plainly that the board was not under any legal duty to appoint school commissioners where the householders failed to elect a school committee. I went further*and said that so far as I was concerned, I would recommend the board, where the householders persistently refused or as in the case of Thorndon School, to elect a school committee, to take direct control itself until it could obtain a committee. "I stand firmly in support of the democratic system of local control of schools by school committees elected by the householders as against the autocratic system bf control by school commissioners appointed by the board, arid I am prepared to fight to the last ditch to that end. The powers and privileges of school committees are so restricted that they can ill afford to suffer any further loss, particularly their substitution by commissioners. - "The signatories to the letter make some wild statements, and this is especially the case when they state that on the admission Of these same members (Mr.' Clark and me) the administration has worked harmoniously and efficiently during the past five years," Colonel McDonald continued. "We did riot say anything of the kind, and I could not possibly either nay it or think it. becau?-; I know that it would not be correct, for ihe important reason, if no other, that no commissioners ha-c been in effice for five years. ... "The signatories say' that they have no desire to usurp the functions of a

school committee, but that if the board in its wisdom decides to act as they have been led to believe it will, then they, the signatories, will in the interests of the children of their school seek redress from a higher court. This simply means that if the board does not reappoint these gentlemen as school commissioners, at their dictation,- they will take their case to a higher court. By all means let them do so, but they should know this board better than to believe that it is going., to be bounced into obeying the orders of these gentlemen no matter how estimable or- indispensable they may be. "ThVre appears ... to be a desire to gain their ends by going to the extent of permitting a report to be published questioning my right to visit the school of which I am a joint-owner with the other members of the board, on the ground that I am member for another ward," said Colonel McDonald. "This is not only a false assumption, but is also an insult not only to me as one of this board's representatives nt that meeting, but is also an insult to this board.

"I desire also to draw the board's attention to the unsatisfactory position of the headmaster of the Thorndon School. Mr. Melody is, and has been for some time, president of the Thorndon Parents' and Teachers' Association, and, I believe, the chairman of the executive committee. This body has taken upon itself the responsibility of Teporting on staff and other matters connected, with this school. In its last report, the following appears in the concluding paragraph: 'In concluding this report we deem it fitting"again to reicord our sincere appreciation of the excellent work performed by the teaching staff/over the past twelve months. Under the capable and experienced leadership of a keen, energetic, and foreseeing headmaster all ranks have given of their best and the school.has gone' .forward steadily from strength to strength. Your executive, with an intimate knowledge of the work of all departments, is supremely satisfied that in all-round efficiency, high moral tone, and general discipline Thorndon School stands second to none in the Dominion, and truly lives up to its motto, "Manners makyth man."' "This is actually signed by the headmaster himself, and is, in my opinion, most improper, and should cease at once.".

.'. POSITION OF HEADMASTER. . Mr. J. J. Clark seconded the motion that the letter be received, and said that he and Colonel McDonald had gone to the', meeting because the board had expressed the view that control by commissioners -had been going on too long and that the spirit of the Act was not being carried out. He had pointed out that permission to control schools by commissioners could lead in time to committees, and democratic control being abolished: • Golonel McDonald had pointed out that the board need not appoint commissioners. Mr. Clark said he had told the headmaster that his position as president of the association was a peculiar one arid he should get out of the office, but he had allowed himself; to be nominated for another term. ' * •

Mr. L. J. McDonald said the commissioners could rest assured that the board ye anted to manage the school in the'• interests of the pupils and was satisfied with the work done by the commissioners. He considered there was a misconception regarding' the wishes of the board. The board had certain rights and responsibilities and it was required to secure control by a committee if possible. If a committee could not be secured a valuable link between the school and the district was lost. Nothing had ever come before the board reflecting in any way upon the commissioners and the desire of the board to secure a committee in no way detracted from its appreciation of <,the services of the commissioners. Thorndon School had five or six hundred pupils and it was obvious that there were sufficient parents in the district, to form a committee.

Mr. A. C. Blake said commissioners were only appointed, to fill a gap arid the district should endeavour to appoint a committee. He agreed that the headmaster should not be president of the association. "They're developing into a mutual admiration society,'' he said. » . Mr. C. H. Nicnolls said the commissioners had carried out their duties well but the bc-ard must try and secure a committee. Mr. L. J. McDonald moved as an amendment that the commissioners should be invited to meet members of the board and discuss the establishment of a committee, and after further discussion Colonel McDonald said he would agree to the amendment being added to his motion if the word "commissioners" was altered to the "writers of the letter." The commissioners had gone out of office at the householders' meeting. . This was agreed to and the matter is to be discussed at an early date.