THE KAIKORAI SCHOOL.

Evening Star, Issue 7361, 5 November 1887, Page 2

THE KAIKORAI SCHOOL.

A public meeting was held in St John's Hall, Roslyn, last evening, for tha purpose of considering the action of the Education Board towards the Rait korai School and Sohool Committee. Mr A. C. Bejrg occupied the chair, and there was a large attendacoe, including a number ol ladies. The Chairman, without entering into the merits ot the question in dispute, thought he might say that all tne-re&identaaf Roslyn looked upon MrMLaucbbm as an honorable and upright nun and a good neighbor —(applause;—and most o( them would be very sorry if any misfortune should overtake him. He intimated that he had received a letter of apology from Mr Henry Livingstone stating his inability to be present und his sympathy with Mr M'Laughlan. Mr Wilkinson, chairman of the School Committee, said it was his intention to have placed the whohj history of the matter in dispute before the meeting, but as a full and truthful account of it had appealed in the ' Daily Times,' he did not think it advlasble to travel over the same ground again. He said Mr Cailton was elected in July in place cf Mr Uatheson, who had resigned, but Mr Carlton attended no meetings of the Committee until this present trouble arose. There was generally a majority of one on the Kaikorai Sohool Committee, but in 1886 the election took place oa what might be called the Wilkinson and the Ctiiaholra ticket.—(Laughter.) There were three of Mr Chisholm's party and four of the Wilkinson party elected.- (Applause. 1' Oce ot the Chisholm party consistently supported his side till bis eyes were opened to the real state of tffaira, and he was conVihp.d that he was on the wiong tide. He then decided to quit them altogether, arid threw in his lot with the WIN kinson party, who hid tor the remainder 61 that year a majority of three. A treat deal of gcod resulted from that change—(Applause.) He proceeded to deal with the history of the dispute, and asked Mr Archer, seeretary of the Committee, to read the following letter from the Committee to the Board :

" Kalkoral School, Eoalyn, October 17,1887. " The Chairmen and Members ot the Education' Bo^rd.Dnnedin.

'• Gentlemen,—Ymrresolution re dismissalot the bead-master ot tbe Kaikorai Sohool was considered at the monthly meeting of tbe School Committee held on Friday evening, 14th inst, When a resolution was passed, a copy of which I have tbe honor ol forwarding to your Board. ' '■ " I am also authorised by the Committee to submit for your considers' ion the following fact', viz. : " Ist. That, as your Board is already aware, tyo annual published reports'6f inspection ly Hr Taylor and examination by Mr GoyW'show in the plainest possible manner that a very considtrable improvement has taken place during the put year in tbe condition of the school, 85 per cent of the children examined having passed the standards.' Tbe'Committee felt highly gratiLed at the result ot the year's] work (although nothing more than was expected by tbetn), and published in the daily Press a resolution passed by them to that effect, accompanied by a sW| summary of the nature of the work dope, etc (2nd, The' returns required by your Bard with regard to the numbers attending the school also show plainly a considerable increase—in he>, so large baa the attendance in the lower standards been, that tbe head-master w»s under the necessity cf bringing the hall erected by the Committee into daily use in order to relieve tbe crowded state of lbs daea-rooms. Tbe rooms in which the higher standards are taught are also full, and tha Committee has bad to apply twice during the year to your Board for additional forms, etc, which *sre kindly granted, and have been round exceedingly useful. The returns tor the last quarter show a larger avenge attendance than ever took place before at the same time ot year (mldwinter)-a direct evidence of the confidence the parents ol children in this district have in tbesohoelanduHrH'LauohUn as head-master.

"3rd. The reports, therefore, el numbers on the rot], avenge attendance, percentage of pant*, and the general tone, condition, behavior, eto, wOl compare favorably with any or most of the eohooli under yow Board, and show, io the opinion of toll Committee, that the school it now In a most satlifsctory aid prosperous state, owing in a vary great mearareto the efficiency and ability of the head-master, and to the retpeot and oonfldenoe in which he ia held, both M a scholar and teacher, and likewise a private dttaen. "4th. The Bdnoation Board, in the face o! a dear knowledge of these ftots, deemed it nsotssary [lot some reason not made known to the Committee) to order a special inspection of the school to be made in the month of August-about one month after the annual report had been published; and without la sny way oootnltlng with the Committee, aa provided bv clause 45 of the Education Aet, nave sat in judg* ment and passed a most severe and unjust resolution, giving the head-master three months 1 notice of dh> "Now, gentlemen, either the annual published reports oonoertiog this school ate f*lse and misleading, or the special report obtained by your- Board in August is necessarily so. There most be a oontnv diotion between them, or else a most unreasonable straining of foots, and a determination to get rid of Mr M'Lauchlan by any means. The Committee has no hesitation in According all credit to Meters Goyen and Taylor for the truthfulness of the reports made by them at their annual virit- the -improved condition of the school warranted it- but this Committee cannot submit to nave their standing Ignored by the ■Board, and such an act _©f injustice perpetrated on any teacher under their control. "We respeetfully ecggest, therefore, that the pr per course for your Board to follow is to withdraw altogether from this eou>se of persecution of *n effiolentand valuable servant of the Board, and al'ow the Kaikoral School to regain, under ibis tupervis:on, its wonted position as onexf the best schools under your Board's Jurisdiction —I am, eto., '■ J. Soorr Arobkr, Hen. Sec" (The reading of the letter was received with loud app'ause.) This letter bad never before been made public. Ho emphatically denied that the Committee ha-l been consulted in this matter by the Board, wH h«d acted ultra vires. But It was not the first time that the Board had acted Uegally. He could assure them that that portion of the Committee who hid all along atuok up tor the head-matter had at heart the real and. ttue interests of the school—(ap-plauaej-and he felt ccnt-inced that the majority of the people, and certainly (he parents of toe school children, had a high 2nd lasting retpeot for Mr M'Lauchlan 49 a man. and the head-master of the Kaikorai School. (Applause.) He concluded by moving—"That this meeting endorse .the action of the majority of the Scho.il Committee in opposing the resolution of the Education Board gi'ing Mr D. M'Lipchl-n (head-master) three moothV notice of dlsmissM." ' *

Mr UesnKß seconded the motion, Mr Chisholm, who was reoeived with hooting, hisses, and applause, said it mattered very little to bim whether he was received with no: to or with cheers. lie |cH very much Indeed the responsibility of the ponton he took up, but it was his duty to kt-te the other side of the question, and. he trusted to the good sense and in cUigence cf the neettrg to determine who was in the right. What he was g-. ins; to statu he was prepared to support by documentary evidence, and he would net deal in generalities as lh« chairman of the Committee had done. At the outaet, he challenged soma of the assertions that had appeared in Mr Wilkinson's statement in the 'Otigo Daily Times' that morning—as «rU6ns which it was a shame to have circulated in a puhlic newtpiper when they coold not be borne out by facta. Vfbea such statements were published it wu high time that someone should stand up to vindicate the cause ot truth and right. The chairman of the Committee had said that statements made against. Mr M'{*uehUn ' at the Committee of Inquiry were proved to be quite * untrue and had to be withdrawn.—(A VotB: " Amen," and loud laughter.") Now. that* wis not the fsot; and he challenged. Mr Wilkinson, who made the statement, to lay his finger on .» single syllable in the report which : proved, that anyone who, gave evidence had to ntraot a, tingle word ex* pt Mr M'Uuohlan himteU. H«

n-ad th" rxf.rac; irom the r«|«Mt 0 , V in hii ciiil"-: , ■'•'.'■.. i ,.« ' t-h-i'. I.i m-iv hove >fciti-d to tin 1 ir. .11V.-1.-■ .. f ii« Schn:>l (VitiiinittPC (but nr.t lUli'iio'v) :b.' .irt'f.io W:m ii:im.itud bv ft h.tfliiig a»ftii»."t him. H.' l-clievss this to be the cue. Hi-bi-li"vc.i lh»t tl.w s'-itu- of feeling on the part of the ius|u-c6 r h'j r.miUil the inspti'.for'e examination of h'« i-clr "I, -net also hi? report!, of these «•!"■'■*' Then in bU second cxiiuin.iiion M--M'L-.achlan di-tinc'lv dcr-i- .1 lh.it he hud ever iuiput.d niifairpcso in' th? conduct of the exomimitions. He also deni. d th» frequency of hin rrforvrces to Mr ISVtriri in co.uvr'ation wMi ivemberß of the Sehonl Cumnitteo." Follo«inir that w.vt this clause : —" On the other hand the evidence of Me srs Church, Ctmholm, and Hitchcock uppia-s to <w to bo direct y contradictory to that of Mr M'Liuehlan." Then, in reply to a ktter from the School Committee, the chairman of the Educvtion Bnrd (Professor Shand) wrot-3 under date September 24,1834. as follows .- "Dear Sir.-In reply to your letter of this days date, I have to rxprevs on the part of the Inquiry Committee cur regret that a i>™ S '»pi »» out wrt should have given pain to you or to any of your School Committee. I can assure you that it wes far from our intention to throw doubt upon the truthfu!ness of the evident siven |>y the witnesses referred to in the paragraph. If we had entertained any suspicion of the veracity of members of the Commlttee, It is hardly probablo that wc should have sugitested in the next sentence that the matter at issue should be referred to the Committen tor investigation, and it is equally unlik.ly that the Bond wou.d have acted upon Ui'is suagcsiion. expressing my regret that any pas.-age in the report should be.considered open to the construction which you havo put upoa It." All this went to prove that the only person who gave evidence before the Committee and had to retracl or place a different construction upon his words was Mr M'Unchlan Toenthe minority of the present Committee had been eharP«t. wl 'l n h *\?S shown a spirit of persecution ; but in this eonneeion he would only have to point to the fact that in 1884, when five members of the Cro.mittee wero anxious to have the school placed upon only two weio favorabla to retaining Mr M'Lwoblv , the Committee, having it in their power t, rccon• mend bis dismissal, resolved to Rive him a fan-trial iQthatiearMrM'Lauohlan had civeo his undiwdcd "tentU to the teaching of Standard VI., with he result that of thirteen presented only five passed the examination. The report of the inspectors showed that " the three lowest standards pis-cd a \ery (food examination, aud the three highest a very had one. In the classes examined in Standards IV., v., and VI the failures were not only very numerous, but in mos'tci<>'e.-»of a very serious character. The results trained in these three standards are wholly out of proportion to the larijo expense incurred in producing them, and contrast most unfavorably with those of th.9 three lowest standards. In no school in Otago of this size on the experience of several years show anything to match the fruHlessness of the teaching of the three highest sia-idaids in the school." Wa* ther; not, he asked, sufficient in that report to make the Board take acti.n? [At this stage of the proceedings Messrs Millar and Wright came to blows, the latter having struck the former on the htad with his stiok, and amHst a scene of disorder Mr Millar "went for 'his antagonist and gave him a blow in the face. The appearance of a polioeman on the scene had the effect of settling the disturbance] Mr ChWholm proceeded with his statement of the history of the dispute, showing that in 1885 the higher standards, as taught by Mr M'Laucblan, were a failu-e, and that the first assistant had teen maiio the scapegoat, and suffered accordingly. When the new assistants were appointed, the percentage was very high, hut Mr M'Lauchlan had had nothing to do with that" Tho Committee had decided that be should only exercise general supervision of theschoo\ but instead of doing that he went down to the seoond and third standards, and It was fmnd that under his direction they turned out to b? failure". -(Applause.) It was upon this most unsatisfactory state of affairs that tha Board decided to mako a special inspection. The repoits, although private, could be seen by anyone appiyiug personally at the Education Office, and he had Been tlurn. Tho result of the .xammation, as disolised in the reports, was to show that the headmaster had eiven no assistance whatever, and had not even examined the various standards during the whole twelve months, oven though he had been relieved of hK other duties and banded over the general supervision of the ichool. Under these circumstauc?s he maintained the Board wss perftc ly justified in giving him three month's notice. II < moved, as an amendment "Tha-. this meeting entirely approve of the action of the E.lucition Board in thttr efforts to place the Kalkorai School on a satisfactory footing. Mr Wriqiit asked Mr Ohisholm if ho had any feeling against tho head-ni >Btc ? ' Mr CnisuoLM : No ; I have not. Mr Whisht: When did you remove your children from the school? MrCiiffiifOLM: In ISSS.

Sir Wrioht: For »hat reason? , Li .. . , Mr Ciiisuolm : Merely for the reason that the school was In an uniatisfietory state, and if others were prepared to sacrifice the interests of their children, I A Hoi'SETiOLDRR: Did you expeot Mr M'LauchUnto supply Irains. Mr Chiaholm? (Gnat laughter.) The Cumbman said that was hardly a question that oueht to :.e i lit. Mr Ciiisuolm : IS probably shows that the person who utks it requires a little more m. ntal food at any Mr Matiikson seconded the amendment. Mr Mom as-ked Mr Chiaholm if his statement, as it append in tha ' Dilly Tim.">,' mfarih ■ ■« this teachers beine in favor of Mr M'Lauehlan's removal, was cor-reot?-(ApplftUsc.) . ±1 . „ , Mr Ciiisuolm Baid that it was perfectly correct, and he could K ive privately the name of the teacher who had waited on him and represented that he spoke in the uemo of tho rest of the teaching staff, who apii oved of Ul9 nction of the Educitwn Board ami of the minority of the Committee. Mr Oakiton explained th*t the reason o! his absence from tho Con.in.ttcc mcotlngs at the lime mentioned bv Mr >YHklnscn was owing to his having f.l more important business on hand.- (Applause) If their worthy chairman had to run an election contest, he would think he had p'enty to do.—(Laughter.) Ua ■toted his opinion that, thcugh Mr M had an exoellent character and gcod scholastic abilities, he lacked flrmDMs, and could not cjmmand discipline in the fic!ioo', which in itself m.derul him unfit to be a n.st-ela* teacher. The minority of the Committee were in his opinion, quite as cipablo of fo'minjt a proper judgment reuarcUne the dispute as the rVjiritv, and they wcro equally us good-looking, .f it c«n-to that.-(Great lauthUr.) Mr Wilkinson hivlna: rephtd at some length, the wnendment was put and rej.'O'ed by a large Monty, and the motion deolared carrieJ, amidst much apP 'Mr Buiiton would like to spoak at some length, but owin S to tho litem as of the lnur would bi brief in lii< remirk?. He expressed admiration for the oa m and j.idioUw manner in which the chairmaniot the School Committee had opened tin eve Mr Wiikm--8 n'-i utt .-ranees wore in marked contrast to the speech of Mr Chbholm, for there ran through the whole of tho lattrr's speech, a-r.id professions of friendship and calm judicial impartiality, ft strong strain of virulent animo-I'v gainst Mr M'Lauchlan. - (Cheers.) If this "ntUt wen carried iurther, Mr Oh sholm and he would meet face to Use aK»i" a"-d *g*l"- He . V«™ to say that he offered the deflinoj In ft Inendly spirit; bat that he would fieht such as Mr Chi holm on a question like this to the derth. - (Loud cheers.) The resolution he had to move waY-"That, serine that Mr M'Lauchlan has most wo thily filled the position of head-nutter in th's district forth-last twenty-three years-namelv, eight vears in the Wakari School and fifteen years in tho Kiiko at School-that his chrmct.er and conduct are most admirable, and his scholarship and professoml abili-yofaveryhigh order ; seeincr, too, that he pisks'es the confidence and respeot <I the majority of the School Committee and cf the pwonta of the children, ar.d that the present condition of the echcol is pr-sperons and sitbf jctory-thw meeting iLards the action of the Education Board in seekiig M, removal as quite uncalled for, and as suggesting the existence of a spirit of injaatloa and penecution against which this meeting most strongly protests." ?na" wis a s'raightforwa'd resolution, and he wou d have to nt eatisßed with the nervous words io which the resolution was couched. He fol. owed the career of. Mr M' Lauchlan very hrl.flv In 1878 he had a most flittering testlmoniai from Dr Hislop. and in 1879 the Kaikoral School, as oorapared with the twenty** largest schools In the Province of over 150 wto.*" » higher percentage than them all. except two.-(l<oui applause) That brought them to 1879. The next ?°ir (1880) the Kaikoral Sobool wr.s «"«?' n n the same position-It had a higher percent.™ fan a 1 the rest, excepting two. Next JW. Mf 1 ... the Kaikoral Sohool was at the bead of them all.(Cheew.) Now began the trouble. The Kaikoral School had become an important sohool II wmnot m«ely a trifling matter that was not w tth.the atfen. tlon ol some Important gentlemen-(laughteri-«d 80 the word wentftrtb. Mr M'Lauchlan was apprised bv a friend-"M'Lauohlan. the flat has gone forth ; $u aw to be written down l»_(Obeers A gentleman was appointed to the asswtanUhlp, but the HwSSi B knew tight well that he was not » mirahiainan WhY?-For the good of the school?to SroTMf jKiMhtart position by contrast Oh no. no !-to Kradually sack the fcbool-to bring It down lower and lower. And when tbetommlttee protested against this and showed wlut result It had, Sid the WSStef their anxiety totthei good Of edu. cation listen to them and wmove»»" 'L No: the sohool wasinlured year after year, and It was pnlyilte* v«jr persistent agitation that they were Induced to remove the person.- (Applause) In 18:8 a hew man was appointed/and tb*y began the agltat on Swln NowTthey sal* Is the tlmeior "'M'L.uchlan tow. The Committee were surprised, and they said'» Surely to goodness the man will get a chance Sow 'with a good aWtant" And the Board for some reason or otherdld give him a chance. Th• yew he p.Zr eC"atlon was highly satlsfactorj■; the SohSol was recovering al lost ground, and rspidly Mntovlng Its original stattts. One morning, however. JreSincameuptogive an Independent report. Whri wked him 1 The Committee were satisfied, and R."enh were content Who wanted It? It «■la work of supererogation, suely. A day or two afterre^t?e^tV& wasnota douM about it-men with whom one could L»entlcmen were actuated by a spl'lt of Persecution seainsrMr M'Lauchlan'? No. Then who was it? was at it; and if these gentlemen did not rfn » thamselves. they wore hi«{hly culpable u, th ouU th™i indifferent or their cvrelessness, somebody els'wasallowed to do tfala iniquitous work.P ft£fwnW the motion, which was carried bv an overwhe'mine majority. _. , Vn thrmotion of the /<.v. 9 »«««"». "«"ded by Mr Miliar, it was then That copies W tha foregoinc resolutions, and copies of correspondence between tha Committee ana the Board on tne subject, bo forwarded to the Minister cf Education, requesting him to cause Inquiry to be made into wo wholo matter, and that the chairman be authorised to sign such memorial on behalf of this meeting.