EDUCATION BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 7471, 15 March 1888, Page 2

EDUCATION BOARD.

The Education Board met this day ; present—Dr Brown (chairman), Messrs Dick, Hislop, Clark, Green, Fulton, Fraser, Fracr, and M'Kenzic. FINANCE REPORT. The report of the Finance Committee was adopted, as follows : Your committee having considered the various matters referred to them beg to make the following recommendations : Kaikorai,—That the Board decline to act in accordance with the suggestion of the Minister of Education, that tho board should pay tho School Committee’s expenses in the late inquiry, as it holds that having paid all expenses duo by it in connection with the recent action in the Supreme Court it is under no obligation to pay any portion of tho Kaikorai School Committee’s expenses connected with the inquiry before Mr Carew, the Board having been no party totthe inquiry. The board would further draw the attention of the Government to the decision of the Commissioner, which was wholly in favor of the board’s resolution as to tho termination of the head-master’s engagement.

Waipori,—-That the application for a grant for fencing the glebe be declined. Met ton. - That a ventilator be supplied. Mount Stuart.—That the application of this committee for a grant of L2 2s towards cost of new gates be declined. N.B. Harbor.—That the application of the committee for the continuance of the sewing teacher’s services and tho appointment of a new pupil teacher be agreed to. Tenders. That the following tenders be accepted: Momington: Additions, R. Knowles, L 495 17s. Macandrew road: Additions, R. Knowles, L4G3. THE APPOINTMENT OF TEACHERS. Dr Hislop said, with reference to the sending down by the board to school committees of the names of candidates for vacancies as teachers, that the board, like the public, looked to head-masters for the good management and efficiency of their schools, and it was therefore unfair to appoint assistants to the staff without previously obtaining the concurrence of the head-master. They had had painful experience of allowing the course of leaving appointments to school committees. He would be no party to the appointment of any other assistant unless the head-master was satisfied with the appointment, for such would be thrusting on him assistants in whom ho might have no confidence. He would therefore move the following resolution : -“ That, as the board hold the head-master responsible for the management and efficiency of the school under his charge, the board will not hold themselves bound absolutely to appoint to the position of assistant teacher the candidate recommended by the committee unless the head-master has been consulted and an assurance given in writing that he concurs In ttao recommendation.** x\.c taVded that resolution quite fearlessly of any committee.

Mr Fulton seconded the motion, because at present a head-master could come to the board and say that they had thrust on him an assistant in whom he had no confidence, and that therefore he was not able to manage his school. The motion would save the board from any difficulty that might arise in the direction stated by Dr Hislop. Dr Ilrsi.oi* remarked that the motion was so worded as to enable the board to take cases on their merits.

Mr M'Kenzie said he must oppose the motion, for if passed it would delegate to head-teachers the power to appoint any teacher they liked. Besides, how were head-masters to know the qualifications of applicants ? Dr Hislop asked how committees knew them. Mr M'Kenzie said that committees were in a better position to know than headmasters were. The board should take his view of the question into consideration before they adopted the motion. He could see that it would be sowing the seeds of a great deal of discord between teachers, the board, and committees. A teacher could say “This is my choice of an assistant,” and the board could reply “ We will have so-and-so appointed and no other.” He thought that if they remained as they were and exercised the care they usually did—taking care not to send to committees the names of ineligible candidates—all would be well. Mr Green said that he also would oppose the motionand would endorse MrM'Kenzie’s remarks. He understood that head-masters were always consulted by committees. Mr Hislop said that the evil was that they were not. Mr Green said he considered that any head master worthy of the position should be consulted before an assistant was thrust on him; that ho should be consulted in all cases before an appointment was absolutely given effect to. But in the motion there was no saving clause. The board were in the best position to judge coolly with respect to an appointment. The Act required that committees should be consulted prior to appointments, and if the board bound itself to enable a head-master to appoint his assistants difficulties would soon arise. Ho agreed that they should pay every respect to the recommendations of head-masters, but he was not prepared to hand over to them the powers of the committees and of the board combined. Mr Dick said he did not agree with the motion either, as he thought it would place the board in a false position, and would only add to their The board were bound to consult committees, and it would only add to their difficulties if they had to consult head masters also. In the latter case they would often have to side with a teacher against the committee, or with the committee against a teacher.

Mr Fraser said that he was against the motion, chiefly because it was unnecessary at present, as he thought they were getting on very well. Dr Hislop remarked that they were getting on very badly, Mr Fraser continued that he had been for three years a member of the board, and had never heard of a complication with a head-master until the Tokomairiro case that had just occurred. He felt sure it was the practice for committees to consult headteachers upon appointments ; in Dunedin he knew it was the custom.

Mr Clark said he could not support the motion, although he was prepared to go some length in the way of recommending committees to consult with head-masters before finally making an appointment. Dr Hislop said that the beard had committed themselves to the appointment of the candidate recommended by the committee if taken from the names sent down by the board. He did not propose that the headmaster should nominate a candidate, but simply that the committee should ask bis

concurrence before finally appointing anyone. , The riiottofi Was ptit tlrid carried on the Voices. ACCOUNTS, Accouiita dmountihg to LG,941 Is 2d Were padsed for payment. FORBURY. The matter of an addition to the Forbury school was referred tc the board’s inspector and architect to report on. BRIGHTON. A letter was received from the Brighton Committee in reply to the memorial sent in by settlers in the district asking for the removal of the committee, and also with reference to complaints made by the teacher against the committee. The letter was, without discussion, minited ns received. oeoroe street. Mr J. W. Jago and the Rev. Mr Beckenham waited on the board as a deputation from the George street committee to ask that the allocated grant for the school—L9s for 750 children—be increased by LlO on account of tho average attendance of scholars being increased by more than 100—namely, to 886. The present grant was all taken up by the janitor’s expenses, cost of fuel, and other items of expenditure, and nothing was left for the committee to lay out in other necessaries.

The Chairman said that the matter opened up two or three points that could not be settled off-hand, and he would suggest that the committee put their requisition into writing before the next meeting of the board, when it would be considered. Tho deputation agreed to this course and left on that understanding. OFFICE APPOINTMENT. Mr C. H. S. Macaulay was appointed a cadet in the Board’s office. RETIRING MEMBERS. The Chairman intimated that this was the last occasion on which they would have the pleasure of Mr Fi ser’s company as a member of the Board and he would therefore propose that a vote of thanks be passed to him for the interest that he had taken in educational matters.

Dr Hislop, in seconding the motion, said that he had enjoyed Mr Fraser’s company on the Board very much. He had on some occasions to differ with him, but gave him the credit of having the courage to express his opinions. The motion was carried nan. ran. Mr Fraser : It is unnecessary for me to assign any reason for my resignation beyond the fact that I was pledged to only sit for my term of three years; and in this connection I may record my conviction that in order to effect those changes in the board that are, I think, necessary in order to periodically infuse fresh vitality into its veins and brush away the cobwebs that gather during a three years’ term of office, members should be content with a stated term of office and then retire without offering themselves for re-elec-tion. A sitting member who is a candidate for an impending vacancy has a strong advantage over any outside candidate, the latter being according to my lights very heavily handicapped. Being a member of the board, I took no part in the late election ; but I am aware that in my successor, Mr Macgregor, the board will have a valuable member, and one who has a far more comprehensive grasp of the question of primary education than I ever professed to have. Still, without making any comparison of merits, I may bo allowed to express my regret that there were not two vacancies, so that the board might have also had the advantage and benefit of Miss Freeman’s presence. Ido not know the lady personally, but I honestly believe that were she a member her advice on many points connected with our girl teachers would be most valuable, and I trust on a future occasion to see a large majority of the committees in Otago giving, by their votes, a practical recognition of their appreciation of her courage in seeking election as a member of the Education Board. In bidding farewell to my fellow members I may add that the general public do not appear to realise the honest hard work that is done by the board-work that, in addition to being hard, is often most unpleasant. The lot of an Education Board that has to always stand neutral between teachers and committees, committees and teachers, and teachers and officials, is not a happy one.