ST. LEONARDS SCHOOL.

Evening Star, Issue 8719, 11 January 1892, Page 2

ST. LEONARDS SCHOOL.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sib,—A short time ago I noticed in year paper an application for a mistress to the above school. The Board sent no less than twenty-five names for the Committee to select from. By a majority of the Committee Miss Downes was recommended for the appointment. Whether this was a wise or just appointment I am not prepared to say ; but this I will say—that the Committee rejected teachers of long experience, some of them havbg charge of schools, holding high certificates as well as good reports from the inspectors, and who have had to rough it b up - country suhools for years with a hope of being some day transferred near their homes. This seems hard when a young lady of little or no experience is pitch-forked over their heads, and I doubt whether Miss Downes would accept an appointment in an upcountry school if she got the offer. There is one consolation, but it is a poor one—those who were disappointed will loose nothing, and I doubt whether the position of mistress should be advertised for. According to the Board’s regulations there are at present not enough pupils to employ two teachers. By the regulations headteachers with a salary of from L 152 to L 162 per annum and one sewing mistress at L2O are allowed for a school with an average attendance of thirty-six to fifty. To employ a mistress, according to the regulations the average attendance mast be from fifty-one to seventyfive; salary of head-teacher from L 166 to L 18 2; mistress, LBO. The rise in the headmaster’s salary is, I presume, according to the increase of pupilp. I will now give you an idea of the average attendance at St. Leonards School. At a recent meeting of the Committee (a report of the proceedings referrbg to the average attendance was published by you) it was reported that, owing to the prevailing epidemic, the average attendance had fallen very low. Why the Committee should allow a statement like this to go into the papers 1 am at a loss to know, unless they call it an epidemic to see a number of the children leavbg and going to other schools. There were only two children that I know attending this school laid up with the above complaint. The Committee can see this if they want to, and should not allow themselves to be misled if they have the interest of the pupils at heart. In the report there is no number given to show the average attendance, but we are left to find it out ourselves. If the school reopened to-morrow there would not be forty on the roll all told, and what the average attendance would be out of this number you will see for yourself. Look at the amount of harm such a report would do; it would mislead the Board and make them believe there were plenty of scholars only for the prevailing epidemic. But, worse still, it would mislead a number of teachers to apply for a situation where there was really no vacancy, patting them to no end of trouble; and they would run the risk of losing the school they bad charge of. If the Committee are in earnest they will have to start at the root of the evil, and not be wasting their time on its branches.—l am,

etc., Tbdth. P.S.—I understand that the head-teacher receives LlB2, with a free house and two or three acres of ground, so we ought to get something for it. Should anyone doubt the number of pupils, I will gladly give him their names.— Truth.