TEACHERS AND POLITICS.

Evening Star, Issue 10187, 14 December 1896, Page 1

TEACHERS AND POLITICS.

At the last meeting of the Southland Education Board tuo Executive Committee reported that in their opinion the reply of the head-teacher of the Wrey's Bush Schotl (Mr M. Gilfedder) to the inspector's repoit of a recent visit to his school was of a very unsatisfactory character and dictated in a spirit of insubordination.—Mr M'Nab moved the deletion of the words " and dictated in a spirit of insubordination." He had not been present when the correspondence had been read, but he thought the Board were going too far in talking about insubordination.—Mr Baldey supported the amendnieut. He thought the matter was ore that should never have been brought up. —Mr M'Leod spoke strongly of Mr Gilfedder's action, and held that he should have informed the Board when he decided to stand for Parliament. He thought insubordination was the only name for it.—The Chairman (Mr M'Gibboo) also spoke very strongly on the matter. Mr Gilfedder had been showing remissness in his duties, and the Board had sent an inspector out to report. That report was not favorable to Mr Gdfedder, whose reply, he thought, was impertinent and presumptuous ; insubordination was not strong enough. Mr Gilfedder had been guilty of a dereliction of duty in wandering over the country and neglecting his duties. Mr Bain said the Board would fail in their duty were they to take no notice on this occasion. The plain duty of Mr Gilfedder on becoming a candidate for Parliament was to resign his position. The tenor of the correspondence showed that he had adopted a defiant attitude towards the Board. He thought a rule should be laid down, and he would ask the chairman to bring the matter up again with a view to making such a regulation, that before any teacher entered on a political campaign he should send in his resignation to the Board, because no teacher was in a position to carry on such a cimpaign and perform all his duties at the same time. Ho would deprecate the Board showing any weakness in this matter.—On the amendment being put only the mover and seconder voted for it. The motion for the adoption of the report was then put and carried.