SCUFFLE IN SCHOOL

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 13093, 15 February 1937, Page 3

SCUFFLE IN SCHOOL

PARENT INVADES CLASSROOM ! PINE OF £2 IMPOSED | To protect its teachers from abuse j and assault, the Wanganui Education j .Board, in the ratca Court, brought ;i charge of insulting and abusing a. schoolmaster in tie presence of a- class of children against Laurence 1L Owen, a labourer, of Kakaramea. Owen. "ho pleaded guilty was fined £2 by Mr. J. 11. Salmon, S.M. Mr. W. A. Liard, in prosecuting, alleged that Owen had gone in the Kakaramea. school on November 2< while it was in sirsou. Alter knocking, at the door of flic classroom > where tire headmaster. \J.r Baker was teaching, he asked tor his suit's books, saying that he was taking the boy away and sending him to the Pa tea school. -Mr. Baker refused to give Owen the books, and. ordered j him out. Owen returned, and in a j scuffle which ensued, conns;-] said, | the alleged assault took place in j front of the class. j Owen’a counsel, Afr. G. J. Lay ley. j alleged that there was a certain amount of provocation owing to trouble between Laker and Owen some years ago when both lived at Hatvora over a child in Baker's class Had Baker handed over the books when first asked there would have been uio assault. Air. Salmon: Ho should have made tiro application oui\ of school hours. Asking for books in front of the children was subservient to discipline. Mr. Bay ley admitted this, and explained that Owen’s work prevented him from taking that course. Owen ! pushed past tlio teacher, and that was ; all there was to the assault-. ‘‘J. do not say lie. has not been foolish, but if he lost liis temper It was a® a result of Baker’s attitude.in refusing to give up the books,” ho added. ‘‘J. think. it 'should ha generally ; known that any person who disturbs \ a school class and abuses the. teacher j iri the presence of children is 1 liable to a fine not exceeding £L>,” j said Mr. Salmon. ‘‘l think Baker J was quite reasonable in refusing to 1 give Owen the hooks, during school hours when busy with In's class. A severe penalty is provided for the offence, -but tlio board does not ask for a heavy penalty.”