CONFIDENTIAL REPORTS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 24 September 1925, Page 5

CONFIDENTIAL REPORTS.

TO SCHOOL TEACHERS. SCHOOL COMMITTEES’ OBJEC- 7 : ITONS. ’ What -was described by the South Taranaki, School Committees’ Association at its annual meeting last evening as the most serious matter that had come under its notice during the., year was the instruction by ;the Education Department cancelling” the education boards’ policy of forwarding to each school committee a copy of the inspectors’ report on the work of the school and staff during the year. The Department’s action in this respect was characterised in the- annual report to the association as “another attempt to destroy and minimise the power of the school committees and education boards.” The report went on to say that the seriousness of the 'matter would be apparent to all members who had -had experience in school committee work. The executive had no hesitation in recommending.that a very strong protest should be made to the Minister concerning the matter, and considered the cancellation -of this absolutely reasonable, businesslike and necessary report on tlie work of salaried officials to the guardians of the children’s educational welfare to he totally unwarranted and unfair to children, teachers and committeemen;-

In reply to Mr J. Cocker, Messrs J. W, Harding and A. Lees said that the school committees had the right to see the report forwarded to the : headmaster, but they had to hand it back. Mr Lees said that the School Committees’ Association contended that the reports should be on the, school committees’. fifes and not on those of the teachers’. Air Harding mentioned that lie had been shown recent reports, but- these reports said nothing definite about the teachers’ work. From what he had seen of reports made by inspectors prior to this imposition, he felt that- there must be two reports issued to- "headmasters — one for the benefit of the teachers and one for the benefit of the teachers and school committees. Mr W. Ricketts said that there were two reports issued. .One confidential to the teachers, and the other confidential to-the teachers' and the committee.

Mr Harding said that the reports most interesting to the- committees were the reports marked to the teachers. . The committees wanted to kno-w whether they had competent or incompetent teachers. 11l reply to Mr Cocker, Mr Lees said that the members - of the Education Board saw. both ' reports before they went out to the teachers. Personally, he had never seen any valid reason why such reports should not be placed before school committees.' Teachers were usually willing ,to hand them, on, hut that was not the point." The.Taranaki Education Board were keen on, the matter also, but they had to do as -they were told and send the—reports to the teachers. . . Mr Bridger said he had felt like moving in the direction of allowing the Education Department to do the whole of the school work’ themselves. “Let them do the hedge-cutting 1 and the gdte-elosincr as well,” said Mr Bridger. The speaker said the school oommitteees should he very much awake to the position and enter a very strong protest;. He had' liad many years’ experience oh school committees, and for such committees to be now told that they were' not capable of administering their own affairs was absurd. It- was almost ah insult. ' The recommendation of the executive, as. stated above, was adopted. -