Hawke's Bay Herald. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1879.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5293, 29 January 1879, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1879.

The report of the Napier School Committee, Avhich we published yesterday, is an exceedingly creditable production, affording ample .evidence of the ability and zeal which were broiight to bear upon the affairs of the school district by the gentlemen Avbose term of office expired last Monday evening. There is one part of the report Avhich we think calls" for more than a passing notice. It is that in which the relation between the committee and the Education Board is referred to. The committee complain that they wero entirely ignored by the board in all matters relating to the noAv school building—equally in choice of site, design, accommodation, and tender for the Avork. There is, Aye think, a good deal of ground for the complaint, but it must be borne in mind that avo arc as yet in an incipient stage in the establishment of our public school system, and the extent of the functions of the school committees and the range of the duties, devolving \vpon them have not yet been at all settled. We believe that it Avill be found advantageous to the interests of education to encourage school committees taking a large share in tho management of schools .; and in tho course of time ,as the committees get more accustomed to tho Avork, and display both capacity and Avillingness to undertake it, Aye have no doubt they Avill be entrusted to do much of Avhat the Board of Education now does for them. This Avill bo strictly in conformity with the Act, carrying out the provision that "subject to the general supervision and control of the board, and to inspection by an inspector, as herein provided, the committee shall have the management of educational matters Avithin the school district." Of course, it is for the board to say Avhat shall be the extent of the " supervision and control," and it is Avisethat it should vary according to circumstances. In some instances it would be scarcely prudent to leave much to tho control of the committees, Avhile in others it Avould be convenient and even advantageous to do so, and in the end this latter Avill doubtless be the course pursued in almost all instances. In the case of the Napier -school building, there were several reasons Avhy the matter should be dealt Avith by the board, amongst which the magnitude of the undertaking Avas probably not the least. The fact that the school Avas to be in the toAvn, immediately under the eye of tho board, may also have induced the board to deal Avith the matter irrespective of the committee. It Avould, hoAvover, have been better if that body had not been so entirely ignored. Their complaining about it avo regard as a healthy sign, one that evinces a desire to be something more than a committee in name, Avith only the semblance of school management entrusted to them. It affords' ground, avo are inclined to believe, for anticipating that the Napier school will become the "model school" of the HaAvke's Bay education distxict.