TEACHER’S APPEAL

Inangahua Times, 19 October 1934, Page 3

TEACHER’S APPEAL

DISMISSED BY COURT. STARTLING EVIDENCE, f' T (Per United Press Assm.) NELSON, Last Night. The Teachers’ Appeal Court concluded today in the case of the appeal of Hollis James Hill, headteacher, Collingwood school, against the dismissal by the Nelson Education Board Court, consisting of Messrs T. E. MaUnsel! S.M. (Chairman), A. Douglas and A. Robinson, and delivered its decision a^follows:—

The Cdurt concluded that the appeal must he dismissed upon the ground advanced by the Board terminating appellant’s engagement, failure to take adequate steps to suppress sexual misconduct among certain pu-. pils. That being so, it is unnecessary! to c&ll on the Board to establish other! grounds of alleged inefficiency and al- j leged insubordination. Witnesses’ ex-| penses, £l6 ss, were allowed respon | dent. I

In the course of the judgment, it was stated, that in 1931, there was a girl attending the school who was a sexual pervert and who was committed by the Court to the care of the State. In 1932 this girl was a potential contamination orf the morals of other pupils and it was the clear duty of the ai|iellant to have suspected her and report the matter to the Board, pursuant to section 58 of the Education Act. - TV In answer to the Court, appellant said he was not aware that he had the power, but the powers were clearly set out in the Act. From this time onward sexual lewdness became prevalent among a substantial number of the pupils. On appellant’s own evidence, all he did was to reprimand the boys and ask the assistant to do likewise to 'the girls. Just how far the children were capable of appreciating the ex-

tent cff their vice may be doubtful, but it could lead only to disaster unless suppressed in the early stages. “Misconduct of the utmost gravity. such as this, called for the strongest disciplinary punishment and an arrangement should have been made for an escort of the delinquents to the main highway by appointment of prefects or otherwise. “The insidious conduct called for extraordinary measures and every concessable means to eradicate the nforal canker that had developed.” The Court held that it was a grave dereliction of duty by appellant not disclosing to the Board that a pupil had been committed to the care of the state because of moral degeneracy. This fact was not discovered by the Senior Inspector until three years later and then, through an outside source. The Inspector was in Collingwood a week after the constable had conducted an inquiry, resulting in serious ad-

missions, but app allant withheld the fact when it did come to the knowledge of the Board that the constable had reported on the misconduct. The appellant was asked for a re port and his attention was drawn tc the fact that he was responsible for seeing to the proper behaviour of the pupils going from the school. He then set out to convince the Board that the conduct did not occur going from the school. “In our opinion, he was aware that it did. Upon receipt of the above communication, he acted in a manner which the Court views in a very unfavourable light. He drew up a report and asked the constable to send It in as his report. Its tenor is, to entirely exonerate the appellant. It concludes as follows: ‘My inquiries revealed no misconduct amongst the pupils, either at school or going or cctming to school, and the supervision of the teachers from the police point of view is all that can be desired.’ “Constable Audley says this was in flat contradiction of his own report and if he sen! it in, it would be deliberately untrue. It certainly would have decided the Board and appellant’s action was inconsistent with his duty to the Board as his employThe Court commended assistant teachers for facing the ordeal in giving evidence of an unsavoury nature in the interests of infantile morality. Credit was also due to them for unearthing the insidious state of affairs at the school.

The Chairman indicated that he intended to make representations to the Minister with a view to securing some further direction to teachers, making it obligatory for them to report cases of sexual trouble in schools to the Education Board, which course seemed to TUm to be necessary.