DISTURBANCE AT SCHOOL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XIX, Issue 2051, 4 December 1924, Page 5

DISTURBANCE AT SCHOOL.

. OTOROHANGA MOTHER PROSECUTED. BY EDUCATION BOARD'. There were some lively passages in a case heard at the Otorohanga Court yesterday, before Mr F. W. Platts. S.M., in which the Education Board (Mr Kerr, Auckland) proceeded against Mrs IT. L. Dowd (Mr Phillips) for disturbing the Otorohanga school and insulting and abusing J. A. Colhoun, a teacher, in the hearing of pupils. Mr Kerr outlined his case, mentioning correspondence which had passed between defendant and her husband and the headmaster of the school.

TOOK THE CHILDREN AWAY. James A. Colhoun said when Mrs Dowd called at the school, it was a wet morning and most of the children were in the corridors. Mrs Dowd called and was shown into a classroom. She asked why her children were kept in, and witness said for being late. He related the following conversation: —Mrs Dowd: I think we will have them outside. Witness: they have to conform to the rules of the school while they are in my charge. Mrs Dowd: I'll take charge now. Come outside, children. Witness: If you take them out now I will not re-admit them without instructions from the headmaster. Mrs Dowd: You'll admit them when I say. She then went out with the children but came back and said: "I don't blame you, you have to obey the instructions of the headmaster. Any person who works under a bully like Mr Skinner and takes orders from him. isn't a man at all." She said witness was not fit to teach, the children, and she expected them to be taught by manly, men. She said she would deal with the headmaster, and then left the room. Witness, thinking she had left, the building, went into the next room and was talking to Miss McFarlane, another teacher, when Mrs Dowel suddenly appeared and called out to witness, who at first took no notice, but when she called out again witness asked her to say what she had to say and leave the building. She said: "You'll take no further action against my children until you get orders from me." Witness: "I take my orders from the headmaster." Mrs Dowd: "You'll take your orders from me, and no higher authority." She repeated remarks about Mr Skinner, and said witness had no light to imprison her children. She then left the building.

"YOU'RE NO GENTLEMAN." After school she came back again into the classroom where witness had 16 children kept in. She asked her children what they were doing, arid told them to pack up their books and then addressed witness in a loud voice, fie asked her to be quiet, leave the room, and shut the door after her. ■ She said: "Indeed, I will not." Her children left the room and Mrs Dowd stood at the door and continued to "talk at him." Witness told her it might be very serious, and she replied: "I don't care. You. can imprison me, but you must not imprison my children. T expect my children to be taught by an honourable gentleman, and you'ro not one." She then shook her fist and said: "I'll fix you and Skinner too." "THAT'S A LIE." Mr Phillips: The hours have been altered, haven't they? Witness: Yes, 9.5 and then to 9 a.m. Defendant's husband, from the body of the court: That's a lie. His Worship: You leave the Court. Mr Dowd: Yes, sir, but that's a lie. His Worship: Leave the Court! The interrupter left the Court. Witness continued that it was not his business to tell Mrs Dowd she could apply for a partial exemption; he passed, all her correspondence to the headmaster. He knew some of the parents had tried to get the hours altered and that Mr Skinner thouoht it inadvisable to do so. Janet McFarlane, another teacho.% gave corroborative evidence. Percy Skinner, headmaster of ikeOtorohanga school, described an interview between himself and defendant. Witness' class had come in from recess during the interview and defendant had addressed them, although witness asked her to come ! nto the corridor. "IMPRISONED THE CHILDREN." Defendant, in evidence, said she had tried but could not get the iwo girls away sooner. She had no help in the house but them. She got the boy away in time but he did not help her. She related what had taken place in the classroom. She had said she did not blame Mr Colhoun for keeping the children in. He warned her that there was a penalty. She said she would see Mr Skinner and then left. She returned and told Mr Colhoun she "would leave the children in his charge as a gentleman." When she saw Mr Skinner he said he.need not allow the children any playtime at all. She said she supposed not, he was in charge, but she did not like them being kept in. A note was

brought in and Mr Skinner went out, and when he returned he said she had been disturbing the other school and told her to get out of the room. She left the room, and in the corridor told- Mr Skinner that if he wanted any prisoners he could have her, but he was not to imprison the children. When she saw Mr Colhoun in the afternoon and told her children to come home, Mr Colhoun laughed insolently and said, "We'll fix you." Mr Phillips said that if the headmaster had told defendant she could apply for exemption, all this trouble might have been saved. Mr Kerr asked for a conviction but no penalty. DEFENDANT INTERRUPTS. His Worship observed that the school hours were the usual hours and had been approved by the committee. Other settlers' children attended, even if the hours were inconvenient. The teachers were in charge of the school and defendant evidently had an entirely wrong conception of her rights. There "was an easy way for parents to acquaint themselves with these rights, and defendant could have taken that' course. Defendant: I submit, Your Worship —— His Worship: Be quiet, please! Continuing, he commented upon defendant having called at the school and created a disturbance. Defendant: I did not! His Worship (firmly): Will you be quiet! Mr Phillips to defendant: I think it would be better if you left the Court, Defendant (leaving the Court): I resent these imputations. His Worship continued that Mr Dowd had evidently been antagonistic to the headmaster, and defendant, even allowing for a mother's feelings, had gone too far. A conviction, would be recorded with costs.