THE ST ALBANS SCHOOL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIII, Issue 13783, 23 June 1905, Page 2

THE ST ALBANS SCHOOL.

THE COMMITTEE AND THE BOARD. A STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD. Mr T. W. Adams, chairman of the Education Board, was asked by a reporter if he felt inclined to make a statement in connection with the resignation of the St Albans School Committee. He said that, as some of the statements reported to have been made by members of the committee were at variance with the facts of the case and wore likely to convey a wrong impression, it might be as well to state the position from the Board’s point of view. In explaining to the committee the reason for its practice in limiting the number of approved applicants to three the Board did not state that “ it had invariably been of school committees to appoint the lowest candidate on the list.” The committee had written requesting the Board to furnish the names of six candidates, and when expressing regret that it could not see its way to do that, the Board explained why the modification had bean made, namely, because, in some cases where the names of sis candidates had been sent on, teachers possessing distinctly superior qualifications were passed over for those whose names stood much lower on the list. That explanation had no special reference to the St Albans Committee, but dealt with the matter generally, being a repetition of an expression of opinion given by the Board in its annual report for 1903, a copy of which was supplied to each school committee.

In the opinion o? the Board, the change made was in the best interests of the schools and the teachers, inasmuch as, while still leaving the final selection to school committees, it ensured for the best teachers a more reasonable chance of securing appointment.

Mr Fletcher, the sx-chairman 'of the committee, was (reported to have said that of the three approved candidates one only had had experience in teaching ; that there were dozens of teachers in the country who had had great ejtperience, and that had the applications of the country teachers been sent on the committee could have found a better teacher, implying that a number or applications from qualified country teachers had been kept back. As a matter of fact, of the small number of applications received there was hut one, other from a teacher who had country experience and who, under the regulations, was eligible to .apply. On the other hand, the applicant placed first in order of merit by the Board on the recommendation of its inspectors had not only been the longest time in nei present position, blit had _ actually passed the whole, cf thao time 111 a country school. How. then, having regard to the facts of the case, could Mr Fletcher Speak of the Board as igp° r " ins country teachers; nor did Hmotnor matter brought forward- by Mr h.etcher show that the Board had treated anv committee with great disrespect. the complaint that the -board had retained a sum of £ls 16s that should be paid to the committee was founded on a misconception. Under the Manual and Technical Instruction Act it was tho Board’s duty to encourage the formation of school classes in manual subjects and in order that it might do that tho-" Department granted capitation in respect of recognised classes, in tlio town and suburban schools, vlieic the classes were large, a capitation more than sufficient to cover requirements might be readilv earned. But tnc Board had to provide for all its schools large and small, and in its opinion uhat was most economically done by treating the capitation earned as a fund to he drawn upon by all schools in common, as occasion might require. Hitherto all requisitions for material and apparatus ■had been granted, so that tho St Alcana school had in no way suffered ; but, lest the committee should still be unconvinced, it might be mentioned that the amount earned by its school, but not yet disbursed, was not more than what might bo considered sufficient to corei the cost of material and apparatus that would _be required by tho school in future, the whole of which would now havo to be found by the Board, the Department having decided to discontinue special grants for apparatus. ‘ The statement that the committee s incidentals had been cut down to the. very lowest limit was incorrect. The allowances paid in North Canterbury were appreciably higher than those granted bv other Education Boards. In no other Education,District in the colony did a school of the size of St Albans receive as much as the North Canterbury Board allowed. The personal references made by some members of the committee appeared rather unfortunate in view of the large amount of time devoted by the Board to the work entrusted to it, which, in the case of some of tho country members, entailed on each occasion an absence from home for a whole day, lasting well on to twelve hours.