NASEBY DISTRICT SCHOOL

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 45, 10 December 1869, Page 3

NASEBY DISTRICT SCHOOL

. We learn from the 4 Daily Times ' of the 30th ultimo that, ati. V special meeting of the Education . Board* held in Dunedin 011 the previous day, the Secretary submitted a report of his inspection of the Mount Ida (Naseby) District School, and of the enquiries instituted by him respecting the complaint made by ..the School Committee against the teacher. It was resolved, " That the Secretary's report be approved, and that the Board does not fuel warranted in sanctioning the determination of Mr. Pete-hell's engagement as Master of Naaeby School The following is the report, for,which we are indebted to the courtesy of Mr. Hislop " Education Office, Dunedin, Nov. 27, 1869.

" Si£,— I. r bave the bonov to report that, in pursuance of the Board's instructions, I have visited Mount Ida. district for th e purpose of /inspecting the school, and of making all neceg-

■ iry enquiry Jreypei'tni i the-" r.b«v * *es" brought agaiusc Mr. Petcaoli,. the. schoolmaster, by the (Committee. " On examining the roll of attend- i ance,: I found c. sixty-six (66>;pu{)ils had been entered. Sixty (60) of these were present, and all "of them were examined by in the different branches they were engaged in learning. Several members of the Committee, as well as .a few others, were present at the examination.'

" The impression made upon mv mind alter several hours' careful'examination, and keeping in mind, the ages and length of attendance of the pupils respectively, was that, though the school was not equal in point of efficiency to a number of our schools which have, for any length of time, been under the care. of. jifsi-class masters, yet the proficiency of the pupils on the whole gave evidence that. Mr. Petchell had been assiduous in the performance of his school duty, and that his labors had been attended with a very fair measure of success, In penmanship and arithmetic not a few of tue-pu-pils showed great excellence. " I found, also, that" the.children of one person who hairl complained of Mr. Pete-hell's want of attention, acquitted themselves particularly (Veil throughout "the examination.

" I held, also, a lengthened mscting with the School Committee after the examination, the teacher being present during a portion of .the time. On investigating the charge brought against Mr. Petchell pf. having acted improp.ei'ly towards-the Committee, in regard to withholding money and in getting goods and work done without authority, I found that Mr. Pete-hell's conduct in these matters was capable of satisfactory explanation, that it-.was-very much the.resultof ing, and that it was not at a,ll of such a uature as to warrant so grave a "measure as dismissal.-

" It appeared to iri'o that strong feeling on both sides had mainly or alto-.goracr.-briiu-;lit ab; >tit-tae' preseiit waufe of .harmony, and that the action 'of the Committee did not meet with the apohival of the people, and parents generj.li v. ". '' :

" I believe it"would have been more conducive ;o Mr. Petcneirs usefulness and comfort, ."it*, 'no had bet-n able to exercise in >re self-control and .'forbearance in his intercourse with the Committee and tiie parents-of -his pupils; and as he has-' failed"considerably in tins respect, I. cannot altogether absolve him from blame;

" All things '..considered, I am of opinion that the Board would not be warranted in sanctioning the determination by the School' Committee of Mr. Petcheir s engagement. " I have the honor-to be, "Sir,;. " Your obedient servant, " Joiin Hislop. " His--Honor the Superintendent, Chairman of the Education Board.'\