NOTES FROM LIVINGSTONE.

North Otago Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4082, 12 October 1885, Page 2

NOTES FROM LIVINGSTONE.

(from a correspondent.) This township was in gala attire on Vednesday evening on the occasion of tie departure of Mr D. Sinclair, late eacher of the Livingstone School, to fill similar position in Otaio, near Timaru. ia a mark of esteem for Mr and Mrs Sinclair, and an expression of regret for heir leaving a sphere of work where hey made so very many friends during a oj-iurn of Borne six years, several of the iidies of the district joined in an effort to iold a public soiree ia the school in honor if Ihe parting guests. Accordingly a very large gathering of he inhabitants, Including a numerous iomplement of the school children, both n Livingstone and beyond it, mustered on he occasion. At 8 p.m. Mr Carling, Chairmnn of tho school Committee, accompanied by four >f the other members of the Committee, nade his appearance on the scene and :ook the chiir. Mr Cirling opened the proceedings by a graceful little Bpeech, in which he announced that they were met I hat pvening to present a testimonial to Mr Sinclair as a mark of their warm esteem for him on his leaving the community. Ha could sincerely say, as' Chairman of the Committee and as a parent of children, that he held Mr Sinclair in the highest esteem, He had done his work well, and now that he was bidding them farewell it was their duty to Bhow their gratitude for hia efficient services in the past. Mr Carling said he had much pleasure, then, in calling on Mr David Farquharson, the Sasretary of the Committee, to read, the testimonial about to be presented to Mr Sinclair by the Livingstone School Committee. The testimonial was as follows : " Mr D. Sinclair, head master Livingstone District School. — The severance of your connection with the Livingstone school on the eve of your departure to take charge of a school in another district, affords the Committee under whom you have labored during the last six yaars, a fitting opportunity to express tfieir appreciation of your qualifications and character. Whilst we greatly regret the necessity for your leaving Livingstone, it affords ub much pleasure to testify that your tpaching has been careful, energetic, and efficient, and hence so successful that the results of the several examinations during your term of office have been highly creditable to you. "Your character has been such as could not fail to have a beneficial influence on the children under your charge, whilst your readiness at all times as a citizen to further tho welfare of those amongst whom you have dwelt will cause youc removal to be a losb to the district. W« congratulate you on having been appointed to another school, and hope tho change will tend to the welfare of yourself and Mrs Sinclair. " Wm. Carling, Chairman, " David Fakquharson, Secretary, " Chas. F. Roberts, * " John Hutton, ) "John Cook, > Committee." •' Wm, Stjtherland, ! "Thomas Howe, ' Immediately after the above waa read and duly presented, the Chairman struck vp — " For he's a jolly good fellow," the notes of which were taken up lustily by the assemblage en masse. Mr Sinclair, in replying, expressed his I gratitude to them all for the kind feelings they had manifested towardß him that night, saying his heart was too foil to express adequately his thanks for their great kindness. The next item was the presentation of a purse of sovereigns, which was presented by Mr John Oliver, perhaps the oldest r< sident in Marawhenua ; Mr Sinclair returning thanks for the gift in a very feeling manner. The next item was a song by Mr M. Oaterberg, which was succeeded by addresses by Messrs Farquharson, Sutherland and Roberts, also songs by Messrs Botting, Russell, Oliver, and Carling, and Mesdarnes Bullen and Collarick. Mr Sutherland, to give variety to the affair, honored the company with two of his favorite Gaelic songs, Mr C. F. Roberta, as secretary of tho school for six years, gave an address as follows : So much has already been said that very little is left for me to say. What little, however, I would say will be under the heading "A Review of the Situation." I may mention that very recently a very important change has been effected in the administration of the Education Act, and that in the direction of aradical change in the relations of the Board to a large section of the teaching stafF. Its purport is that no uncertified ted tetchers shall continue auy longer as masters in the public schools in Otago, and that maana we are to lose the services of experienced and good men in lieu of mere boys drafted to us from the superflously attended Normal Schools, The latter are institutions supported at great cost to the country, and as the Government ob Board wish to diminish that item fthey have conceived that that can be done by dispensiag with the services of veterans in their profession and supplying their place by those ovemumbered youths the increment of whose support was felt to bo a serious drain on the funds of the Board. Hence it is we are to be saddled with the inexperience and indiscipline of these grown up boys to the serious injury of our children. I may mention in connection with this that very recently when candidates were invited for the Liringstone School five applications were received. Three were too young to hold a certificate though classed as D. A fourth, one waa in his twenty-firßt year, and had partially passed for E. The latter gets another trial to pass the suljects ia which he failed last year. If ha do not succeed then he will be in the same position as Mr Sinclair, an uncertificated teecher. We had no recommendation with either of these four candidates except from the Rector of the Normal School, unless I except the opinions of the teachers under whom they had served as pupil teachers. We set very litte value upon thedocument from the Normal School, as the Secretary cf the Board gave, us a salutary lesson on that some years ago. That gentleman, although a mere paid clerk of the Provincial Board, has so thrust himself forward in his autocratic aelf-impor-tance and inordinate want of percepti^feP^ of the duties peculiar to his subordinate position, that he was developed into the Board. That means he behaves to teachers and committees all through the country as if he were their self-elected superior in all matters educational. I can, before I sit down, sincerely congratulate Mr Sinclair on the high state of efficiency in which he leaves the school that he has conducted so successfully for the space of six years, and I thank him for his unvarying cdurtesy in all the relations of teacher, fellow-citizen, and Friend. The Rev. Gordon Macpherson, M.A., was also called upon to give an address. He said ; I rise to join in the expressions af regret thai have been made by former speakers for Mr Sinclair's departure from Ato district, and my tincere admiration :or the conscientious and faithful manner n which he has discharged the duties of iis position during the time I have relided in the district. As a former mem)er of the Livingstone School Committee, tnd as having been accustomed very often o look in and see the school, I hare seen \ good deal of the working condition of

Mr Sinclair* -ehargo. I always saw tho best possible signs of the success and prosperity of that institution. In fact I consider the Livingstone echool one of the very best of Its kind not only in tho Waitaki county itself but even far beyond it. I consider that the profession of education is a muoh barr^sed one, and on that pecount it bespeaks nay warm sympathy. Perhaps that is the reaaon why, since coming lo New Zealand (and also the fflct of my having had largely to do with the management of schools in my cures in England), I hare identified myself so very closely with the best interests of masters in publio eohools. Anyhow, the combination of qualities essential to even moderate success in the profession seems to me to be lost sight of by a hypercritical and cavilling public in their too frequent unreasonable and capti' us complaints against the methods or work adopted by this or Jhat teacher. Mr Macpherson, judging him by his past, predicted, in conclusion, that Mr Sinclair would attain distinction in the honorable profession of the teacher. Speechifying was seasoned by a copious supply of most tempting viands, elegantly supplied and servot 1 by Meadamiiß Roberts, Cook, Carlinp, Farquharson, and Miss Sutherland. I may mention in this regard the kindly and pelf-sacrificin» efforts of Mrs Carling and Misa Sutherland, to whoße persistent work at, collectors orer a large area was <? .c tho very subs'antial equivalent in the shape of a well-filled purse of soiereipns, that formod not the lonst important element in Wednesday eveniniz's pmgrinr.mc.