THE EDUCATION BOARD AND SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 5994, 2 February 1881, Page 6

THE EDUCATION BOARD AND SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

TO the editor

Sir,—l notice that you devote your leader this morning to the question of the school committees, and to the address I last Friday made on the subject. Lest my silence should be misconstrued as pusillanimity, either in respect of the cause or of myself, I write now to request those who are inclined to pursue the questions at issue, to read carefully the complete address in question. Because I am satisfied that the attitude I then took will commend itself as sound to anv impartial thinker on the principles which are recognised as the bases of all representative government. Meantime, although I have no time available just now for a newspaper controversy, I make the following brief suggestions (in addition to those com" prised in my address) for the consideration of those who feel interested in the subject namely—(l). That had it been so desired by the Legislature, nothing could have been easier than to have provided in the statute that the Central Board should be a Board nominated by the Governor, as has been done ui the case of existing Boards. 2 That the provision in the Act for the extensive powers _ thereby conferred on the Central -Board is an argument tending to show the gravity of the trust vested in the school committees to take special care in the selection of especially competent men as members of the Board. 3. That the Board is not lesponsible to the public save so far as it chooses to be answerable to the expression of th U r.udi CP |h ,OU ' , f USe the Public ' ex^pt through the school committees, have no power to call the Board to account or to clect 01 expel its members.—l am, &c R. Laisiiley. I