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New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6289, 13 January 1882, Page 4

I The ' annual election to supply the place of retiring members of the Education Board is at hand; the school committees are not content with the proceedings of the present members, and so have held a conference to select others whose views shall better accord with their own. Conflict of this kind if kept within proper bounds, and the objects sought reasonable, is healthy and likely to excite interest in the administration of educational affairs. Mr. Laishley is one of the foremost op-

ponents of the Boord and a the movement to efleefc a '''1 change in its personnel, "j* 1 remarks which he to .*'- conference he spoke well' and moderation, taking the rrr^ h that the only thing to lie 0 sidered was the public inters' that all personal f ee l ing sll^', a f kept in abeyance. Mr. L»«hl high aims, with all of which* jt* y sible to agree, the success 0 2 wotfldbea public advantage W of which would be very difficult of 3 * tainmenfc. He referred to mo , v at " ture, but it is questionable whcthT 'k' could point to a single instant • which, as regards State schools ° thing of moment has been aohi, this direction. Nearly every circ '" stance is adverse ; the larg-riess ofll? schools; the incapacity of many o f.i* masters for this purpose ; the 1 demand upon their time; t] le opportunity for the exercisn of sonal influenco ; the goneral ™ ] luent of pupil-teachers too yourr' a "!i without a sufficient approni-n;,?,, . personal responsibility for the pu rpr ' and the heterogeneous elements ror ' sented by the pupils. It is well toajl" high, and it would be satisfactory i n deed were Mr. Laishley to proves cessful, but only a very sanguis perament could expect it. Mr. Laishley is convinced that it jinipossible for the school committee to work harmoniously with the present Board, but he assumes what cannot be granted—that the fault is all onoiw side. It would be the conclusion of a more impartial judgment that *}>;]« the Board's officials are sometimes dis courteous, and occasionally ignore tfi powers and rights which" the Edu a tion Statute confers upon the corn mittees, these are sometimes queruloin somewhat exacting, and disposed tj engross power. Mr. Laishley admits that the only question to be" kept ij view is the public interests, and these can be maintained only by presmin. the balance of power and upholding Board and committee, each within th' sphere of its legitimate duties. It desirable tliat the committees should \ K allowed all the scope the Statute gives them, and it may be desiraW* that their powers should be increased but it is the very reverse of desirab'J that the Board should have to suV mit to the coercive iniluciice of th» committees, and become nieroly th»i» creature. It would be better that it should be swept away. It would t» mischievous if the Board were to U looked upon as an alien body, and one to which the public should b? antajj. nistic, and it is to be hopnd that tie constituents of the committees *i!l not lend themselves to that vieir which would be extremely pernicious. The Board is every whit as iiii:»h a popular body as a committee. Ov.iv.jits existence to the elective primir'p j; is equally the servant of the publir.anj equally entitled to its coniidci.c?ar.j support. It is not to be trcatfd ss if it were a nominee or autocratic loiiv. f«r it is not. only not that but whi; like it. It was a serious on:is:ot that the conference did not- fonnahtc the concessions it demands from tin Board. It appointed a committee to select candidates to supersede those members of the Board whom there wi! be the opportunity of replacing, kt iastead of distinctly affirming what it would require of them coniined itself to a' general expression of diseoiita: with the Board, which is not enough.