THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE TEACHERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6823, 29 September 1883, Page 6

THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE TEACHERS.

At a meetiog of the Education Board yesterday, a letter was received from Mr. Worthington, in reply to a letter from the Board, etating that he bad not had access to the school roll, but after consulting one of the teachers, he believed twenty children attended the Wellesley-street school from Parnell. Mr. Goldib moved : " That the matter be referred back to Mrj Worthington, and he be asked to furnish the| information asked for at last meeting, the information already supplied not being sufficiently definite." Mr. Worthington had not supplied the return asked for by the Board. : . : Mr. Moss thought the Board would get. into considerable difficulty by interfering too much with teachers. v :

Mr. Bhck.la.nd said the Board would get into difficulty if they let the teachers get the upper hand of them. : :* : : ■. •/ The Chairman then read complaints from' three residents at Paparoa . against-,the teacher, Mr. Wilson, acting as a member .'of the Road Board. The school committee,and other residents were in favour of Mr. Wilson, being a member of the Road Board. ' >" Mr. Moss said that the Board was wrong altogether in interfering with teachers after school hours ; and if such interference, was; persisted in it could only lower the teachers in the estimation of the public, and prevent the Board getting good men, which was.au' object they ought always to keep !in : view. Of course it would not do for ;.a; teacher to be a member of a School Committee which bad to see to his school, but ahort of that he did not see any ground for objection, to a te.eher his own time in such work, as he liked. The teacher's own discretion was the proper, and to his mind, the only guide. If he did not uso a wise discretion,, and the school suffered, then the committee l and the Board would interfere. As to Mr. ; . Wi!son'=j case, h« could only repeat the;.bb.' jectioas lie had urged in Mr. Worthingtpn's:. case, but he could add if the Board was deter-; mined to take sued good care of their teachers' : they would find it necessary to prohibit their- , : even baying their groceries in some country' districts. Ho had known that to be a soured: of great fueling towards the teachers inispmesmaller country dbtrict3, where a strqiig rivalry in trade existed, and they would have to prohibit teachers from belonging'.to;' many societies, an i in fact cripple andilo.yeri their status altogether. In his opinion/.it" would be far better to abandon these, attempts altogether, and he should, vo-e against them at every opportunity. Mr, Hoiius said that if they searched New Zealand from one end to the other, they [ would not find a school teacher a member, of* ' a County Council. In th-j case like that' of. Mr. Worthington, who was in a large school, and whose health was so bad, that he had to get leave of absence, it was' much better that a teacher should not take part in local politics. .... Mr. Goldie said the principle of the matter had been discussed at the last meeting. of the Board. He moved, "That in>.tW case of Mr. Wilson, the previous decision of. the Board beudtiered to, viz., requestingMr, Wilson to resign his seatou the lioad Board." Mr. Bucicl kd said that as a difficulty.had; arisen in Mr. Wilson's case, he would support the motion for the previous decisiou.wf the Board being a<) hered to. ..;.. Mr. Hobbs said that if a man like Mr. Wilson —a man of great ability and of .the highest character— could not give satisfaction to a district when acting on a Road; Board, he did not kuow what man could: It. only strengthened the argument advanced, showing that teachers should not be?mixed up in local politics. Although the iea'dhgrand his friends might feel it keenly being deprived from taking part in local politic?, he thought it was much better that therteacher should go on smoothly performing his duties 1 at hisowu school. ..,.■ ; Mr. Cooper supported Mr. Moss's con-' tentjon. As a rule the Board had good teachers, and they had no right to interfere witii them in the way they used their sjjairje time. If it was shown that Mr. VVilsohiwas uot so good a teacher through being a member of a Road Board, he had broken his conv tract with the Board, and then it vvas.the, Boards duty to call on him to resign. Bu|: he noticed in the Herald that Mr."Wilson 1 had been a member of the ,particular Road ; Board in question for fifteen years. : ;-The. s;reat majority of the householders were 'in Mr.. i Wilson's favour, and the householders we're, really in the best position to judge.in this, matter. Mr.Tibbitt'flletterespeeiallybreithed; a spirit of hostility to .Mr. Wilson. The schoolmaster being often the only educated..' man available in many districts, it.-was a necessity that he should be able to give, his;, services. If the Board passed a resolution that teachers were not to occupy positions/ of this nature, they would have to pa'fis. resolutions soon, that teachers must uot teach in Sunday-schools, take positions in vestries, or be deacons in . Cliurches.:. There was just aa much squabbling, in con-:. motion witli many Churches as took placein connection with Road Boards, and "at Church meetings the schoolmaster was just as likely t.p tread on the toes of some of the. parents of his pupils as he was at Road Bpard meetings. The Board ought to take into consideration the views of the committee inthis matter, who were unanimous in asking that Mr. Wilaon be retained on the,. Board,.. He thought the moat honourable way out of the difficulty was to reverse the former, decision of the Board. He gave notice, thathe would move that the previous resolution of■; the Board, dated 27th July, be rescinded.. He would certainly vote against Mr; <sqldie's motion. '■■'■'■■ .'. The Chairman said this matter had given him great concern when it came before' the Board. In the particular case before ihe ■ Board, they had the distinct recommendation of the committee that Mr. Wilson shpuld be allowed to retain his seat on the Roadl.Board. The Board had also passed a resolution that local self-government should be carried out as far as possible in the various school disV trict3. By requesting Mr. Wilscn to.resign they were to a certain extent interfering with the liberty of the subject. He had giye.'x the matter great consideration, before he came to' an opposite conclusion. In the present casej' the Board had it on record that complaints., were made agaiaat Mr. Wilson, that his interfering in local politico distinctly affected, persons sending their children to his school. The Board's first duty in this matter was, to see to the interests of the see . that it did not suffer. They had it distinctly in evidence before them, in.the three letters, which had been received, that Mr. Wilson's taking part in local politics did interfere with the attendance at the school. The school should have the primary consideration of the Board. It was their duty, he.:'thought, in tho present circumstances, to request %%t. Wilson to resign. . ;, Mr. Goldie's motion was put and carried..