TEACHER'S CONDUCT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17965, 15 December 1921, Page 9

TEACHER'S CONDUCT.

DISLOYALTY SHOWN. Wu — * • REFERENCE TO MINISTER. I>A GRAVE INDISCRETION." :" TELKGIUFH.— FRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. . The Education Board Committee, which i held an inquiry into the charges brought .' bv the Carterton District High School ;..;.' (foiimuttee against Miss Jean Gladys •.. Far.K assistant teacher, brought in the •.'■' following findings:-- - r "While the school committee, through jta counsel, definitely disavows any charge V: 0 [ disloyalty iigainst Miss Park, this question so" frequently has been referied to in the press and circulated throughout the district, that full evidence was taken on it and it «'as established beyond all doubt .. . Jjiat no charge of disloyalty could stand jgainst Visa Park, i /'ln regard to the specific charges of gross insubordination, grave impropriety, :•■ • and serious misconduct as a teacher aris- • fog out of the fact that she wrote a letter and caused it to be published in > public journal called National Eduea- " lion, the hoard's committee of inquiry folds that upon the evidence adduced ' noue of these I hree charges has been sustained, the school committee's view of Miss Park's, letter being thjlt in effect jhe protested agaiust the Court's conviction and the board's dismissal of Miss WettzeJ. The committee of inquiry wishes fo point out that ia eiving hf>" evidence Miss Park admitted sne had written the letter without full knowledge of the facte. ]n these circumstances she expressed regret and desired to withdraw her references to the department and the board. "The school committee charged Miss Park with having in the same letter made a serious and definite political attack on >the conduct of the head of her department, namely, the Minister for Education, and the committeo of inquiry finds that in her published reference lo the action of the Minister she committed a grave indiscretion. "In conclusion, the committee of inquiry is of opinion that uo further action should be taken, in tow of the fact that Miss Park cannot be held answerable for irresponsible statements, and that to charge of sedition or any crime against tho Sovereign or against morals can he formulated out of her letter." Not all the members of the b-ard were 'satined with the report. Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., criticised the finding, pointing out that Miss Park had said the Maorikod Worker ought to be read by i* the children. - Mr. Forsyth said it was only a joking remark. Mr. Wright said such remarks were not the sort of thing children should understand. The teacher should not remain iu the service of the board. 1 Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., said he wanted to see the evidence, and moved that consideration be deferred. ilr. Forsyth opposed this. The committee, he' said, was unanimous, and reached its decision very quickly. Other members supported the committee and tie report was adopted with three dissentients.

,The following letter, signed J. C. Park, i appeared in National Education or October 1 under the heading of "Sedition in toe Teaching Profession":—"Sir, — After reading yonr paragraph under the heading 'Sedition in the Teaching Profession,' I am of tho opinion that you havo not taken time to consider more than one aspect of this case. Personally lam convinced of the evil of any form of violence, but firm as that conviction is, it does not blind one' to the issues raised by the action which the Minister is reported to bo taking, and with which you arc evidently in sympathy. It is said tlat political contitjf of the teaching profession, from the university down, made the people of Germany as ' putty' in the hands of her 'War Ixnds.' It is just this principle that I' sea in the reported action of the Minister. 'If we strip the case of newspaper headlines and popular fears and hates, this, I think is what we see: A student is convicted of a political offence, committed quite apart from school or college; without inquiry into her character and influence as a teacher she is, it is reported, deprived of her certificate and dismissed. Moreover, the law she did not' defer to' b, if my memory serves me aright, one of those iniquitous ' Orders-in-Council,' and therefore not a law made by the people for the people. 'A nation that would leaven and regenerate the world'— that is the vision which comes to-some of us. Do you think, Mr. Editor, that your paragraph or the Minister's reported method* will help us to keep that vision clear?" |