CONDUCT OF SCHOOL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21935, 19 October 1934, Page 15

CONDUCT OF SCHOOL

HEADMASTER'S DISMISSAL SERIOUS CHARGES MADE FAILURE OF APPEAL [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] NELSON, Thursday The Teachers' Appeal Court concluded its sittings to-day in the case of the appeal of Hollis James Hill, until lately headmaster of the Collingwood School, against his dismissal by the Nelson Education Board. The Court, which consisted of Mr. T. E. Maunsell, S.M. (chairman), Mr. A. Douglas and Mr. A. Robinson, said the appeal must be dismissed upon the ground advanced by the board in terminating appellant's engagement, the failure, of appellant to take adequate steps to suppress misconduct among certain pupils. That being so, the Court stated, it was unnecessary to call on the board to establish other grounds of alleged inefficiency and alleged insubordination. Witnesses' expenses £l6 15s, were allowed respondent board. History of the Case In the course of the judgment it was stated that in 1931 there was a girl attending the school who was committed by the Magistrate's Court to the care of the State in 1932. This girl was a potential contamination of the morals of other pupils and it was the clear duty -of appellant to have suspended her and reported the matter to the board, pursuant to section 58 of the Education Act. In answer to the Court appellant said he was not aware he had power, hut power was clearly set out in the Act. From this time onward irregular behaviour became prevalent among a substantial number of pupils, and on appellant's own evidence all he did was to reprimand the boys and ask his assistant to do likewise to the girls. Just how far the children were capable of appreciating the extent of their conduct may be doubtful, but it could lead only to disaster unless suppressed in the early stages. Misconduct of the utmost gravity such as this called for the strongest disciplinary punishment, and arrangements should have been made for the escort of the delinquents to the main highway by the appointment of prefects. The Court held there was grave dereliction of duty by appellant in not disclosing to the board that a pupil had been committed to the care of the State because of moral degeneracy. This fact, it was stated, was not discovered by the senior inspector until three years later, and then through an outside source. The inspector was in Collingwood the week after a constable had conducted an inquiry resulting in serious admissions, but appellant withheld the fact. When it did come to the knowledge of the board that the constable had reported on alleged misconduct, appellant was asked for a report and his attention was drawn to the fact that he was responsible for seeing to the proper behaviour of pupils going from school. Ho then set out to convince the board that the conduct did not occur going from school. False Report Drawn Up in the Court's opinion he was aware that it did. Upon receipt of the above communication he acted in a manner which the Court viewed in a very unfavourable light. He drew up a report and asked the constable to send it in as his report. Its tenor was to entirely exonerate appellant and it concluded as follows: —"My inquiries revealed no misconduct among pupils, either at school or going or coming to school, and the supervision of the teachers from tho police point of view is all that can be desired." Constable Audley had said this was in flat contradiction of his own report and if lit* sent it in it would be deliberately untrue. It certainly would have deceived the board and appellant's action was inconsistent with his duty to the board as his employer. The Court commended the assistant teachers for facing the ordeal in giving evidence of an unsavoury nature in the interests of infantile- morality. Credit was also due to them for the insidious state of affairs at the* school. The chairman indicated he intended to make representations to the Minister of Education, the Hon. U. Masters, with a view to securing some further direction to teachers in making it obligatory for them to report cases of similar trouble in schools to their education board, which course seemed to him to be necessary.