EDUCATION BOARD.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 756, 27 August 1886, Page 9

EDUCATION BOARD.

An ordinary meeting of the Board was held on Wednesday. Present —Messrs J. R. Blair (chairman), H. Bunny, W. C. Buchanan, M.H.R., C. Beeffiam, M.H.R., J. Young, A. W. Brown, Rev J. Paterson, and Dr Newman, M.H.R. Miss Evans’ application for a month s leave of absence from the Mount Cook Girls’ School was granted. . .. The question of the honorarium to be paid to be paid to the Rev Mr West for acting as examiner was considered, and finally left in the hands of the chairman. Mr F. Bennett, late of Jobnsonville, applied for payment of £6 13s 4d on account of the tuition of a pupil teacher In the local school, on the ground that if he had been allowed to remain iu the district another three months the young lady would have passed. The application was granted. Repairs to the Belvidere School were applied for and authorised. The resignation of Mr H. E. Smith, of Wainuiomata, was accepted. It was decided to transfer Mrs Hansen from Parkville to Wallaceville. Mr Beetbam read a letter pointing out the insufficiency of school accommodation at Mangaoce. The Chairman said this was a matter that would hsve to be left over until the question of funds had been considered. This was accordingly done. The Masterton Committee applied for a cupboard aud easel. Authorised. The Hutt Committee asked for additions to the school. Ordered that the architect inspect and furnish an estimate. The Matarawa School Committee applied for repairs, and remuneration to the lady who bad kept the school open for three weeks during the illness of the teacher. The Inspector remarked that in his opinion one good school would serve the Dalefield and Matarawa Districts, and as the school in the latter district was getting into a very bad state it would be advisable, perhaps, to erect a new school at the junction of the roads. It was decided that £4 should be expended in repairs, and that the remuneration of Miss Forbes should stand over pending further inquiry. Repairs were authorised at Wainenga, Mr Turllington, master at Tinui, wrote, complaining that the land attached to his residence was used by schoolboys coming from a distance, who turned their horses out on it. Referred to local committee. _ Repairs to porch were authorised at Cross Creek School, and repairs were also authorised at Tinui. . The Pahiatua Committee asked that their teacher should be retained. Agreed to. A deputation from the Newtown School Committee waited on the Board, IHr Hand, secretary of the Committee, submitted to the Board copies of correspondence between the committee and their headmaster, Mr Lilliogton. He explained that the Bchool-cleaner had’ had the care of certain keys, which Mr Lillington removed from her, against her will. The Committee wrote asking that gentleman to give up the keys of the coal-locker, and Mr Lillington replied that he would not give them up ; they were his property while he was headmaster. In answer to. a request that he would discontinue the practice of allowing teachers to sleep in the school, Mr Lillington replied that he considered the teachers could remain in the school as long as they thought fit. A letter from Mr Barry, one of the teachers referred to, was also read. Mr Barry said in it that he looked to the master for instructions, and that part of the Committee’s letter to him was actionable, though he had not yet decided what course he should take. Mr Bunav remarked that everything was actionable nowadays. The Chairman said what had been adduced was sufficient to warrant the Board in asking Mr Lillington for an explanation. The original of the letters were left with the Board, and the deputation withdrew. Dr Newman moved that the Chairman, Mr Brown, and Mr Paterson be a committee to inquire into the matter. Agreed to.

TRAINING COLLEGE.

The adjourned discussion on Mr Young’s motion, for an inquiry into the management of the Training College, was resumed. . The Chairman said it would be advisable to move some definite motion, or there would be no finality to the matter, Mr Young thought the Board was a committee of inquiry, and it was not necessary at present to move a motion, Mr Bunny asked whether any replies had been received from the Board communicated with. The Secretary said replies had been received from several Boards. Mr Paterson had been under the impression that Mr Howard (the Principal; was to be called. After some discussion, the Chairman suggested that the Board should again take up, as the matter at issue, Mr Young’s motion, to dismiss the master of the College. Mr Paterson suggested that Mr Young should formulate his charges. Mr Young said he had no personal feeling in the matter. (Hear, hear.) He was. referring to Mr Howard as a gentleman in a certain position. Mr Young then formally moved that three months’ notice be given to Mr Howard of the termination of his appointment as principal of the Training College. He (Mr YouDg) remarked that he wished to keep the individual out cf the matter as much as possible.

Mr Bunny said that was all very well, but Mr Young was askiug the Board to do that, which he (Mr Bunny) should not do unless more was adduced in support of it. The Chairman intimated his intention of calling Mr Howard as soon as the motion wasseconded. „ , The motion was not seconded, ana lapsed. Mr Young said he would nos have. brought the matter up in this form if he had known that it was to be taken iu this way. .He was prepared to substantiate all be had sale if tnc Board gave him an opportunity. Mr Brown suggested that Mr Yeung should move a less important motion, and make a speech upon it. Mr Young then moved that the present condition of the training college is most unsatisfactory, and that some change for the better is urgently needed. Mr Brown seconded the motion p>-o forirvsMr Howard was then called, in answer to the chairman, he made a lengthy explanation. The gross average expenditure, he said, had been about £ISOO a year, auu X,X 4 v(y as was stated at a former meeting of the Board. That included all visiting teachers. The training college students, cn the percentage of failures as compared with the whole Colony, were about six times more successful than the rest of the Coiony. The perceatage or failures at the College was very .much larger when he first took charge than it was now. At the conclusion of Mr Howard’s explanation several members of the Board spoke. Mr Brown thought the discussion would do good. There had been a good deal of misconception, he thought, about the institution, although he still thought they might improve it with better facilities. He hoped Mr Young would not be discouraged by .‘.ho want o£ success on this occasion, but that he would make other attempts to improve the College. The Chairman pointed out that the institution was ia a state of development. -He felt gratified that the Principal had made good his position. Mr Beetham said it seemed that it was quite impossible for the students to live on the pittance given to them by the Government. He would ask whether it would not be possible to alter that ; whether the Board could not subsidise students coming from distant ports. The Boards in other distiicts might assist. He was of. opinion that the College bore favorable comparison with other parts of the Colony. __ ... Mr Buchanan expressed his satisfaction with the statement of Mr Howard. He (Mr Buchanan) was of opinion that the satisfactory conclusion of the discussion would relieve the College from the damage which must he caused by the insinuations made against it. Mr Young, in reply, said he held the same opinions as he held at starting. The returns of expenses, etc., circulated among the Board by Mr Howard were not reliable. He pointed out that no record whatever was kept in the institution, so that there was nothing to be learned of the students at the Ccllege.for some years. He expressed surprise at hearing members of the Board say the College compared favorably with others —why the comparison with Christchurch was simply crushing. He denied that the College had exercised a good influence in raising the statU3 of teachers, and quoted figures to show that. the. percentage of passes had been just as good before the College was established as now. The expenses, he maintained were over £I7OO a year. . His statemenfs letnained absolutely unrepudiated, in spite of all the explanations and the dust that had been thrown in the eyes of the Board and the public. He had seen from the first that several members of the Board were against him, but he gave them credit for having acted fairly to the best of their light—which was not saying much. (Laughter.) In conclusion Mr Young said he had no other motive in this matter than that of the public interest. He submitted that the position of the matter was summed up as follows : —(1) That the institution has been carried on at a co3t of £IO,OOO up to the present time. (2) That each certificate has cost the Coiony £250, and each successful student £3OO. (3) That the great bulk of the certificates obtained have been of the lowest class (E). (4) That the work of our Training College will not bear comparison with that of Christchurch, either in number of certificates or classification. (5) That the expense of our institution is year by year increasing while the work shows no sign cf improvement. (6) That two years ago this Board became so dissatisfied with the work of the Normal School that they determined to give the whole staff three months’ notice ; the Principal was re-appointed j that since that time the institution has not improved either in number or quality of work, and the expenses have steadily increased. (7) That this state of things ia unfair to the public and unjust to the students, who will soon be brought into unequal competition with the more highly educated teachers of other districts. (8) That if the Board were dissatisfied with the work of the school two years ago, they have equal reason to be dissatisfied with it now. Mr Howard said Mr Young’s statements were as fallacious as those he had previously made, and could be as easily disposed of. Mr Young’s motion was lost on the voices, only the mover voting for it.