OAMARU SCHOOLS COMMITTEE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 940, 22 April 1879, Page 2

OAMARU SCHOOLS COMMITTEE.

A special meeting of this Committee was held last evening, when there were present—Messrs. N. Fleming (Chairman), Dunlop,, Evans, Hay, Herdman, Smith, Montagu, and Hardy (Secretary). The Secretary read a letter from th& Secretary to the Education Board, forwarding three applications far the post of head master of the North School, and stating that Messrs., Lindsay, Duncan, and Home were the only eligible candidates. Thfe writer also stated that Mr, FJ.aod was the only eligible candidate for the position of second master of the South. School. The Secretary stated that he had been informed that twenty-six applications had beeu received by the Board for the head mastership of the Jforth School, It had previously been the Beard's practice to forward all the applications, with the certificates and testimoni ils, to the Committee, who thereupon recommended the appointment of the candidate they deemed best fitted for the post. In the present case the Board had apparently taken the work out of the Committee's hands, and had practically made the recommendation itself. ■

Some discussiojft c# a conversational | character the® took place, several members protect itig thoroughly against the manner , j in which the Committee had been treated. It was pointed out that the Board had no 1 power to withhold any of the applications, but should have submitt§4 the? whole of the names to the Coaimittee, who had a right to mak» it-& ov.:n selection. As it was, seemed yery little use for the Committee at all, r.rul if they were to be j debarred from exercising some amount of supervision over the appointment of the teachers in the school, they might as well leave the whole_ of the work to the Education Board. It was also pointed out that the intended, if not absolute, appointment of Mr. Flood as. second master of the South School was illegal, inasmuch as the Committee had not been consulted with to the appointment, as require,cl by the Education Act. The i only thing that could be done under the circumstances was to refuse to acknowledge the appointment, and refuse to recommend any of the candidates. The following resolution, proposed by Mr. Herdman, and seconded, bj;- Mr. Smith, was carried untU\i.utously : —"That the Committee, leaving considered the letters of the. Secretary of the Board of Education, dated the 17th inst., re the ■appointment of teachers to the North asd. South schools, and the Committer Mid. the Board having received applications from certificated candidates £oi mentioned in the letters, decline t-o, make any recommendations until the applications' and .copies.of the certificates from all applicants be laid before them." -fj-' The Chairman read a letter whielilte? had received from the Inspector of (Mr. D. Petrie) recommending the pointment of two pupil teachers; ssi fh® North School, stating that the mistress of that school had at present over 100 scholars to teach.. The writer also mentioned that there were no scholars in the North School eligible for the%pomtment, and suggested thatHjvo should be obtained from the High Schools, The Secretary was directed* to obtain from the Hector of the High School tha names of two pupils eligible for the appointments, to be submitted to the Education Board. J, The Rector to recommend a pupil teagffter for appointment in the High SchapjP The meet terminated with the usual vote oflEhanks to the Chairman...