PRESENTATION TO MR JOHN HOSLOP.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5347, 9 April 1879, Page 6

PRESENTATION TO MR JOHN HOSLOP.

A meeting of teachers took place at the Normal Scho.l on March 22nd for the purpose of making a presentation to Mr John Hislop, who f,>r a large number of year* fulfilled tbe office of secretary to the Education Board in Otago. The meeting had been hurriedly invited by circular on ths previous day only, and as a consequence the attendance was not so large as it would undoubtedly hava been under other circurestances. Still, there were between 30 and 40 gentle nen present, an alao a few ladies. The Hon. R. Stout arrived after,

the proceedings had begun. The article for present ltina, which was in the room, consisted of a handsome silver cup, standing 22 inches in height, and iosjiibed as follows :—" Preaentelwith an address ti John Hislop, E?q., secretary for education, Xoiv Zealrad, by the teaohn-3 of Otago and Southland, in recognition of the valuable service* rendered by him to the cause of education while Secretary and Inspector of School* to the Provincial Board."

Mr Fit7.gku.vld, rector of the Normal School, was voted to the cb.i'r, and stated it had been intended tha1", the Hon. K. St tit, the president of the Educational Institute, should pi-esuTo, lmt owing to the hurry which had oharacterised the affair at the last moment, through the wish to tike advantage of Mr Hislo-.'s profence in Onnedin, Mr Ktout wm unable to be present. Ho thea called on Mr Park to mabe the presentation.

Mr Pahk. nfter referring to the pleasure with whicli lie undert ok the duty—altnougti it was a pleasure le-senod in .1 degree by a s use of his own unfitness—and to the fact that upon bia arrival in the Colony 15 yearj ago Air Hislup was the first ]kth.»n connected with education he had spoken to in Ot-igo, went on to speak of tho benefits Mr Hislnp had r.nJe.e.l to the cause of edu^fon m .Otago. That gentleman having kima-lf hem a teacher, brought to b*ar in the position he occupied knottl«d(?« find experience that was of infinite Eervice in his work; and he had a quiet conciliatory manner iv dealing with giievance* between teachers aud committees tuat smoothed away hosts of difficulties. Theamountof work accomplished by JJr Hi*l<-1> singU-han led was something extraordinary, and was only_ to be known by those who had witnes-el him fulfilling the dutie3 of secretary to the Board, inspector of schools, manager of educational reserves, &c. ; while in addition to all this he had been mainly instrumental in the distribution of books throughout the province in connection with the district libraries. After speaking of the good eervice Mr His:op would be able to dj in his new sphere, it allowed to make use of his practical knowledge, unhampered by bia Buperiora or bymen of fanciful ideas on the subject, Mi Park concluded by asking Mr Hislop's ncctpU tion of the Bilver vase upon the table as a testimony of the esteem and respect entertimad towards him by th« teachers of Otago.—(Loud and continued applause.) Mr Hislop then cam* forward and spoke as follows:—"Mr Chairman, Mr Park, and friends,—Moat heartily do I thank you for your very hand-ome and valuable pies^nt, and for the kindly, an! I fear too flattering, terms in which you have referred to my past labour* in connection with tuu educational institution of Ota-ro and Southland. Words fail me a* quitely to express my tense of your kindness. Most thoioighly do I appreciate it. I had, however, been so long and so intimately connsr-tei with the tencbers of Ot»go and SonUiUi.d. and my reUtiui.s with you lia-i uniformly lieen (.f so kincily and pleasant » nature, that it wonld..be pure affectation on my part if I did not frank y confess that I should hiva felt di^app-inte 1 and unhappy if you had allowed my connection with y.m to be severed without an expression of goodwill ar.d kiedly feeling towards ms on your part. 1 should have been quite contented, however, if such expression of feeling had taken the form mere y of a resolution or dimple address and many of you know that it was with considerable reluctance, and only after earnest remonstrance on yonr own par% that I acquiesced iv your proposal to present me with a more costly and substantial t'.ken nf your regard. Again I thank you very lie.r'.ilv for y.mr most valuable gilt, which I trust will be handed down as an heirloom by my family to many successive generators and cherished by them as a token of the cordial rslati'.m which existed between their fir.-t New Zealand ancestor and his professional brethren, the e-rlier teachers of Otago and Saithland. I assure yu tha1; your kuuWs and consideration are greatly enhanced in my estimation by your so thoroughly consulting my own feeling 1 in having set about this mutter and bringing it to a successful i sue m a manner so exceptionally quiot cnl unostetitatium ; you have certainly most faithfully kept I he prom's-j I exacted from yon when I con sented to your propofra'. On such an ocmu-ion as th's it might almost be expected that I t-huuM make sonn reference to Ihe present portion of education.il affah sin or Colony, but I think y.-u will easily percaive that the official p siti.n I have the honour to occupy entirely precludes me from s Lying a single word rtspestine any of the burning educational question* <-f the day, however anxious I nji,'ht be ti give ex|.ressio_n t) my own vie vs My duty for the present is to npsisfc to the very best of my judgment and ability in administering the laws n-lating to pu'r-lic education which have beeu made by the representatives of tlie people. My dutiis are thetefoie i-f a merely alministrative churact-r, and I am not necessarily or directly responsible for any act cf mere public policy in regard to education. If in any degree my personal views should influence public policy, it can only be in so far as auch views may be adopted and given effect to by th* Government or the Legislature. Even m an officer nf the Education Department my dnli'.s do notrelate to several matter* wlrch are if considerable importance to teachers— such as classification and examina'ion, the inspection of tha schools, ths standard-! of instruction, and such like._ My duties bring me more int-> relationship with the Education Boards and their secretaries with Schorl Commis-iin-i-H, and the governing bodies of the secondary schools and oiher eduoati -nal institutions of the country. As you are aware. th'fl* arrangements which relate to a hool w-irk and the profess'onal status of tbe teachers, are under the care of my aMe anil respected colleague, the Inspeet>r-Ge-ieral of Schools. As our present meeting bai reference wholly tithe past, and not at all to the preseit or the future, I may be permitte-l to *a,y a fear words respecting the olden, times in O-ano, ai thfy bear upon school mat1 era. About a quarter of a cen'ury ago I began to find thft little boys and girls were presenting thomaeliei with rather alarming frequency within tbe parish echoolhoufe of Kirknewton, which I then occupied. I had ohserved the great difficul'y which many of my older professional brethren experienced in tatisfactorily settling their boya and firla in life. About tbo fame time friends and acqnaintances were now anH again leaving for the young pettl-m^nt of Otago. Thi thought s'ruck me t( >at I might do worse tbau follow t'jem. I began therefore to eeek information regarding this now land of promise. In tbe beginning of 1850, fully 23 years «go, I learnt that among the fiist acts of the n-wly constituted Provincial Governm-nt of Otago was them horkingof their H"tneagetits to d spatch a ma>t.r for the contemplated High Scho 1 of Dunedin, aud tilled mas'era for district school-*; that a master had been selected for the High Scho 1, and that tivo appointments yet reuiainel to be made for district s liools After serium consultation with my partner in life, I made application for an app''i"tment, and on the rfommendalion of the late Drs Cumming and Woodford, fI.M Inspectors of Schools, and of Messrs Morrison and Syme, Hectors respectively <-f the F. C. Normal Bohoo's of Glasgow and Edinburgh, the applicitii.n was favourably entertained. Accordingly, Messrs Alex. I Livingston, Colin Allan, and I arrived at Port ChaWrs in the good ship Strut! m»ro in October, ISoG. My friend Mr Alex. Ayson had prvc?d-dus by about five or mx months, and hal be n appointed to the district Rchr-ol of Tokomairiro. It may be worth mentioning that amongst our felionr passeuge's were the lat) Sir J.ilm Kichatdwn, with his sou j-ml two diUKh-.n-.-i, the late Dr Hulrm, t^ie lite Mr W. D. Muriiiiiii, aud a oumben-f o.hi r 11 >w vvvll-knowu oil iileiititiec. The peoplj of l'crt Oh.'linera at one s caught Mr Allan; Mr Livingston entered m his duties as Hector of the DnnKlin High Sch-n.l, and I *m as'igued to the East Taieri District Scbocl. On our aniv.<l we found tbat an Elueatiou Ordinarioe had been passed, and that, small as was the tlun p ipulation, thcra hii/l arisen no smal amount of c mtrivnrsy, exeitem-nt, aud bitterms3 of feeling regarding tom-i of tl.e pro. vi<ions of Itbe Ordinance, and it was with diffi cnlty that so-ne of the districts cnul I be brought to accept the OriiuMic*. Piri:ai s the main subJßi:t • f controversy was the polltax, by iiHsni of which it was provided that the education scheme Fhould bo maintained ; and an strong and so general wai fie f«plin; auainst the t.ix, that tile Government n^ver att mpted to collect it, and the law in regard to it was quietly ifnired by universal consent. It miy intsrfst the younger br-thren present to learn that tha school income guaranteed to us by the Government was LIOO a year, the suhool f*s were to go towards making up this handsome amount, and any deficiency was to be made up by the Government. But tie I'nvincial Council of that time created us very generously, fur instead of taking thesc'ioJ fees to make up the stipulated amount, it resolved to pay us the LIOO and the receipts from echiol ieia in addition, provided our r spec'.ivd School Committees should so ie commend, and I nead scarcely say that si:ch recommendation was invariably made, owing, no d™bt, to the satisfactory manner in which we acquitted onr-se've-i. Other cU<t.ri.;t school teacher* s'mlarly appointed followed us fruin the Home country daring the next few years—l forget the exact order of their arrival. Mr Alex. Ailan was first appointed to N. E. Harbour, and was afterwards transferred to Green Island ; Mr A!ex. Grgur Uok charge of Inch Clutba School, Mr A'!ara Johnston was settled at Ha'f way Bush (Wakari), Mr Andrew R^ssjll at And^iso.-i'H Bay, and Mr Eobert Gardner at West Taieii. Out of the nine ti.ic'-.ers thus engaged by the H><ma agents, t.f.ere are three of us now in th-s roim—Me<srs Huss-tll and Gardrer, aud myself. But Mi- Grigor and I alone can claim that wo have serve 1 unin-i_rrupt;dly un ler till Otago Education Board from first to last. Met.-j-s Ayson an 1 Kus-ell sevtro 1 t'ieir connection fir a shoit time, th iug':i t':,eyhave now rjturoed to their allegiauce. The others have now left, the service, though my friend Mr Gardner si'l occupies the honourable position of a schno'mastfr. The first secretary to tha Otago Education Boa d Wfcs the late Mr John M'GUaiJian, and I am Huro my fellow teachers of the olden t:me will bear me out when I s*y that Mr M'G!a^han was a tiu-; and w.irm-hearted friend of the teachers and of the cause of public education, and that Otago is under great obligation to that gentleman for

tbe services he renlerel in connection with education in the early days of the settlement. Mr M'Glwhan held the office of Secretary to tbe Board till t.h* p»s*ing of the Education Ordinance of 1861, when I had the honour to be appointed Secretary to the Board and the first Inspector of the Otago Schools. By that tim 9 the number of Bcho.ils had increased to 18, there l>ein^ 20 teachers «jd a-a average attendance of Gil scholar.*, pootnist with these figures the following, wtobh I take from the K»pjrt for 1877, at the eWe of my connection with the Board:—No. of schools, 173 ; teachers, 33G; average atten-ian-e, close on 12,000. No one c*n ever know the almost overwhelming load of anxiety aud concern with which I entered upon my new and important duties nearly 18 yeurs ago, and it our Otago education scheme ha« been tn any extent successful, I (smdiily attribute this to a number of favouring circumstances. Chief of these was perh'ip3 the determination of tho people themselves to procure for their children the means of a sound find thorough school eiiuntion. Then, nnr sncoei-sive Superintendents, Executive Councils, and Provinciid Couticilß tendered substantial and gduerous service We succeeded in gathering together a band of masters and mistresses. a very largo proportion of whom have proved themselves on the whel-j to hi intelligent, zealous, and snccesf'il t-achei-3, and who, I am confident, will ben-favourable c"mp«'i.«on with those under any other educ.tiouat syoten in the Colonies or elsewhere. And lastly, though i;ot least, tha school coaamittees ax)pomted from year to year havo performed, with only occasional exceptions, thuir duties as local administrators in a very sensible and creditable manner. Though I m*y riot have bro jtjiit to bear upon my official duties any large amount of ability or aeaiemic distinction, I think I cau honestly claim to have giveu up t) them a very large share of my time and attention. In my intercourse with the teacheis I never forgot that I had for loisjj yea's been a teacher myse'f, and I ever strove to keep in miud tbe golden precept, "Do unto others as you wo ill they shouM do unt) you." I ui«l never to forget that, in the case of teach-rs aud scholars, "Kind words go far and co.-t little." Many amongst us have affected to disparage our old Otago educational systtin. I admit that, in common with all hum-in instrumentality, it was far from perfect. No one lamented this more thau I did; but notwithstanding its defects, I think ail of us who have aided in the administration of our Otago school ty.-t?m can point with pride and satisfaction to a very fair measure of fruit. Ido claim that the succesiive bands of scholars which have pass»d through our schools, and who are now engaged ia the battle of life, are now, with rare exceptions, acquitting themselves in a inannt r creditable to thuinselves, their parents, their teachers, and their schools. Everywhere throughout our Provincial District you will find our bays and our girls; occupying bonourablj and important and useful pos:tion3 in society, or os country setll-rs, or as merchants, or as professional men, or as tradesmen and workmen, or as wives, inotheiv, sisters, and daughters. Almost every day do we not find some of them coming more and more to the front ? But I mint stop. Rest assured, my friende, that I sball never forget the kiudly and pleasant, as well as pofitable utercourae I have for long ye*rs enjoyed witb, many of you. I shall not die rich in this wor.d's wealth, fi.r devotion to my official duties left me ho leisu.e to a.tend to the "making of a pile." The whole of my landed estate mea-urea l-ras than an acre, thi-ugh very few Lad better opportunities than I had for many yeirß of doing a good stroke in tne way of land speculation. I shall never forget the present gratifying and pleasing event, and I do venturj to hops that after my labours in this world are brought to a closo, my name may be associated in some small degree with the earlier social and edicational progress of our adopted country, and that I may be remembered with feelings of kindnes3 and affection by m my of the schoolmasters and pcboolmistress'-s, pupil teachers and scholars, with whom I ha^e been intimately ass >ciated f i r so mauy years. The delivery of Mr HijJop's speech was several times interrupted by applause, and at its close tuis continue I for tome minutes.

The Chaikjian said it had originally been intended to send the gift along with the address quietly to Wellington, but the teachers, having Mr H'sl ip in Duncdin, filfc that it would be exercising top much self-denial to allow him to go away without ha\ing a formal presentation. As the Hon. Mr Stjut *a< now in the room, he would atk that gentleman to address them.

Tne Hon. R. Stout said it was after 12 o'clock befure he heard that tho affair was to taice jjl.iee that day, and he felt tometvhat sorry he had not bcea in the room from the beginning. He had had the honour of serving under Mr Hialnp as a suhuolinaster, and he had always lookel upon that gentleman as the oil of the educational machinery in Otago. Schoolmasters weie so accustomed to rula in school that sometimes they appeared to wish t> do so out of school; while committees, dressed in a little brief authority, were often difficult to bo dealt with. But Mr Hislop, by his tact and ready way of smoothing over all difficulties, hal most successfully kept everything in thorough working order, and had in this way dote more for education than could be understood at this period of tim-j; for th^re could be no question that tho less of outside wrangling and strife there was in connection with educational concerns and institutions, the better wtould it be for the cause of education. For himself, when he cime to the Colony ha intended to have gone into the Surrey Department; hut, mainly upon tb.4 advice of the late Mr John Gilliea, tie determined to apply for a school, and lie well remembered tire kindly sympathy with which ho had been met by Mr Hislop when he asked him if there were any vacancies. It was owing to the very kindly treatment he had then received from Air Hislop that he had joined the teaching ttatf of Otago. He could assure Mr Hislop and all present that he had every pleasure iv beiug present at and taking part in the preaennation.—(Applause.) Mr Gardner and Mr Russell having spoken briefly, referriug to the i-laasuie they telt at being present, The Chaiuman declared the meeting closed, with the announcement tbat the address to be presented would be ready fur signature by the teachers at the mooting of the Institute at Esstor.