OHINEMURI SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume I, Issue 38, 3 September 1892, Page 4

OHINEMURI SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The* 'Ohiriemuri. (School Committee - held its ordinary- monthly meeting*on Saturday last at the Paeroa^ School. 'Present—:MessrstiUtlejohn (CHairman,), Tetley (Secretary), Ellis,* Mavsh"' and" Franklin. , _ 7' The minutes were "read 'and , con- ! firmed. ",,''* - jtfr'&wanson, the Successful tenderer for the - varandab,'- wrote "asking that the'plansl»e sent.to Auckland 1 to him*' "Granted. <■'•-; The, head-teacher reported requiring certain school requisites and repairs. It was ordered tha't'-MessrsCharnpta-loup and Cooper supply the necessary stationary. The Chairman read a petit;on from Thomas Cummings and" five Owharoa residents (which was ''referred back from the last meeting) addressed to the members of -J:he „ Ohipemuri, J)istjict, Scfiool Committee askhig' fot^the^re-' ■moval of the teacher at Owharoa, bat giving no reason for the request. ' With the returned petition was a jcoveringr letter complaining further of ;the alleged short-comings of the teacher, and, ,a, piece. r of doggrel as ifoilows :

i,"iW;hatwqiald Committee; think of {Si,r teacher viji .<■,s )i\: H; f While instructing twos and;threes^,j, Politely puts his leg at.ease^HM^'!; Rolls up his pants above the knees, And then and there.does hunt for fleas.

The Chairman thought this had better havebeen leftout'.i i After several Committee men had pomtedioui ifchat it was largely the fault-of the children in not attending, Mr Ritchie (whol was present) was asked whafc-he had to say on'the'inattet^ • Mr; Ritchie stated that the attendance of the children was extremely bad and that; it) was;* owing to that fact that they did not get on. He stated that he was heartily sick of the school himself and believed that the desir6 to:get rid of him amqngua-feTr malcontents was because they desired- to get/a young ladyiteacher iwbid could teach siuging and otherwise amuse *them/> It wasevidentfrbm Mr"Eitchje'Si statement that ihe; -parents swerel =^evy lax in sending their children;? stole school? The person who was instrumental in bringing the petition about had abused him in the school shamefully. The Chairman stated that it was apparent that the children had nob attended sufficiently :to be able to be taught if the teacher were ever scompetent. He said it could be seen, too, that the people had Eei their faces against Mr -Ritchie and that gentleman could see for himself that its would.be wiser for him to endeavour to get another school. v , .";/._ ' ' Mr Ritchie in reply said he could see that the parents were against him, some of them even inciting the children to open insurrection, to see how ;far they could go. ' Mr Ellis said, there- were no direct charges s against Mr Ritchie. ' . Mr "Franklin observed that the writer of the covering letter—Mrs Kennedy— had no connection with the petition itself, her name not'being-on'it.i ' The Owharoa people, however, meant to agitate untiil -Mr Ritchie resigned., Mr Ritchie stated again that he was heartily sick of "the whole matter and intended to resign and would .give a month's notice." ~ The- Chairman said that there was absolutely nothing -against the_ teacher and that as far as the Committee were concerned he was absolutely exonerated from any fault. .It was an uncomfortable situation for any teacher. On the motion o£.Messrs Eranklin and Marsh the Committee thanked Mr Ritchie ,fpr . .his past services and exonerated him from all blame. - v Several accounts were considered, one being for refreshments, jfor f the, proformers at the late, concert," which Mr Tetley:strongly objectecLto pay for. These were left over until next meeting. "' 1;" <y