DUNEDIN SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Otago Witness, Issue 412, 22 October 1859, Page 3

DUNEDIN SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The annual faice of electing the Dunedin School Committee took place on Wednesday last, at seven o'clock evening, within the Schoolroom. The Sheriff in the Chair. There were about thiity persons present, the majority of whom, it was quite evident, had been piessed to attend by a small section of the community. Not more than one-half of the peisons present took an interest in the proceedings.

Mr. T. B. Gillies and Mr. Mills (the latter of whom, by the way, was a member of the Committee) called for the Repoit of the Committee going out of office, before proceeding with the other business.

Mr. Logan, in reply, stated that the present meeting had been called by the General Board ; and although he observed some of the members of Committee present, yet they were only there in the same capacity as others, not as a committee, and therefore could give no leport ; but he had no doubt that, if called upon by their constituents, the Committee would meet and give a Report — though, peihaps, like the General Board, the constituents might not think much of it.

A question having been put by some person in the meeting as to the qualifications necessary to enable panics to vote, Mr. T. B. Gillies replied that everybody above twenty-one years of age, wiih a head, was entitled to vote. Somebody remaiked that the Ordinance did not appear to require that the voters should have a head, but simply that they should be t.venty-one years of age, and liable to pay the assessment under section 20 of the Oidinance. It was maintained by some, without contradiction, that the Boaid having failed to lay on an assessment, as it is bound to do annually, no peison could be qualified to vote, as no one was liable to be assessed, and that the other sections of the Ordinance must be taken in counection with section 20. If that opinion is conert, neither Committee nor Boa'd can be elected.

A list of names, cut and dry, was proposed an r i seconded for membeis of Committee, but without any assurance that the gentlemen pioposed would attend to the duties.

Mr. Lambert moved a resolution, which was duly seconded, to the effect ihit no committee be elected. In stippoit of the motion, Mr. Lambeit pointed out the absurdity of electing a committee, the whole scheme being a solemn faice. It v\as an anomaly to call the Dunedin School a High School ; it had not one characteristic of a High School, save the Rector's salary, but ua= a mere District School. If it was a High School, then let it be managed by the General Bond. The Itec.or had treated the School Committee with contempt in the matter of the vacation, and they had no contiol over him. If they were to appoint a committee, they ought to have a regular District School, and not be parties to pcipetuating the delusion that had hitherto existed.

After a conveisational discussion, in which Mr. Macandiew and Mi. Walker took part in opposition to Mr. Lambert, a sho.v of hands was taken, when there voted for Mr. Lainbeit's amendment, seven ; against it, eleven.

Messrs. Morris, Jiarr, and Lambeit declined to act as committee men. An objection was urged against Mr. Mills being put on the list, as he had not attended any ol the meetings that year, although he was a uipmber of committee. Mi. Mills slated that he had now got older and wiser. The following gentlemen we>e then put to the vote:— Messrs. J. Kilgour, J. Shepherd, J. Duncan, A. Mollison, H F. Hardy, T. Dick, W. Mills, and J. Gallic The smallest number of hands having been held up for Mr. Galiie, the others were declared duly elected. The proceedings closed with a vote of thanks to the Chair.

The following is the chief portion of the Dunedin School Committee's Report, alluded to in the Education Report, published in our last issue :—: —

" A sum was voted and a most advantageous tender received more than two years ago for the erection of a High School, but at the eleventh hour the tender had to be given up, the Education Board having put its veto on it without giving a reason for so doing. The want of school accommodation was pointed out in the Committee's report for last year, and <* &uin of .£IBOO asked for the erection of a proper building ; but the Education Board did not include that amount in its statement of sums required for the past financial year, neither did it assign any reason for not doing so, or make any communication whatever to this Committee on the subject. The representatives of the Committee bi ought the matter befoie the Board, but they complained that they could not obtain a hearing, owing principally to the conduct of the clerical members of the Board. The Com. mime is not awate whether their representatives did their duty properly or not on the occasion, but would take this opportunity of remarking— with all due lespect to the gentlemen complained of— that whilst clergymen should receive every encouragement in visiting schools, it is not for the interest of education or religion that they should be members of any Committee or of the Board. It is understood that in some parts of Australia they are so excluded by Oidinance. Such conduct, as above nai rated, towards the most important and by far the largest district of the Province, is the more felt, seeing that the same couise ha* not been adopted as respects other districts, but, on the contrary, a large and unnecessary expenditure has been sanctioned in small insignificant districts for buildings, fencing, &c. It is a remaikable and significant fact, in connection wiih the above, that the Board, rather than pay a small rent for a building (belonging to a body of Christians not represented at the Board) the use of which had been pieviously given at a mere nominal rent, and which moreoverappeared to be suitableenough for aschool, authorised the erection ofnew buildingsat Port Chalmers. The present building rented for the Dunedin school does not give the teacheis a fair chance of success; and, to use a mild term, is altogether unwoithy ol the capital of the Piovince. '1 he Committee is convinced that the inhabitants of Dunedin would have elected proper buildings long ago were they not fettered by the woiking of the present Education scheme. Many of the most influential gentlemen in this district are willing to support an independent school, and unless prompt justice is done to Dunedin by the Boaid, the result will be that rival schools will arise, and supersede those established, lequiring t3 be kept up at a heavy annual expense. It is a notorious fact, which should not be lost sight of, that an attempt was lately made to get an independent first-class school in Dunedin, which only failed for the time because a proper teacher could not be found. It is not deemed advisable to renew the lease of the present school bui'ding, were it for no other reason than that it prevents a school endowed by the Trustees for Religious and Educational Uses being kept there. The Committee is of opinion, after carelul consideration, that in addition to a High School, owing to the late and expected arrivals, this district cannot do with less than two schools— one towards the south and another towards the north of the present one,- and accordingly agreed to ask a sum for the erection of school buildings with schoolmasters' houses on that scale, but having taken into consideration a communication fiom the Secretary to the General Board, agree to restrict their demand for the present, as after stated. A sub- committee was lately appointed to ascertain the term and nature of the lease of the present school buildings, but they have not been able to report further than that, whilst the buildings would appear to be nominally rent free, a large amount has been expended on repairs without any guatan-

tee that the Committee would continue to have the use of them even for the limited term of two years. It is not anticipated, however, that any inconvenience will arise on this IkmJ, ahhough the course which has been pursued is certainly objectionable, and would no doubt have been avoided had the management of these matters been placed in th° hands of the Committee instead of the General Boaid "

"Reading, Wilting, and Accounts; History, Geography, English Gramm.i;-, and Composition ; Algebra and Practical Mathematics; Latin and Greek, and Setving. The intellectual or explanatory method of instruction is adopted. Average number availing themseives of Latin, 4 ; Mathematics, 4; Sewing, 12.

" Reading, Bs. ; Writing and Accounts, 12s. ; Mathemaiics, los. ; Litin and Greek, 21s. per quarter. The higher branches include the iower. It will be observed that these fees are much higher than those ofany other District. Our lepresentatives were requested to bring the matter before the Board, in the expectation that, as a m itter of course, its sanction would be obtained to a induction, but they failed to obtain a hearing. The Committee is of opinion that, owinu to the greater expense of living in Dunedin compared with the country, the fees in Dunedin should be lower tkm in these districts, but would be quite contented if equalized. It is to be remarked that the Dunedin Teachers have not received back their School Fees, although the Teacheis in the other districts have.

" The Committee rogiet to report that, instead of receiving any assistance from the General Boaid tending to furthei the interests of Education within this District, they have in every instance been opposed by that body in a very ovcrbeai ing manner ; and in one case the Committees' deliberate decision was illegally ovei turned by the Board without even the Committee being heard. Such treatment by a body necessarily ignoiant of ilie wants of the District, can only lead to ptevent gentlemen, who are really willing to perform the duties of the Committee, fiom taking oflice,-as decisions come to with the greatest care and deliberation, and with a full knowledge of 'the bearings of the case, may be hastily upset, without even the knowledge of the Committee, by a Roard composed for the most part of heterogeneous materials, gathered from a distance, and, when met, too anxious to disperse. The Committee hope that the New Education Bill, amended in detail, miy p,iss, throwing the but den of Education diir-ctly upon the people themselves; and thereby obviate the evils of the present system. The Committee repudld'es the idea of Government paying a larger portion of the Sd'aiies of the Dunedin School Teachers than that of other Districts, and can assure all parties concerned that this is the mind of their constituents — perhaps to a man. It may be some equitable arrangement should be made until the Rector, who is for the whole Piovince, is placed in his proper spheie. The Committee cannot but view with the utmost alarm, but without referenca to one political party mote than another, the danger there is of sacrificing the best interests of Education at the shrine of petty politics, and ol making Education subs.-rvient to a paiticular religious sect, and legiets to find that there exisis a sec-et disinclination on the part of some to trust the people with the management of Education, from a want of faith in their ability to do so: thus the solid giowth of Education is crippled by reason of external props, put up in ignoianca, though, no doubt, with the best intention. " Rectoi's Salary £250 Female Teacher 100 Male do 100 Rent of Female Teacher's House 24 Pupil Teacher £0 Erection of Hi^h School 2000 ContingPnck'S 10" The number of childien in ordinary attendance duiing the last Quartet was 7<5 boys and 29 gins; but the average number attending schoni throughout the year uas about SO boys and 3-5 girls. North-hast Valley. — At the Annual Meeting of the rate- payers, held on the 19th October, the following persons were declared elected members of thi9 District School Committee for the ensuing year : — Messrs. R. L. Jeffreys, Peter Lindsay. James Hunter, G. Green, Wm. Chapman, James Gebbio, and James Sim. Immediately after the above meeting the District Committee met and unanimously proposed and agreed that Peter Lindsay and James Hunter he their representatives at the General Board of Education for the ensuing year ; and that 11. L. Jeffreys be the honorary secretary.