DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3911, 26 February 1929, Page 9

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION.

ADDRESS CRITICISED. WELLINGTON, February 20. At the last meeting of the Wellington Education Board it was mentioned that the Director of Education, Mr T. B. Strong, had given an address to Rotarians at Palmerston North and had made remarks detrimental to education boards in general and the Wellington and Wanganui boards in particular. The board decided to ask Mr Strong to forward an account of his speech, but at to-day’s meeting a reply was received from the director stating that he had no information to communicate to the board. Characterising the reply as a retort discourteous, Mr London immediately moved that the circumstances leading up to the letter should be communicated to the Minister of Education (Mr H. Atmore), with a protest that the action of tire head of such an important department was both unreasonable and discourteous. Mr Blake suggested that a remit be sent to the Education Boards’ Conference instead of appealing to the Minister. Mr Nicholls agreed with this suggestion. Mr Strong, he said, had attacked all the boards. This course was adopted, but not. before there had been some very blunt speaking. Mr J. J. Clarke, who was not at the previous meeting, said it was very undignified to enter into a discussion on a matter that was really one of rumour. Mr Forsyth (chairman) said it was no rumour, and the remarks at Palmerston North were made after the director had assured himself that the press was not present. Mr Robertson remarked that he was afraid the director had allowed his difference of opinion with the board in regard to the appointment of Mr Lomas as principal of the Training College to affect him, and was now showing his spleen. Mr Forsyth said that Mr Strong should be either able to say he had not made the statement or else tell what he had said.