South Canterbury Times, MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 1884.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3375, 28 January 1884, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 1884.

This evening the householders of the colony will have again an opportunity of putting into office, as School Committeemen, the men of their choice, and we sincerely trust the meetings for that purpose will be largely attended, and that every year we shall see fresh indications on every side of growing interest of the people in the progress of our education system. In Timaru the choice of the people in previous years has generally done credit to their sagacity, and it must be acknowledged that the affairs of the Timaru school have been well looked after. It must bo further added that they sadly needed looking after, while so much power was vested in the hands of a board on which this school district was unrepresented. The School Committee election of last year partook too much of the nature of a party contest,

and although there may have been nothing to take exception to in the results, we cannot but regard the basis as a wrong one on which to conduct such an election of representatives. That a man faithfully represents the views of a party is, in our opinion, no argument in favor of his being selected to be a member of a body having control of any part of the national education machinery. We want men with sound views on education, of some administrative ability, and, above all, men of discernment and common sense, and such, we doubt not, the people will to-night put into office. The powers of Committees having been very much curtailed, it is of course difficult to get a great many very desirable persons to accept office ; but this is not quite as it should be. Good men should not desert the cause because of mal-administration in high quarters. We have never regarded School Committees as a particularly necessary adjunct of the education system, on the contrary, we have sometimes looked forward to their abolition and the removal of all local influence and possible petty tyranny from our schools. But we are bound to confess that if Government by Boards be the only possible substitute for the abolished government by local bodies, we should like to see a return made without delay to the latter. For the Boards have not, so far as we have been able to perceive, done anything like the good in the educational field that they might fairly have been expected to do. They have brought about the establishment of schools in remote districts. But their relations with Borough schools have been notoriously unsatisfactory,, and ninetenths of the Education Board meetings have been mere “ town v. country” rows, with this peculiarity, that the country always (jot the better of it. If Government are not prepared to amend the Education Act to any very large extent, at least they might consider the question of placing Borough and suburban School Committees in direct communication with the Education Department, allowing country school to be dealt with through the medium of Boards. The Timaru school has suffered not a little from staff troubles ; and it will be the first duty of the new committee to bring all these grievances to a focus, so as to start the school fairly. At present it is not in a fair and desirable state ; an uneasy feeling prevails among members of the teaching staff that blame is attributed to somebody—it is not known who—and naturally, the teachers feel disconcerted and apprehensive. One thing—and this goes to the root of a good deal of the trouble—is very certain (1) the staff must be admonished that there is but one head , viz., the Head Master, and that that gentleman is a living factor in the school, and (2) that the Head Master must be required, and most strictly charged, to instantly report defects in the work, attendance or behaviour of any of his subordinates. He must not be permitted to exercise mistaken kindness by shielding them from censure, for the result of that sort of thing is most disastrous to the school and to the teachers themselves, And it may not be out of place for the Committee to also take an observation of the relative merits of the teachers, and see whether perchance any steady devoted workers are kept in the background, and any indolent or unsatisfactory officers are pushed into the front rank. We do not say that such is the case. We merely remind the Committee that such a thing is possible. We hope to see a full meeting of householders to-night, and to hear full and free discussion upon all matters affecting the welfare of the school.