RIWAKA SCHOOL.

Colonist, Volume XIII, Issue 1279, 28 December 1869, Page 3

RIWAKA SCHOOL.

To the Editor of The Cotonist.

Sib,—lt was with much surprise that I read in your paper of 14th, a letter from Biwaka, which professed to give an, account of a public meeting held at that place " for the purpose of rewiring complaints laid before the Committee respecting the discipline and conduct of the scholars, and abb to give the ratepayers an opportunity of stating their opinion with regard to. the manner in which the school at Biwaka is at present conducted." Haying read thus far, I jumped to the conclusion that this-was a kind of " opeir meeting of the Local Committee, which, though a somewhat unusual proceeding, I thought might possibly be considered desirable under peculiar circumstances. .This view of the subject appeared to receive, confirmation from the first.three resolutions put to the meeting, which in the shape of instructions to the schoolmaster at first sight appear to convey a most severe and sweeping condemnation of his mode of conducting the school. But what was my surprise to read in the fourth resolution, "That the chairman forward a copy of .the resolutions passed at this meeting, to the Local Committee, &c." What right had this meeting to interfere in the management of the 'schools ? They had had an opportunity of electing men in whom they could place confidence to act as their Committee, therefore, the above resolutions, if worth anything, amount to a deliberate vote of want of confidence in that committee. But to crown all, the concluding paragraph of this account informs your readers that four members of the Local Committee were actually present, and yet never protested against such an, illegal assumption,,,of. their functions on the part of a meeting (how or by whom convened, does not appear) which had no more right to dictate to the teacher I than so many Chinamen; neither does it appear from ' the account, that they offered to defend themselves from the (implied) charge of neglect of their duty to the ratepayers, who!elected them. But, ■ Sir, it is not the illegal action of the ratepayers, nor the apparent weakness of the committee,. nor even the cruel injustice done to the teacher, by publishing such a report as this, that is most to be deplored ; but the mischief, lies in .the manifest injury; done; to this school, and to all other schools by such public statements, rend and commented on as they are at every fireside in the village, tending, as they must do, to destroy that respect and confidence with which scholars should always be taught to regard their teachers. r . < Were such a practice, as has been indicated in Biwaka, to become general, no person of ordinary self-respect would be found willing to under* 'take the (at the best) somewhat thankless task of teaohing a village school. In conclusion, 1 may state that I know nothing of the person thus, mercilessly attacked but his name, and the account of his work forwarded to you by '• Resident," whioh appears .to me only to prove that B>iw.aka, like most other schools in the world, can furnish a specimen of dullness and incapacity to<receive and retuin Instruction, and I doubt not that lOOlbs. of bacon at 9d. will " stick in the throat" of many juveniles who do.,not reside in that " uttermost part of the earth — Riwaka." I am, &c, A Townsman.