EDUCATION PROMOTIONS

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1930, Page 7

EDUCATION PROMOTIONS

MR. T. J. GRIFFIN FOR NELSON

APPRECIATION of their work.

' TARANAKI SCHOOLS’ PROGRESS, t Two officials prominent in educational circles are shortly to leave Tara- ' naki on promotion. Mr. T. J. Griffin, 8.A., inspector of schools, has been appointed senior inspector under the Nelson board, and Mr. R. G. Ridling, M.A. (Cantab.), senior instructor in agncul- ' ture and supervisor of manual instruction, has been appointed departmental inspector of manual and technical work . with headquarters at Wellington. Mr Griffin, who will leave New lly- ‘ mouth on July 22, was appointed an inspector in Taranaki from October 1, 1920. He attended the Dunedin Training College, where among others he gained a medical certificate. For.H years .he. occupied the position of head teacher at schools on the West Coast and at Motueka. Mr. Ridling will commence his new duties on September 1. He was born in Auckland and attended the Richmond School and Auckland Grammar School, where he won a Board of Education scholarship. He became a sole teacher under the Auckland Boaid in 1907 and two years later he was pointed headmaster at Waiharara. Sub- . sequently he was an assistant at the Ngaruawahia and Pukekohe district high schools. ® . He enlisted in 1915 and was twice wounded at the front, where he earned the Albert, British War and Victory medals. He was appointed temporary captain and adjutant of transport, and assistant adjutant of depot. Subsequently Mri Ridling became education officer in charge of Brockton, Codford. He was an Expeditionary Force scholar at Cambridge University from 1019 to 1922 and gained his M.A. degree and a diploma in agriculture. He had not long returned from England when, in February, 1923, he was appointed senior agricultural instructor under the Taranaki Education Board. In November, 1924, he added to his duties that of manual supervisor. . Mr. Ridling has taken a very prominent : part in the boys’ and girls’, club movement in Taranaki and is widely known in the province.

TRIBUTES FROM THE BOARD.

LOSS OF TWO ZEALOUS OFFICERS.

The resignations of both Messrs Griffen and Ridling were accepted with regret by the Education Board yesterday. Mr. Ridling wrote expressing appreciation of the courtesy and help accorded him by members of the board and staff. “I don’t know how we are going to replace Mr. Ridling,” said Mr. J. A. Valentine. “There are very few men in New Zealand who could or would have done what he has done for us. He has been working day and night for us and making himself ill.” Mr. Lees said the success of the school agriculture movement in Taranaki was entirely due to Mr. Ridling. After he came he placed the movement on the lines and roused enthusiasm with the result that the Taranaki board district in this respect has become the leading district in New Zealand. In the same zealous, thorough way he had organised manual instruction. Most members of the board had had an idea that Mr. Riding would not stay long. He was too valuable a man, The department had had its eye on him and his work for some time. Mr. Valentine said Mr. Ridling deserved great credit also for the way he had organised and conducted the Saturday classes for teachers. He had filled them with enthusiasm. A few rears ago nature study was one of the subjects dreaded by the young teacher, but Mr. Ridling had changed all that. His organising ability was undoubted and he had the rare quality of doing things in a very tactful ami pleasing way. If he saw that a child wad not handling a tool in the right way he had the knowledge and skill necessary to correct it, if necessary he could take a manual class when the teacher was away. He was indeed an all-round man. Mr. W. H. Jones said the school committees of the district would miss Mr. Ridling very much. He had always been ready to advise on the laying out of school grounds and to give his active help. He had been keenly interested in any scheme undertaken and the West End School committee particularly was indebted to him.. The board decided £o advertise for a senior instructor in agriculture with headquarters at New Plymouth.

A WELL-LOVED INSPECTOR.

•SERVICES OF MR. T. J. GRIFFIN.

Mr. Griffin was called into the board meeting. As a senior member of the board Mr. Lees said they were glad of Mr. Griffin’s promotion, though very sorry that he was to leave New Plymouth. He had certainly accomplished - good work in Taranaki and had earned the respect of teachers, who frequently spoke of him and his work in most favourable terms. He had the happy knack of quickly gaining the confidence of children, thus getting the very best out of them. The board felt assured die -would be a success in his new appointment and wished him success. Mr. J. A. Valentine, formerly senior inspector under the board and now a member, said he had served piofessionally with Mr. Griffin and had been associated closely with him. He had always found him a loyalist, a friend and a most efficient inspector. He could always rely on Mr. Griffin’s judgment of teachers, in whom he could always find some good qualities. During the 10 years he had been in Taranaki he had rendered tho best of service and the education district was the better for his presence. The children were about to lose not only a good friend, but a helpful inspector. Tho senior inspector (Mr. N. R. McKenzie) said he could endorse all Mr. Valentine had said. He had been associated with Mr. Griffin for four and ahalf years, and had the highest respect for him and his work. The other day he had been paid one of the finest tributes that could lie paid to any inspector. Somehow or othe?, the ‘ children at the Bell Block school Jia'd ’learned that he was about to leave 'the dis-

tricl and thereupcn they , asked their

headmaster if they might write to him to tell him of their sorrow at his departure. In all the years they had been together, said Mr. McKenzie, there was not one occasion on which there had been anything but amicable feelings between them, though Mr,. Griffin had been quite frank when he differed in his opinion. He had always been a pleasant companion during inspectorial trips in the country. Other tributes were paid by Dr. W. M. Thomson, and Messrs H. Dempsey, W. H. Jones and H. W. Insull, the lastnamed on behalf of the board’s staff.

Mr. Griffin said it gave him great pleasure to know, that he was leaving Taranaki having done something worth while. But he had only done his duty to the board, his senior inspectors, the teachers and particularly the children. He could assure them that his work had been nothing but a labour of love. When he came to Taranaki he had heard it had an unenviable reputation for bad weather, but he had found here an enormous amount of sunshine, especially in the schools, and he would be sorry to leave those happy places. Taranaki was fortunate in having : a band of contented teachers, The reason for that was that they all worked amicably together. Tlie leachers-received. a. square deal from the board and that was the only way to get the best from them. An employee or a, teacher could always get far better results through encouragement than in any other way. That was a point he had always tried to keep in view. If the board, inspectors and teachers continued to work in harmony, he saw no reason ' why the teachers should not remain a contented lot. The board decided to offer its congratulations to Mr. Griffin and to place on record its warm appreciation of his efficient and sympathetic service during his Iff years in Taranaki.