TEACHER TO LEAVE

Taranaki Daily News, 27 July 1935, Page 9

TEACHER TO LEAVE

— I MR. J. E. BIGELOW, LEPPERTON. FAREWELL BY THE INSTITUTE. Mr. J. E. Bigelow, M.A., Dip. Soc., formerly headmaster of the Lepperton primary school, who will leave to-day for the Whakatane district high school to take charge of the secondary department, was farewelled by members of the North Taranaki branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute at New Plymouth last night. Mr. R. S. Brown was chairman and in introducing Mr. Bigelow to the gathering expressed regret that he should have been transferred.

Mr. Bigelow was wise in making a move at a time when his high qualifications could be used to the full, said Mr. J. A. Valentine, chairman .of the Taranaki Education Board, in paying a tribute. He had developed tire Lepperton school to a high standard and the inspectors’ reports bn his work had always been good. The board thanked him for his wdrk and wished him well.

Mr. T. J. Griffin, a member’ of the board, said he had formed the impression that Mr. Bigelow was a man with a marshal’s baton in his knapsack. He had all the qualifications for success and if he did not reach the top he would surprise the speaker. “Mr. Bigelow is a man with very high qualifications, better, in fact, than those possessed by most secondary school teachers,” Mr. Griffin continued. “He has this advantage—he has been through a primary training. He has been a great asset to Lepperton and he has left a good influence, a result that reflects greater credit on him than academic successes.”

Mr. C. N. Haslam, senior inspector of schools, congratulated Mr. Bigelow on his enterprise in looking to the development of education by qualifying himself for secondary work, To enterprising young men of his stamp the avenues of district high and intermediate schools were being opened. In presenting Mr. Bigelow on behalf of the institute with a bowler’s bag, Mr. W. L.. Wagstaff,- secretary, said Mr. Bigelow, as president, could not have been shown anything in regard to the work of the.branch, .He had represented the branch three, times at conferences and had a thorough knowledge of its affairs. Mr, Bigelow said he had met nothing but kindness from fellow teachers in Taranaki. He paid a particular tribute to the friendship of Messrs. W. A. Brown and M. J. Goldsbury. He would leave a country school With a real appreciation of a country teacher’s difficulties. Those teachers put in three or four times the work Of a town teacher without any appreciable results being seen.