SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND TEACHERS' APPOINTMENTS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11702, 19 June 1901, Page 3

SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND TEACHERS' APPOINTMENTS.

TO THE EDITOR.

- Sir, — Oq reading an account of tbe doing 3of the Teachers' Salaries Commission in my Budoet on Saturday night [ came across a remark which fell f rom< the Secretary of the Education Board, aud which, I consider, calls for a word or two. He stated, amongst other things, in answer to Mr Hogben, that he did not consider that School Committees should have any voice in the appointment of j teachers. At the present time, ' commit- j tees are consulted in the matter; they! have tho privilege of recommending -a i teacher, the Board reserving the. right of j appointment. But according t»> the Secretary of the- Education Board, they should not have any voice in the matter at all. Why ? Members of Education Boards are not credited witlTbeing gifted with intellectual abilities of a superior order to those enjoyed: by average members of School Committees. Now;* Sir, in the case of teachers, from, we wjll suppose, the South Island, and who ares ipSrfeot 'strangers, applying foremployftionVin the Taranaki diatriot, all- there is to go by are their-' testimonials,' and I maintain, that members of School Committees, are just as competent to judge which is best fitted for the schoolunder their jurisdiction as are members of tha Education Board. .And in thecase of teachers ffho are wijll "known surely it is not out of place to let 'the parents (who compose the' Committees) of the children" attending tho school have a" say " in" tire matter, and to allowthern to recommend the teacher whom they consider to be the best. The powers which School Committees possess at the present time are very limited, and if they (the "powers) are further curtailed, -as suggested by the secretary of the Education Board, and their only duties are to be able to dole out the miserable quarterly pittances which they receive- from the Education Board, it will become a "v?ry; "difficult matter to , induce' householders to act on' the Commit toes at aU. Hoping, sir, that others will air thair I views' on the subject, and thanking you | -for- space.— l- am, &C, • -•..-> , , Commit rBEMAN^._;