THE DISPUTE BETWEEN THE EDUCATION BOARD AND THE PARAWAI SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XII, Issue 3367, 15 July 1879, Page 3

THE DISPUTE BETWEEN THE EDUCATION BOARD AND THE PARAWAI SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The Chairman of the Parawai School Committee writes :— " With your permission, the committee of the Parawai School district desire that the correspondence should be made public, with respect to the Head Mastorship of the School in order that tho householders may become acquainted with tho facts of the present rupture between them and tho Board of Education. A meeting will be held in the school on Wednesday evening to express an opinion as to the action of the Committee in the matter."

In accordance with abovo request we give the following abstract of the correspondence :—

On the 7th December last year the then committee resolved that " a change in the head-teackership of Pnrawai School was advisable, and requested the Board to remove Mr Compton to a similar position elsewhere." On the 10th of the same month a full meeting of the committee was held, and a unanimous resolution passed " That the Board be requested to refrain from immediate action in removing Mr Compton, and that then six months' notice of such intention be given him." The reasons for delay were that Mr Compton would otherwise sustain heavy pecuniary loss. On the 24th Dec. the Board sent Mr Compion a three months' notice of dismissal. Nothing further transpired till the 11th March, when Mr Compton wrote to the new committee stating that as he had never received, directly or indirectly, any notice of complaint, and as the average attendance at the school kept up to its highest point, he wished the committee to use its influence with the Board to rescind notice of his removal. On the 30th March the Board again sent to Mr Compton a three months' notice of dismissal, and on the 21st of March, the following day, the Board wrote the Committee asking if they still desired the dismissal should be annulled. On the 31st March the Committee replied in the affirmative On April 12th a letter from Mr Rice stated that the Board would defer consideration of amendment, and on the 16th May came the statement that the Board had resolved not to annul the dismissal. The Committee on slh June replied that they were of opinion that the Board had no power, as 45th and 47th clauses of the Education Act provided that the Committee must be consulted. They expressed surprise at the arbitrary action taken, and indicated that the previous application arose from the personal influences of a late member of the Committee. On the 13th June the Board wroto that they had considered and fully concurred in the action of the committee, as expressed in their letters of the 7th and 10th December last, as to the advisability of Mr Compton's dismissal, and saw no reason to change their opinion. They further considered they had given him ample notice. On the 25th of June the Board wrote that it was proposed to appoint Mr Johnson, late of Newton East school, and asked for any suggestion the committee might have to offer. The committee replied on the 28th ultimo that they had at no time recommended the dismissal of the head teacher; no complaint had been received against him, and although the Chairman of the Board of Education stated that the Inspector had reported unfavourably as regards tho master, the committee is aware that the Inspector had not visited the school for 21 months. They further stated a belief that such removal would be detrimental to the school, and as there was no vacancy in the head mastership there was no necessity for them offering suggestions as to proposed appointment of Mr Johnson. The reply is dated July 3rd and, in brief, states an adherence to their resolution.

The next step was taken on July 12, when Mr Compton received a telegram warning bim "against further trespass at Parawai School," and yesterday the Committee authorised him to carry on tho school as usual, and sent the following telegram to tho Board of Education :— " Mr Compton has been requested by the Parawai School Committee to carry on the school as usual, his dismissal being illegal, and contrary to section 45 of the Act. Therefore be good enough to withdraw your telegram to Mr Compton of the 12th inst," This was signed by the Chairman (

The denouement remains to be seen. A public meetiug is to be held to-morrow respecting the matter, and there is some considerable excitoment at Parawai.