The Timaru herald. FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 1898.

Timaru Herald, Volume LX, Issue 2690, 29 April 1898, Page 2

The Timaru herald. FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 1898.

The Board of Education have now before them one of those inconvenient cases m which the Board and one of the School Committees are at variance as to the appointment of a teacher. Early m March last Mr Ferguson, headmaster of the Temuka District High School, resigned on taking up another.appointment. Applications for the headmastership at Temuka were invited, and we understand that nineteen were received. The Board took the list into consideration, and. picked out the names of several gentlemen who appeared more suitable than the others, placing one

name first as that of the applicant whom the Board preferred to the ', rest. Three others were bracketed as being, m the Board's estimation, of about equal merit with each other, but below the first. The whole list thus arranged was forwarded to the Temuka Committee, with the request that they would make a recommendation. They did so, but recommended, not the gentleman whom the Board (all things considered) thought most eligible for the post, but one of the bracketed three. At the meeting of the Board of Education yesterday, it was resolved to request the Committee to state their reasons for not accepting Mr McLeod (at present headmaster of the Timaru South School), whom the Board considered to be most eligible for the appointment and had therefore placed first on the list. Probably the Committee will comply with the request. If they decline to give reasons, but still adhere to their recommendation, the duty of the Board will be to appoint Mr McLeod without consulting the Committee further. If, on the other hand, the Committee give their reasons, they ought to be fully and fairly considered, and, m the event of their being convincing (but not otherwise) the Board should accept the Committee's recommendation not because it is such, but because the opinion of the Committee will then have become the hond fide opinion of the Board. In other words, the Board will have " changed their minds" for good cause shown. In, any case, the Committee having been consulted m a genuine manner, the letter and spirit of the Act, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, will have been respected, and the Committee will have no ground of complaint against the Board. The main point to keep m view when these unfortunate differences, arise is that the law throws on the Board the responsibility of appointing teachers, and it should never be shirked for expediency's sake. We may add that m our opinion the Board's choice, m the particular case under consideration, was judicious, and that the Temuka District High School would be fortunate m securing the services of Mr McLeod as headmaster. It must at the same time be understood that we have not a word to say against the gentleman recommended by the Committee. He has excellent testimonials, and has done good work under the- Otago Board. But a selection has to be made, and the South Canterbury Board are the judges.