CONFERENCE OF SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

Thames Star, Volume III, Issue 1668, 8 May 1874, Page 2

CONFERENCE OF SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

A conference of the members of the several District School Committees took place in Mr. Wm. Bowe's office this morning to consider the provisions of the new Education Bill. There were present—Messrs. Berry, Dewai-, Lawlor, Mcllhone, Porter, Spencer, Speight and Wilson, Mr.—Howe in the chair.—Portions of the.new Bill were read by Mr. Berry.—Tho Chairman thought the whole thing was a mistake—the machinery too complicated.—Mr. Speight said some had thought it would be advisable to petition, lie Council to throw out the Bill. A draft petition had been prepared by himself and Mr. Berry against passing the: Bill, which he would read if the meeting approved.—The following draft petition was then read:— r ' The humble petition of the following members of School Committees at the/Thames, sheweth, That your petitioners have seen a draft, copy of a bill entitled, " An Act to make! further and better provision for the edu-J cation of the youth in the Province of Auckland," ana b..-g to petition that your; honorable house would not pass such Bill; into law, for the following; reasons : — j 1. The substitution of a commissioner; for the present Central Board would in| our opinion be inexpedient, as this, with! other provisions of the Act, would tend! to make the whole control and working and appointments of the educational system of the province a department of the government and mix it up with politics* instead of its being managed by a Board composed of gentiemen taking a special interest in the subject, and free from political influence. The bill prpoose? that the commissioner should be a member of the Provincial itxecutive,. which would limit the Superintendent's choice .of a nominee, to a very small, number of —we humbly submit, not the most suitable persons for the .office. The working of the details of any educational system should, not be under the control of any .person, liable to removal from political exigencies;. '$il We think that the placing of power m educational matters in the haads of Municipal Councils and in Highway Boards would be highly injurious to the interests of education, as those bodies are elected for purposes altogelher apart from the duties sought to be placed upon them in the Bill, and it is not advisable that the grounds upon which : persons are elected to those bodies should be complicated by the introduction of the question as to whether they were suitable persons to have the semi-control of educational matters in this district, " . i

3. The nomination of .School Committees by. borough • councils or highway, boards in lieu of annual election by the resident householders, your petitioned believe would militate,against the popular working of the Act, inasmuch as the annual election secures persons as members of committee who take an active interest'in the subject, and the calling to« gefeher of the residents to receive the annual report of the committee tends to cre*ate a wide interest among the ratepayers in the successful working of the Act. Furthermore, we are of- opinion that suitable persons would decline {to serve on committees, shorn of all real; power, and the mere nominees of otlier bodies: )

4. Clause 13 places a dangerous power in insuitable hands, as the Commissioner, in the-nomination of teachers would be liable bobe influenced from political causes, and is not in as good a position ,to judge of local requirement as are resident Committees, i

« s>, As, to the administration of the funds' for educational purposes. "We

think no person or poisons so suitable as a Central Board for the Province, and if any change were to be made in the constitution of such Board, it should be in the direction of providing for the representation of the out districts.

6. The power proposed'to be given to levy a rate for the erection of school building at the annual meetings of ratepayers under the Highways Act, is, we consider, umdvisable. It'would interfere with the uniform system of taxation, and would necessitate the employment of two separate modes of collection of rates required for the same purpose. 7/The provisions respecting school fees, their mode of recovery, and their apportionment between the teacher and the commissioner are quite unworkable, and would be destructive to any system which lays claim to the term national.

8. Your petitioners believe that it is unnecessary to further point but the objectionable features of the Bill, but would humbly point out to your honorable House the main grounds of our objection: The Bill renders the educational system of the country dependant upon political parties, and therefore liable to be jnjuriously affected by the necessities of politicians. It abolishes the Central Board, which has hitherto been found to fulfil its ; functions satisfactorily, and hands over its duties to a commissioner, a salaried officer, who would be utterly unable to discharge the duties assigned to him, and over whom the people who pay for the maintenance of the Act would have no manner of control. The-'plea' that the Central Board, as at present constituted, is not sufficiently responsible to the Provincial Government is a fallacious one; seeing that the Superintendent and members of the Executive have seats on that Board. It practically , abolishes the popular element of local committees, with whom to a very great extent, rests the successful, working of any educational system, thus rendering the system a centralised, autocratic unworkable piece of political machinery. . x- , , Ymr; petitioners therefore pray that your honorable House, would reject the present, Bill. • (Signed) Wm, Ro^b, .Chairman Joint, School Committees^ Mr Mcllhone proposed that the petition be adopted and sent up to the Coun-cil.-^-Mr Spencer seconded, and the proposition was carried.—Mr Wm. Ebwe was authorised-to^ sign the petition as ; Chair: man of the joint Committees and forward the same to Mr Carpenter for presentation to the Council.—This being all the business the meeting adjourued;