OTHER PAPERS’ OPINIONS.

Thames Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 17579, 19 March 1929, Page 6

OTHER PAPERS’ OPINIONS.

TOUCHY BOARDS. Some of our Education Boards’ap-' pepar to be unduly touchy where the Education Department is concerned. A few days ago the Auckland Board decided to make protest to the Minister against the tone of a letter from the Department written in reply to a complaint from a school committee regarding the new school books. There was nothing in the Departmental communication to which any serious exception could be taken. It merely replied to the criticism answering certain points raised and expressing the opinion that undue stress had been laid on inconvenience caused. But the Board appears to have taken offence at the Departmental officer venturing to differ from so august an authority as itself; and in its heat descended to personalities, describing the letter as “the criticism of an understrapper.” The officer referred to certainly is not an “understrapper,” but an experienced and widely-re-spected Public Servant; and he had not in any way laid himself open to such a gratuitously offensive reference, The Minister of Education, it may be hoped, will not allow the discourteous reference to the officer of hig Department to pass, unnoticed when he replies to the Auckland Board".—Dominion.