Libels Upon Teachers.

Observer, Volume XV, Issue 815, 11 August 1894, Page 2

Libels Upon Teachers.

The trials of a school-mistress or master in the country are numerous enough in all conscience without adding to them the further burden which Mr Houston is in all seriousness urging upon the Minister of Education. Mr Houston wishes the law to be amended so that all communications from school committees to the Board of Education shall be privileged. This means, in a word, that the school committee-men may write to the Board of Education what they please concerning the school teachers of their own particular district, and yet that the -person complained of shall have no right of redress. For instance, the fair fame of a young girl, which is her most sacred possession, may be untruthfully traduced and blackened ; she may be dismissed from her position in consequence of these statements against her ; and yet she must not know that they have been made, or if she

does know, the right is to be denied her of vindicating her good name and punishing her libeller.

Mr Houston means well, but he aska too much. It is not necessary to the proper discharge of school committee duties that the teacher's character should be needlessly assailed in order to accomplish his or her removal. If a committee is dissatisfied with a teacher, surely there are methods by which an enquiry can be, obtained or a change of teachers effected without underhand and secret accusations against his or her personal character — accusations which cannot be substantiated.

The school cominittee-mau is already well protected in the proper discharge of his duty by the fact that atatements which he can prove to be true that the teacher is a person of indifferent character and therefore not fit to have the control of young children are fully justified, if made to the Board of Education, as a reason for the appointment of a new teacher. What more does Mr Houston want ? Surely it is the duty of every man, whether he be a member of a school committee or not, to be certain that statements which he is committing to writing and which reflect upcfn the character of othei people are at least warranted by fact. If it were not an offence for school committee-men to write lies of their teachers, the character of very many unoffending people would be in danger.