The Star. TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 1891. Self-denying Teachers.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7061, 13 January 1891, Page 2

The Star. TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 1891. Self-denying Teachers.

The New Zealand Educational Institute is, of course, not a political body, and does well, therefore, to confine itself to questions affecting the peculiar interests of ita members. We cannot but think, however, that it carried its desire to abstain from political matters a little too far when it negatived a resolution " protesting against the action of certain Education Boards in interfering with the liberty of the teacherß |in political affairs." The teachers are ' admittedly a highly intelligent class, and ! men who naturally can and do exercise 1 great influence with those amongst whom they live. That influence they are, from the fact that they are well read in history 1 and well acquainted with general knowledge, most likely to uee for the benefit of the commonwealth ; and it would be a I thing to be regretted if the commonwealth ! were deprived of it. Teachers are not placed in a similar position to that of the Civil Servants. They have not to carry out the policy of the Ministry of the day. Their ! party leanings will not prevent them from teaching "the three Wa," and even the higher branches of education ; and their 1 anxiety to gain as high an average of " paasea" as possible will ensure that they

will not divert tbe attention of their pupils from the subjects with which the several standards are sufficiently crammed. But by becoming teachers they do not forfeit any of their rights as citizens, nor do they lose the capacity for properly exercising those rights. They have quite as great an interest in the prosperity and good government of the Colony as any of 'us can have ; and that any Board of Education should endeavour to prevent them from taking part in political affairs is a piece of tyranny that deserves the severest condemnation. It is surprising, therefore, to find a resolution protesting against certain Boards doing so unwarrantable a thing was defeated, and defeated by so large a majority as twelve in a meeting of twenty-eight. We cannot imagine what arguments were used, or what reasons were given for such an unlooked-for self-denial on the part of the Institute. If the division is to be taken as a direction to teachers in general to abstain from interesting themselves in politics, we think it will fail, as it deserves to fail. The first duty a citizen owes to the State is that he shall do his share towards its proper government. The teachers as a body, we are convinced, are fully aware of this, and are not disposed to neglect their duty. Any attempt to curtail their liberty of action in this direction will meet with the contempt it deserve?, despite the apparent sanction of the Institute, which is supposed to represent the teaching profession in New Zealand.