THE EXPULSION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16679, 10 March 1922, Page 7

THE EXPULSION.

ELMWOOD SCHOOL CASE. REPORTS WITHHELD. “ Neither my report nor the head master’s will be published unless we are forced to,” said Air W. Jones, chairman of the Elmwood School Committee, to-day, referring to the recent public expulsion of a nine-year-old girl from the school. THE CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT. Air Jones said that if any further de~ f tails of the girl’s offences -were made public, the name of the parents would have to be given out as well. He hoped that nothing further would be heard of the matter. Ho did not want the mother and father scarified. Th© mother had said in a. letter to the “ Lyttelton Times”: “Please do not print our name: we have enough shame to face already.” WHY THE AIEETING WAS HELD. Explaining why a special meeting of the committee had been held to discuss the matter. ATr Jones said he had first intended that the case should come up at the ordinary meeting next AJonday. Last Friday, however, a member of the committee pointed out to hint that it was the end of the school committee yea)-, and that the agenda paper for the ordinary meeting wa3 heavy. They agreed that the ordinary business would occupy at least two hours- and that the expulsion case would take up another hour and a half. On those considerations he instructed the secretary to call a special meeting for Wednesday evening. It was attended by every member except Air Free, who was hi Ashburton. The meeting lasted three hours, every detail of the case was gone thoroughly into, his report and the head master’s report were examine-! separately and together, and elncida tion was sought and given on various points. At the end of that time the resolutions supporting the head master and endorsing the chairman’s action were carried unanimously'. “ TOO MUCH MADE OF CASE.” -• It is ridiculous to say that the committee did something extraordinary bcj cause it discussed the case at a meeting not attended by tho public*’'* continued Air Jones. “ All committee meetings are private. That is what is meant by * going into committee.’ In Christchurch, school committee meetings are never attended by reporters. They never have been. It is. therefore, wrong to suggest that we held tho special meeting because we thought some of tho householders of the district would be likely to attend. If a deputation does come to our ordinary meeting, we will hear any request it wishes to make, but then we shall go into committee. We shall not discuss tho matter in public. If the annual meeting of householders desires fuller information we will give it. but I think there has been too much made of the case. We did not want publicitv from the start. It distresses the family and does not do any good.” ” NOT SO HORRIBLE. ” Asked if there was any prospect of expulsion being wiped off the school records. Air Jones said that was a matter for the head master alone. The committee had virtually no power t-o review or revise the actions of the head master in his control of the staff and the pupils. The head master was responsible to the Education Board and the board was responsible, to the Government. Th© expulsion itself had really nothing to do with the committee. “ In any case an expulsion is not so horrible as some j>eople try to make out,” Air Jones added. “ The girl in this case was not brought out in front of th© rest of the pupils but v.as left I among her class and her name was not mentioned. Expulsion was considered the only possible method and it had to be done right away. Had the girl been left at school, tho other pupils would have crucified, her bv pointing her out to one another as a thief. Any attempt to associate the saluting of the Hag with the expulsion i? arrant nonsense. It was a coincidence that both occurred on the one day. Friday was th© day set aside for saluting the flag, and on this Friday the the(t was cleared up. After the flag had been saluted there* was an interval and then the children were lined up round a tree. It was here the expulsion was read out and not round the flag.” Air Jones said it was the “peace at any price” crowd who were trying to drag in the flag ceremon*. ALLEGED SUPPRESSION OF LETTERS. When Mr N. T. Lawn, a member of tho committee, was interviewed. lie declined to say anything with regard to the matter. He alleged that letters sent to a contemporary serjng out *‘ the other side ” of the question had been suppressed. When these letters were, published, he said, he would make a statement for publication. Air Lawn would not say why the matter had been discussed at a special meeting of the committee and not at the. ordinary meeting next Monday. The reporter pouted out to Air Lawn that an inference to be drawn from such action was that the committee was frightened of publicity in the matter. “ You be careful what you say,’* said Air Lawn. He added that the committeemen were responsible to the householders who elected them and they would ho quite prepared to make a full statement at the annual meeting of householders next month if it was asked for. The committee was not frightened to face the householders. all aifathers agreed. When Air H. \\ Free, a member of the committee, who was not present at the special meeting on Wednesday, was asked for his opinion, he said: I agree absolutely with the decision of the committee.” When asked for his reasons, Air Free said he did not think it was necessary t-o say any more. Already too much had been said about the affair. Another member of the committee (Air J. D. Fraser) declined to say anything with regard to the matter. All that needed to be said had been published in the report supplied.