CAMBRIDGE DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL. Master v. Assistant: Disgraceful Bickerings.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1808, 7 February 1884, Page 2

CAMBRIDGE DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL. Master v. Assistant: Disgraceful Bickerings.

A special meeting of the Cambridge school committee was held at the office of Mr G. F. Hosking, Cambridge, on Tuesday evening last for the purpose of consideiing correspondence from the teachers of the high school, and to define the classical master's position in the school. There were present — Messrs Hosking (chairman) Houghton, Hewitt, Hughes and Forrest. The chairman commenced the proceedings by reading the following communications from Mr Wright, the classical or assistant master of the high school, and from Mr R. D. Stewart, head master. The first from Mr Wright asked to have his position in the school properly defined to prevent a recurrence of unpleasantness which had taken place between the head master, Mr Stewart, and himself. The following lengthy communications were then read • — Sir,— l regret lam compelled to bring the following facts under the notice of your board. I am forced to do so through a threat on the part of Mr Stewart, the headmaster of the Primary School, to bring a harge of alleged " disobedience" on my part, which he has trumped up against me, under the board's notice. Eroin the commencement of my duties as teacher in the High School, I have met with nothing but a continued petty interference from the headmaster of the Piimary School. I may say at once that hating met with no expression of dissatisfaction from such expeiienced teachers of high-class education as Mr Veiekei Bindon, 8.A., late of Newton East, and Mr Harrison, of Beresfoidstreet, under whom I acted for tlnee months, I was not prepared, as a teacher m a High School and a University graduate, to accept the position of inferiority, rather below that of a pupil teacher in a large city school, to which Mr Stewart seemed to suppose I was to be assigned ; but had Mr Stewart made any suggestions of any importance relative to the method of instruction, I was quite prepared to accept any hint of value. Instead of this, I have been treated throughout with what I can only characterise as an utter absence of either tact or courtesy or dignity on the part of Mr Stewait ; in fact, I have met with nothing but downright vulgarity on his part. The position of classical master which I was to fill did not carry with it, in my evpectation, any liability to capiicious interference on the part of Mr Stewait not sanctioned by the committee, much less to a liability to peremptory commands and intentionally offensive ribukes before the whole school. It was with som* he-ita-tiui that I abandoned a position in town at Beieafmd - sheet under gentlemen like Mr Hainan and Mr Hait; but when I found that the headmaster of the Primary School, himself, I understand, possessing no higher academical standing than a Dlceitificate of the Board of Education, expected the classical master to submit to his dowmight bullying interference, offered, too, without the slightest show of couite->y; mteiference, too, in matters entirely beyond the sphere of his own attainments, I had extreme cause to i egret my ai rival in Cambridge. I did not delay in remonstrating with Mr Stewait, and endeavoured to arrive at some reasonable undci .standing with him, pointing out the circumstance under which I had left Auckland, and what 1 held to be the teims upon which the Boaid had confened upon me the appointment. I found him still prepaied to adhere to the view of his despotic powers. He also emphatically complained of my habit of not addressing him as " Sir,'' but this dignity, which I find well-bred gentlemen are not in the habit of exacting from their associate-., I was not prepared to yield to one of his antecedents, position, and attainments Finding it useless to attempt to disabuse his mind of the in tion of his own autocratic powers over cv eryone connected with the High School, I informed him I should at once lefei all matters to the consideration of the Committee. If Mr Stewait weie dissatisfied with this step, or with the decision of the Committee, it was obviously his proper coi rse and his duty to appeal to the Boaid, but I am not aware of any such stop on his pnit having been taken Seeing not only that my own position would be unbearable, but all proper High School instruction impossible, I at once communicated with the Chairman of Committee, requesting a strict definition of my dutie«, that I might know whether I could letam a position so totally opposed to what I had expected, and which it would be impossible for me to retain under then existing circumstances. With his appioval the consideration of my application was postponed until after a new committee had been elected, the holidays being at the tune close at hand. I explained to the chairman the couive I thought it my duty to .adopt pending the dejibion of the committee, which met with hi-> poifect .approval, and which also appeared to both of us to be consistent with the communication fioin the h >ai d to the committee on my appointment. I should, howovor, have left the committee to decide upon the matter, instead of adding another to the miserable bickerings that the board is compelled to arbitrate upon, but for what has lcently occuned. All Stewait's complaint is that T have declined to allow the clnldien to read a passage fiom their reading books, but piefeired another. I admit the charge, and add my reason. Mr Stewait tvas awaie of my having done the identical thing on a former occasion (the day before), but, instead of inviting my reason fordoing so, he held his tongue till the next day, when he resorted to his custom of issuing commands and rebukes in a loud voice and vulgar manner bifore the whole clans. I told him then, as I had told him bafoie, and as I have agieed with the chairman, that it was a High School subject, and as I was virtually responsible for the High School children's education I must b=j left to exercise my own discietiou. With that, Mr Stewart, in a fit of pjtulant .anger, himself took charge of the class, and uttered the threat alluded to. It, was of course a matter of tii vial significance what passage the childien read, but any concession on my part would have been a precedent for fuither interference, and would have led to furthpr mismanagement of the High School. I therefoie thought it my duty to adopt the course I have taken in my efforts to do the best I can for the High School. If this is not tho position I am to occupy I must earnestly request the Board for my immediate removal, but I am confident that no educated man with an atom of self-respect could content to retain such an unenviable position, and the High School must euevitably go to the wall, an event most undesirable. At present it requires every effort on the pait of the settlers to keep it together. The new Cambridge School Committee, under the Act the pioper body t ) deal u it!; all educational matters within the district, meets shortly, and I have now pressed upon the Chairman the immediate consideration of my request for a precise definition of my duties ; which he has promised. It is a great misfoitune for Mr Stewart that he has not been able to add the slightest tact, breeding, dignity, or knowledge of the vvoi-ld to his other attain, ments, whatever they may be. As another instance of what I only can term aggression folly and credulity on hispart, he has roundly accused mo of canvassing in the recent election for a committee. He tlnevv me a hint of reporting the matter to the Board. I challenged him to do so. That he has been told so I can readily believe ; that he has the slightest ground for the accusation I utterly deny. I have attended the public meeting, feeling interested in the result, and have fully discussed privately with the chairman the best means of providing the children of the district with a nigh class, liberal education, and I have impartially given the views advanced by both, or, rather all sides, on the question of remodelling of the school itself to the one or two who have, m their ignorance, enquired of me into the facts. Beyond this I am unconscious of having been interested epough to interfere in the question in the slightest degree. Such a charge would be ridiculous and contemptible were it not also serious, and is only part and parcel of Mr Stewarts readiness to fling reckless and ungrounded charges when he fancies himself opposed. I have invited Mr Stewart to withdraw the charge, and to refer all matters to the Committee, the proper tribunal, but as he declines, I have no other alternative but to put a full statement of the facts before the Board. I take an early opportunity of communicating with the Board to dispel any erroneous notion which Mr Stewart s letter might otherwise convey. I have delivered a copy of this letter to the Chairman of Oominittee and another to Mr Stewart. I feel confident that,- if the charge is entertained at all by the board- it ' willi in justioe^ institute * f wU, ©.ntjiury into

Mr Stewart wrote on this subject : — Sir, — It is with deep regret that I find myself compelled to enter a complaint of long-continued insuboidination aud open violation of my instruction, by Mr J. K. Wright, my assistant master. On Wednesday last, the first day the school opened, I requested Mr Wright to take the English reading lesson, and to commence- at the introductory sketch contained in McMillan's 6th Header. Mr Wright made no reply, and then I left the room to supervise the work in the fast and second Standards. On Thursday I asked Mr Wnght to continue where he left off the previous* day, when he informed me that he had taken an entirely different piec* ; I expressed my surprise, and then said, "Will you be good enough to commence the introductory sketch now?" lie thrice deliberately refused, and I then quu'tly said, "I have no option, but will take the lesson myself and report you to the board. ' After school I was engaged talking to one of the pupil teachers, Mr Higginson, on a matter 1 elating to his studios, when Mr Wright approached and said he wished to speok to me. 1 saw by the manner in winch ho ordered several boys out of the room, and called upon Mr Higginson to shut the door that he was hi a passion, aud, wishing to get Mr Higgin.son out of the way I said I should be disengaged duectly. He, however, commenced to abuse me ; asked how I dared, a man of my standing, to threaten to report him, a university graduate, to the board. He assumed a threatening attitude in front of me, took out his wr tch, and repeatedly said, " I give you three minutes to withdraw your threat." I remained perfectly silent. He then said : " It's all very well for you to affect indifference, but you can't feel it I told you when I came here what position I should occupy towards you, and if you weie not satisfied \\ ith that it was your duty to write to the boaid and a,k for instiuctions. Why didn't you?' I replied, '• Because I had already received your written appointment from the boaid, which informed me you were simply my assistant, and did not consider it was necessary to write."' He then gave me the lie, and I u>ld him he could see the appointment if he liked. I opened the do >r, lequested him to leave the room, and wished him " (lood afternoon." He slammed the door in my face, told me not to tiy any of my oideiing with him, and rc-couuuencod to übuac me, stamping up and down the room in a voilent passion, I begged him be silent, and said he had done enough to niin himself. He conti'iued, '" You ha\e madj me angiy when I didn't mean to be. " You, a man like you, to t.ilk to me a Uiuveisity graduate." As he continued in this strain I signed to Mr Higginson to follow mo and loft the mom, leaving Mr Wnght standing m the middle gesticulating wildly. He spoke so loudly that Miss Alfoid heaid him m one of the other rooms. It would be simply impossible foi me to lccapitulate all he said, it was one cmtinual ton en t of abuse. He thieatcned to repoit on my school, and assured me that it would be anything but complimentary to me. Fron_ the beginning I am happy to say I iraint lined my composure. I hardly spoke at all, and then w ith the dignity becoming my position. Some five minutes afteiwaids I leturned to the room, and found Mr Wright sitting writing at the table. Feeling if I lepoited tlie matter it would be his ruin, I approached him in a conciliatory tme and advued him to let the mattei pass fiom his memory, a» I did not want to have any bother with him. Ho jumped up from his chair and said, " You will withdiaw your thieat then."] leplied, " CeiUinly not," and seeing thf>t fuither con vei-ation was useless, left the room. Even after this [ felt Mi Wiight's position so keenly that I did not leport, but on his putting into my hands a copy of a letter addiessed to you— which I notice m another communication— l could no longer help myself, and acjordmgly I have sent a duplicate to the chairman of committee.— Ilia \e, &c. He albo further wrote : —

Sin,— l am iv receipt of a copy of a letter addiewjd to yon by Mr J. K. Wiight. Theie die a few points in it to which I wish lospecfcfully to call your attention, (a) 1 deny m tofco Mi Wi ight's accusation of \ ulgauty and impeitmeut luteifeiencc. I am ready to pro\e, by the c\idence of teacheis and children, that it is Mr Wright woo has " been rude and vulgar, (is) I lOsent the in- I sinuations throw n out in In-, lettei re my academical standing. It is precisely the same as tli.it of those gentletnen (Me-srs Harrison and Hart) to whom he is willing to refer, (c) I ask you to maik the admission that he has disobeyed me, and that fiom the fii>t. He s.iy», " I did not delay," &c. Can it be leas mably supposed that Mi Wiight has behaved in a piopei manner towaids me. in the face of such a. declaintion ? Either I am headmaster of the High School or I am not. Mi Wiight cauies hi> defiance into his letter when he speaks of me as the " Headmaster of the Pi imary School." At this moment I hold Mr Wrights appointment as assistantmaster, addicted to me as headmastei. He bays, " I at once communicated with the chairman of committee, le^uesting a strict definition of mv duties." The higher couit, thj boaid has aheady done it. Quoting fiom the appointment notice I find: "To the Headmaster 0. D. High School. Mr J. K. Wright has been appoiuted assistant-master at the CJ.D.H.S." If you compaie this with the boaid's regulations you will find that Mr Wiight has pleaded guilty to what the board declaies it will punish seveioly. I must icspectfully submit that your committee has no power to define his duties beyond the definition given by the Bo.ud. If the word " assistant" means any thing it means obodiencQ to superior-;, (d) I did not directly lequest Mr Wught to call me " Sir " What I said was— at the interview, eaily in Dccembei, of which Mr Wright speaks— "' I consider jou d') not addresi me piopeily. You speak to me in any thing but a in'oper manner. When I speak to you I .say ' Mr Wright but you neithei say 'Mi Stjwait ' nor 'Sir." You speak as if I weiea dog. [These weie piobably not the exact \\oul-> they oeitainly convey the o\act sense.] "How, I ask you, can we expect children to addiess us properly as masters when we set them n bad example?' The difference between Messrs Wilson's and Arnold's address) and Mr Wrights was most maiked. (k) Mr Wiight makes the astounding assertion that he acted as he lias done with the knowledge and advice of the chaiiman. I cannot bring myself to belie\e that you, sir, would so for forget vouiself, as to hold such important communications with an assistant teacher without inf mining me, much less counsel disobedience. (V) lam surprised that a mere tyro, a teachov ( >f three mouth's standing, should have the presumption to report upon a teacher who has been frequently commanded by the Board's inspectors. If assistants are to bs allowed to repoit upon headteachers, all hope of discipline must be cast to the winds. T must request that the committee will at once ask Mr Wiight to withdraw this portion of his letter, (q) Mv J. K. Wrights admissions with regard to tho olection without any charge on my part are so seiious that I forbear to comment upon them. Awaiting your xeply, I am, &c. Mr Wi ight's replies to these were :—: —

Sir,— Mi 1 iStewavt has placed iv my hands a copy of a letter addressed to your board, but not piepaied until after my letter had been written. I learnt within 24 hours of arriving in Cambridge that I must not expect any display of breeding or dignity on the part of Mr Stewart ; not even in shoi t ordinary good manners ; but I did credit him with ordinary intelligence. Within 24 hours of my arrival I was forced to tell him that I was sent up to teach the High School ; that I could not pretend to hold any position in the sohool an hour longer unless the committee would protect me from his interference. The rest I have already explained to the board. If it were insubordination to refuse to read a particular passage, surely it was much grosser insubordination to refuse to submit to interference.- But Mr Stewart wisely abstained from communicating with the board on that occasion, nearly two months ago ; while I, on the other hand, at once oommunicated with the committee. As al-eady pointed out, I have been only waiting for the committee's decision, who are tFie proper arbitrators, in the first ; and, should they approve of Mr Stewarts action, I mu^t of necessity resign at once such an intolerable position. With gentlemen such as I have been accustomed to among the board's teachers, whether op not it were the prerogative of the head teaoher of the primary sahool to interfere, not a word of remonstrance would have escaped my lips ; j but, again, I point out that the position Mr Stewart fancies I am in, I have repudiated and resigned from the first. As for the rest of Mr Stewarts letter I need hardly stoop to notice it. I utterly deny " abuse ; to report him, a University graduate, to I the board, should read "to interfere with him." I also emphatically deny "the threatening attitude," though I regret I j have filled the heart of. Mr Stewart with [terror,- Ire&Uy>d r uiu!ijjp£Mti|tp doit, I " lift Ho mentions referrjfidtQthetQEias oji

emphatically deny the "slamming of the door in his facu," alsi the expression " ordering him with him ;'' also the " passion," beyond the justifiable heat which a man might tw exposed to uiuler such intentional insults fiom bach a man. Mr Stcwait speaks of the "dignity becoming his position." The thcatucal air with which lie opened the door, and offered mo a low bow, scaicely corresponded to my own notion of dignity. Of course, I don't want to make too much of such trifles, but I must deal with Mr Stcvvait's letter seiiatim :— " I appro.iched him in a concihatoty tone, and advised him to let the mittcr pas-, from his memory." This is uutiue. Tlieio is no particle of truth in it. t do not think theie is anything else of winch [ neod take any senoun notice in Mr Stewai t's letter. In fact, that he abstained, as he himself admits, notwithstanding tho exaggeiated style of his letter, from taking any action until I had informed him I had sent my letter to tho board, speaks for itself. Siu,— l regret I have to add to my last communication that on Friday last, on my calling one of the High School boy* ( a recent candidate for a .scholarship), and enquumg of him what piogiess he had made m High School .subjects, Mr Stew ait, in the peremptory and most offensive manner, I bay c already mentioned, ordered him not to answer my questions. This is the most lecent of the many insults I have bad to put up with fiom Mr Stewart since I came to Oambiidge. I cannot conjectuie even what Ins object could be, and can only suppose he was intentionally throwing obstacles in the way of the progiess and conduct of the High School. Also, I shall be glad if your committee will instruct whether or not insii notion in High School subject* shall be delayed until the fees for the children ha\e been paid. — I am, &c. P.S. — Since writing the above, Mr Stewart lias thought fit to direct me to leave a boy studying High School subjects to supei intend Pi unary School woik. Of course it is too palpable that it would be a breach of duty on my part, and inconsistent with what I ha\e aheady explained to your committee I take to be my position, for me to do any such tlnug. Mr Stewai t theiefoie threatened to telegiaph to the boaid. I have not taken any notice of this threat, because I undei stand your committee will meet to decide on the couise I am to take on Tuesday next, and I appiehend your committee will communicate your resolutions to the Boaid of Education, together v ith all coirespondence on the subject. Mr Stowart'-> action referred to in tlu.s postenpt, I can only inteipret as a fuither effoit on hi^ pait to dopuve the district of the many advantages of the High School. I shall be obliged if you will infoini me how I am to know what children theie are in tho High School. Mr Hough ton said that sometime ago they had had a constant repetition of these charges ard counter- chaiges between teachers, and if they took upon themselves the minute aitangement of every little bickering of this nature they would never see the end of it. He thought it would be better to defer the consideration of this matter until they had definitely settled the fundamental question— that regarding the remodelling of the teaching staff. Mr Hosking said he had been induced to call tins meeting, as Mr W light had asked the committee as far back as December 10th to define his position. Mr Honghton thought the settling of the remodelling question would settle this one too. If the Boaid accepted their recommendation that the teaching staff he lemodclled that would put thorn on a new basis entirely, and dispose of such annoying questions in futuie. The Chairman was quite willing this matter should stand over for say tlnee months. He was prepared to wai\ c any opinion which he held peisonally in the matter, lie believed if they had a full committee they could deal with the matter much better themselves. —Mr Hughes pioposed that the further consideration of the question be allowed to stand over till the oulinary meeting on account of two members being away. — Mr Hewitt seconded. — Mi Foi lost thought there were seveial tilings they ought to have picpaied lor the ordinary mooting regarding this matter. Fie thought it was a very seuous afiair if theie was any ill feeling prevailing among the teaching staff, and this had been indicated in one of the letteis. A definite charge to tho effect that all the pupil teachers in the school felt annoyed at the way Mr Stew ait had treated them had been made. He was convinced that it was advisable for the committee to proceed to the school in a bod) 1 and examine the teacheis on this niattei, in order to asceitatn the tiuth ol the charge, and if, as stated, the sooner they lectify matters the better. The charge made against Mi Sfcewait \v.i3 of such a serious cYiractei that he could not pass it b> unnoticed, and he theiefore felt called upon to insisl on an inquiry. Mr Stewart had replipr to all the other chaiges in a very satisfactoiy May, aii'l lie could not see whj he should be condemned unheaid on thi' one. He would suggest that the com mittee meet at the school at 4 o'clock 01 Monday afternoon and examine th< teachers as to tho coireetness of Mi Wuglit's assertion. — Mr Hewitt strongh objected to the cairying out of any sucl nonsensical idea. Such an absuidity a that proposed by Mr Foirest wouh hardly be conceived possible. The com mittee had no time to thiow away ii listening to &uch fiivolous biekei ings — Mr Foriest replied that the committei had thiown aw ay a lot of time that i v en ing to the leading of Mr Wiight s lettei which was nothing only the layings of i lunatic. — Mr Hughes motion, that tin meeting adjourn till Wednesday evetiin; was then put and canied, Mr Forres

only dissenting. Mr Foirebt requested that at the next meeting of the committee the chairman lay on the table a list of the leceipts and expenditure for the high school since it& iu.ui«iuation ; also the conditions under which the high school was established by the board — The chaiiman promised the necessaiy infoi mation if possible. The meeting then adjourned.