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Sib, — Fairburn, 7th November, 1893. Upon information received from the education column of the Weekly News, we find that Mr Fisher Chairman of the School Committee (though only by very few acknowledged to be so legally) is trying to extend the school boundaries for reasons so well known here—namely that we do not think that it would be right of the Board to go to the trouble of extending the school boundaries for the sake of securing for one man more votes at the next school election. Our objections for alterations are (1.) That an extension is not necessary whatever, inasmuch as the children living in the outskirts of the school district do not now attend it, being too far already (2.) If the Board agrees to these unnecessary alterations it must also agree before very long to remove the schoolbuilding, for, as the boundaries are now, the school is centrally situated, and the outskirts of the school district so far distant already from the school that further enlargement of the school district would prove injurious. Hoping the Board will notice at once the ridiculous, unnecessary, and selfish design of one uninterested person to have the present school boundaries altered in order to further his own ends, and on behalf of the settlers, I have, &c, The Secretary, Board of Education, Auckland. C. Christensen.
Sib,— Fairburn, 14th November, 1893. A rumour is afloat in the settlement, and has come to the ears of the parents of the scholars attending this school, that the present School Committee, who has only been in power since June last, intend to use their influence (of course, they have none) with you, as Inspector appointed by the Board of Education to examine our school, to, if possible, make the examination everything but a successful one. At the present there are twenty-five children on the school-roll, out of which total three belong to the Committee now in power, and the remaining twenty-two to the parents not on the Committee. The present Committee and the parents of the scholars you are now about to examine are, and have been since election-day last June, at great variance regarding their election, as we do not recognise them as a legally-elected Committee, which variance they are trying to make bear on the teacher, who, of course, cannot help it. We.are therefore taking, the liberty of writing these few lines to you as Inspector, that you may be a little acquainted with the situation between the parents of the scholars and an uninterested Committee. We also have much pleasure in stating that the services of Miss A. Wrigley, as teacher of our children, has been to the greatest satisfaction of the parents, and every examination as yet taken here has also resulted in a splendid report from the Inspector It would be very unjust if an uninterested Committee should endeavour to influence the examination whatever We do not think they can in any way do that, but we thought we would acquaint you with the unpleasantness at present reigning between Committee and parents. I have, &c, Mr W H. Airey, Inspector of Schools. C. Chbistensen.
Sib,— Fairburn, 19th November, 1893. In the Weekly Neivs I observe that the School Committee are trying to injure the teacher of our children, their grounds being inability to teach, as well as bad conduct. I am glad to state to the Board that, regarding ability to teach, the Committee know nothing at all about that, they having no children attending school but two girls, who, like all the other children, passed their examination successfully on the 15th instant. The examinations have always proved a great success here, so that ought to satisfy the Board what the so-called Committee are about. Eegarding conduct, it is my duty to state Miss Wrigley is that of a welltrained lady with a nice disposition, and exceptionally quiet, and of ladylike character in every respect, If this Committee, as they call themselves, would only do their duty by looking out to keep the school-grounds and fences in order they would do far better than interfering with the teacher of-our children, whom we have much respect for. Concluding, I may state that lam only living a few chains from the school, and surely should know a little about it. The Chairman's daughter, a girl of fifteen years of age, is supposed to keep the school clean, receiving a large share of the yearly school-allowance and what a cleaning! It was kept beautifully clean for three years, but now it will soon bo necessary for the parents to take turn about to clean it, the Committee not caring, having no children there. I am, &c, Dinah Coultbb.
Sib,— Fairburn, 19th November, 1893. The so-called Fairburn School Committee and the parents of the scholars are still at variance, but, instead of going for us, it seems they are trying to make it bear on the teacher this time, who, of course, cannot help it, the Weekly News statement reporting her for incompetency and misconduct. It is my duty to inform the Board that there is not a shadow of truth in either of the charges. Eegarding incompetency, the Inspector's reports will surely clear that, if not, then it is my duty to state that my children have been brought on to my greatest satisfaction. Eegarding misconduct, there is no more truth than there is in the first charge. My dwelling-house is a few chains from the school —in fact, within call of the school—and I claim to know something about things. I emphatically state that a lady teacher with a nicer disposition, well conducted, and thoroughly trustworthy, the Board never had. She does her school duties well, and after school time there is no flirting and running about, like several teachers indulge in. Why, then, should two or three men who are at variance with the parents of the scholars try to injure her for whom we have the greatest respect ? I have, &c, The Secretary, Board of Education, Auckland. Thomas Coulteb.