THE TOKOMAIRIRO SCHOOL ENQUIRY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 33, 13 December 1873, Page 8

THE TOKOMAIRIRO SCHOOL ENQUIRY.

We publish Mr Mtiitland's report, as it has appeared in the ' Otago Guardian,' to which it was furnished. We have not yet received an official copy of the document or of the evidence, and reserve our comments upon the matter till we receive the same. We ir> ay^ however, remark that the substance of the charge — that a Roman Catholic boy attended Protestant instruction in the school — appears frtravthe report

to have been proved, though the accidental circumstan™ «r *. punishment has not been proved. The following h , tS^S? i th<S as it appears in the • Guardian' <- "lowing » the official report <( « , , /' Tokonaairiro, October 30 th. 1878 theJn?o? n i r&^^ 1878, requiring me to iWinto the trutfof w JSfiSffittJ heai teaser of the Tokomairiro Government Bc hoS had beaten ! Roman Catholic boy for refusingto attend at Bible reading and 2L estant prayers, notwithstanding the remonstrance of the assisted teacher j and to certify, under my hand and seal, my several S^ SSffL'SS^T *• *«»*"»> X W LTSfhTort " That, on the 22nd and 23rd days of October instant T 1..M .« inquiry at the Court-house, Tokomairiro, into the complaint haviS previously given due notice of the same to all parties Se^Tat 1 afforded every assistance to the Bey, Wm. Ooletnan Tho' W brought the matter under the notice of the I^spSor of Schodls Dunedin, as well as to the head master of the TokonViriro Government school, in procuring the attendance at the inquiry of^ll^S. nesses named by them , that I took the evidence of XsuohwtooSS m writing, and forwarded the depositions herewith; thaHeridea the" parties direcfly concerned, there were also present dun™ the mquir? several members of the local School Committee, that I Km the evidence the origin of the report and facts'of the case to oe« follows :— That some tune about December, 1873 Mrs McFirlan? the teacher of the Roman Catholic school, TokomaWro r^ted £ 2« h ™T TtP W - ha A P ur P° rfced to be a statement ma<£ whereby a girl named Minnie Curran, a pupil at her school and tl»a daughter of a Roman Catholic named P John Cu?ran, a resfden in Tokomainro, to the effect that her brother Michael Cur™, who at the fw\ a ! l U i c i \ °* k0 T iri , 1 ? Government 8cl »ool, had told his father that he had been beaten by Mr Ross, the head-teachw, for refusing to attend at Bible teaching and pray«rs, notwithstanding the remonstrance of Mr Mclntyre, the assistant teacher; that Mr Coleman. after questioning the girl, Minnie Curran, who, it miy be here stated is i twelve i years of age, reported the matter to Mr Hislop, the Inspector of Schools, Dunedm. The particulars of the report and the correspondence relative thereto will be seen oa the third, fourth, and fifth pages of the printed correspondence forwarded herewith It will be noticed that Mr Coleman did not make the 'renorfc to the Inspector as of a fact within his own knowledge, but merely as a report whioh had reached him, and which he communicated to the Inspector, as the proper person to be made acquainted with it. Mrs McFarlane adheres in her evidence to the substance of her report to Mr Coleman as to Minnie Curran s statement to her. Minnie Curran. in her evidence denies ever having made any statement to Mrs McFarlane regarding her brother having said that he was flogged for not attending Bible reading or prayers, although she admits having told Mrs McFarlane in answer to hei questions, that her brother had been punished by Mr Ross for his reading and spelling lessons. She altogether denies having made any reference to the assistant teasher. She admits, however having afterwards said, in answer to Mr Coleman's questions on the subject, that her brother hod been punished for not reading the Bible, but Bays she did not understaud his question. Mr Coleman after questioning Minnie Curran, does not seem to have taken any further steps to investigate the matter before reporting it to Mr Hislop. Whatever the girl Minnie Curran's statement may have been either to Mrs McFarlane or to Mr Coleman, it is perfectly clear from the evidence taken by me that there is not the smallest foundation in fact for the statement that her brother Michael Curran had been beaten at the Tokomairiro Government school by the head teacher. Ml- Ross, or by anyone, in connection with Bible reading or religious instruction. This, setting aside the strong evidence of the head and assistant teachers on the point, is clearly substantiated by the evidence of Michael Curran himself, his father and mother, and that of a pupil teacher and pupil who were at the school during all the time Michael Curran attended it. " It appears that Mr Boss, the head teacher, has already taught the only Bible-class in the school, which was held from half-pa3t 9 to 10 o'clock in the morning, being the first class of the day; and although Michael Curran seems to hove attended this, all the evidence is entirely against his ever having been punished by Mr Ross in connection with it or at any other time ; although apparently he was frequently punished by Mr Mclntyre, the assistant teacher, under whom he was during the remainder of the day, whilst being taught reading and the other branches. " It will be observed from the depositions that evidence was taken by me with regard to the practice existing at the Tokomairiro Government school in the case of Catholic children at that school, in connection with their attendance at Bible reading and religious instruction. This evidence, although not directly applicable to the case which I was requ'red t:> investigate, I allowed to be given, as the parties concerned seemed desirous to have the practice of the suhool in this respect placed on record. " In conclusion, I repeat that a careful consideration of all the available evidence on the subject shows that the allegation that the head teacher of the Tokowairiro Government school had beaten a Roman Catholic boy for refusing to attend at Bible reading and Protestant prayers, notwithstanding the remonstrance of the assistant teacher, is entirely without foundation.. " Certified under my hand and seal, this 3Dth day of October, 1873. " James P. MiiTLAitD. "The Honorable the Minister of Justice, Duuedin."