WAKANUI SCHOOL COMMITTEE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 534, 14 January 1882, Page 2

WAKANUI SCHOOL COMMITTEE

A special meeting of the Wakanui School Committee was held in the schoolroom on Thursday last, for the purpose of considering and appointing teachers. Present Messrs G. W. Leadley (Chairman), T. Walsh, J. Kilgour, Clenhane, Paynter, and Trevurza. The minutes of the previous meeting were read. Mr Paynter Moved, and Mr Trevurza seconded—“ That the minutes as read be confirmed.” Mr Kilgour moved, as an amendment — “ That the minutes approving of the Chairman’s action in advertising for teachers be expunged, on the following grounds : —(1.) Because the same question, viz., the action of the Chairman in < ailing for teachers was expunged from the minutes of a previous meeting by a ma; ority of the Committee. (2 ) That the/action of the Chairman in proposing an Amendment to legalise his own action in calling for teachers, which had been declared invalid, was informal, unbecoming, and contrary to all precedent. (3.) That as the amendment of the Chairman was the same in substance as the resolution of Mr Kilgour, they could not bring forward at the same meeting a question which had already been disposed of at it. Mr T. Walsh seconded Mr Kilgour’s amendment, which was lost, and the motion confirming the minutes carried.

Messrs Kilgour and Walsh declined to identify themselves with any action of the Committee in the matter of the consideration or acceptance of any of the applications, and drew up and handed the following protest to the Committee, with a request that same be forwarded to the Board of Education for its ruling:— “ Wakanui, January 12th, 1882. Protest against the meeting of the Wakanui School Committee to be holden this evening in the Wakanui schoolroom, for the purpose of appointing teachers. To the Chairman ot the Wakanui School Committee. Sir, —We hereby notify that we, as members of the School Committee, do protest against this meetand against each and every act done thereat, because that the action of the Chairman in calling this meeting for the purpose of appointing teachers as specified in his letter convening same, is illegal for the reasons assigned hereafter. No. 1. The Chairman of the School Committee undertook of his own accord, without any sanction or approval of the Committee, or advice of the Board of Education, to advertise for three teachers. 2. The Chairman’s action in doing so was strongly and formally condemned by the

School Committee as illegal, and a resolution to that effect was passed by the School Committee at their very last meeting. 3. The amendment of the Chairman himself at the same meeting, for the purpose of rendering valid and legal his act in advertising for teachers (an act which had been a few minutes previous declared invalid), was both informal and contrary to all precedent. 4. Mrs McLaughlin, the female teacher, never received any notice of dismissal from the Board of Education, nor has the School Committee been consulted thereon. 6. The School Committee has never been consulted by thd Board regarding the dismissal of the principal teacher, Mr James McLaughlin. In fact, the members of the School Committee have never regarded the Board’s letter of the 25th of July as a letter of consultation, according to the meaning of the Act; but, on the contrary, they have always expressed themselves highly indignant at the very arbitrary conduct of the Board throughout the whole of Mr McLaughlin’s case. (Signed) John Kilgour, Thomas Walsh. ” Messrs Kilgour and Walsh then retired, and the four remaining members decided that the protest could not be forwarded to the Board, as it reflected too severely on the Chairman’s conduct. They then proceeded to consider the applications, and finally elected Mr Alexander Stott, late of the Borough school, to the Wakanui school, and referred the appointment of a teacher to the side school to the Board.