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Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1290, 26 June 1884, Page 2

That a rentable storm in a tea-cup has been raised in connection with school affairs in Ashburton is amply testified by the appearance of the numerous letters in our correspondence columns during the past few days. On such occasions [these it is well righ inevitable that a good deal of personal feeling is shown by those who take part in the controversy, and tha accusations that have been so freely bandied about from either side must be taken with a very large grain of salt. A charge of having dealt unjustly with the head misr tress of the school in requesting that lady to resign her position has been brought against the Committee, and the Chairman has been accused in very plain terms of being actuated by personal feeling in the matter. Of this latter, Mr St, Bill has been, so far as we can make out, hanorably acquitted by his fellow Committeemen, so that we presume he is satisfied. This, however, is an aspect of the affair that does not concern the general public to any great extent. But what 1 does concern the parents of tha children attending the school is that the ability of the teachers to instruct and control the pupils under their charge should be placed beyond question. Miss H are and, who puts her case clearly enough, states that the first intimation she received that her services were not giving satisfaction was the request from the Committee to resign within a fortnight of the receipt of tha letter. If, as ah© avers, she has not been afforded an opportunity of ’defending herself against against any complaints that have been made, it seems on the face of it that she has suffered injustice. On tha other hand, tha Rev. B. A-ISooir hiats*pretiy dearly that the Committee asked the mistress to resign simply to spare her feelings and to prevent unpleasant consequences. Her® we have $ distinct conflict of evidence,

but the difficulty would, as it seeds to us, never have arisen if the Inspector’s report, or the correspondence between that officer and the Committee, whichever it may be, had been made public. It would bs palpably • unfair to comment on this unhappy business while it is, in a sense, suh judice, but we hope that the whole details will be placed before the public at as early a date as possible, so that the blame may be made to rest on the right shoulders. The Committee should remember they have a specific duty to perform, and it should be carried out without fear or favor. No cause can be well served by preserving such secrecy as has been shown in this instance, although it may be that they were governed by the best intentions. Whether their action will be thought!justifiable by the Board, which is, we presume, the final authority, remains to be seen.