The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, JULY 17, 1888. AN AUTOCRATIC SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1895, 17 July 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, JULY 17, 1888. AN AUTOCRATIC SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

If the particulars famished to us of the proceedings at the last two meetings of the Ashburton Forks School Committee are m the main correct certainity that body may claim the honor of being the most peculiarly constituted of any body controlling a school that we know of. It may be held as more than partially true that the life of a oountry schoolmaster is not a happy one particularity when he comes m contact with a body of men forming a Committee who act m such a peculiar and uncalled for manner as to wish to dismiss their teacher because he actually had the a idacity to apply for another school without we presume consulting them. So far as we can at this distance judge and with the evidence before us it would appear that the Ashburton Forks School Committee are about to earn unenviable notoriety as a truly autocratic and tyrannical combination. It seems the teacher— against whose fair name, character or scholastic attainments wo have heard nothing— was anxious to better his condition, and had applied for another school. Hearing of this the Committee met, and the matter was discussed when the following extraordinary resolution is said to have been passed " That as the master— Mr Hale —seems desirous of obtaining another school, he cannot have that interest m the school which this Committee would wish. I therefore propose that he be aßked to resign." This wonderful decision was Bworn to, as it wore, by all save two members. Of these two we may say that they acted the better part and their action m giving their voices against such a resolution is worthy of tommendation. It seems to he a crime m the eyes of the other five members for a schoolmaster, once he has taken root m A shburton Forks to try to get out of it. If the Committee bavp any other grievance against the master let them formulate a charge, and back it up with evidence, but so long as the school shows well the master is entitled to bo protected, and if he is such a good man that to lose him would be disastrous, the Committee should help him all they can, They do not Beem to have been doing this, however, and now when there is a prospect of his getting another position they coolly turn round and wish to have the miserable satisfaction of giving him what no doubt they term " the sack." Such conduct is contemptible even if the master were not all he might be, and we have nothing te show that the present master has not given jenjfcirje satisfaction. It is on the principle of fair play tfjajb we speak thus of the A shborton Forks School CptnmJtee, They may bo very good men Individually, bet collectively they have not an honorable way of putting a case. Mr Hale has received the mandate of thjß Committee and very properly tells $iem |th#£ he will not accede to their re quest. Met here jyith a direct broadside the Committee tiiink jn £heir wisdom that if they can't clear out their mastep when {they have a mind to they have no j business jthere. ]£ Js wJJ m such cases that there !6 an Education Bpjrd to appeal to, who will look at the actjon of such a Committee m the proper light, j A Committee which would act bo tyrannically towards its teacher has nothing to commend it. Instead of treating any question on the broad, generous grounds such a body should*" treat it, it ban acted the petty narrow minded employer whose only gratification while m office is to feel it m his po^V/Qr to play the lord over his employees. We hardly wonder that a man should try to get out of the hands of buqli a combination. If he has had previous experiences of his Committee m other matters he must have a soul possessed of patience and a remarkably meek and quiet spirit to have borne so long under Buch a yoke. The tffegafyty pf tho line of action they have taken does pot pepm to have struck the Committee and \ though they make it disagreeable tor the teacher from henceforth they c*nnofc just clear him out as they would evidently like. Wo trust wiser counoels will prevail and the people m the district frill not allow an injustice to bo perpetrated by those who represent them as a School Committee. We have written on the broad principle pf what is due by a Committee to its teachers arujl apart from any pereonM feeli&g ; for, oi the teacher, or his district, or the Committee individually, or as a whole, we know nothing bat what appeared ia our issue yepterday, „., |