SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16435, 31 January 1919, Page 2

SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

TEACHERS' REMARKS RESENTED. At last night's meeting of the Canterbury School Committees' Association, Mr A. Pererill made-reference to uncomplimentary remarks relating to school committees made at a meeting of the New Zealand Educational Institute at Wellington, and to a resolution which it passed suggesting the abolition of school committees and the. substitution of education committees. ±Ie also read a. number of extracts from Wellington papers regarding proceedings at the meeting. _I _ think it about time that the Association or the committees should fight for thenrights, and not allow the teachers to dictate to the country what is or is not to be done. I don't to them fighting for increased planes, etc., but it is uncalled for and detrimental to the Institute to make such a statement that generally 'school committees were made up of men of mediocrc intelligence who met together at regular intervals for the payment 01 the charwoman who cleaned out the school under their control. lrrespeciivo of the reference to the school committees, the classification of caretakers as "charwomen" was an insult, and he moved that the Institute be asked to withdraw the innuendo in connexion with them. Mr S. McAlister seconded the motion. Mr J. C. Prudhoe moved as an amendment that they should endeavour to get verification of the implication in the report, of the remarks that they represented the views of a majority of those present at the Institute's meeting. They might be merely the ill-considered views of an individual

Mr E. H. Andrews supported the motion, but said he thought it quite probable that the majority had made such statements. He made extended reference to matters in connexion' with the subject, and said that, though he was entirely in sympathy with the improvement of teachers' conditions, he was afraid they were deteriorating, and overcome with'a lust for gold. A good business head to"take charge of the financial affairs of the Education Department was badly needed. Mr W. Jones, the chairman, said he had decided, when he read the reports, that the matter was not worth troubling about. He was annoyed that a body of men with education such as the teachers had should dare to use such a term as "democratic" in connexion with the schemes they had evolved. The amendment was carried.