THE APPOINTMENT OF TEACHERS.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 203, 31 May 1878, Page 6

THE APPOINTMENT OF TEACHERS.

We. have been asked to publish the 1 ' following letter upon the above : subject'- ' that appeared in the Morning Herald of j ' Monday last : — . ' - .■■•■.i\ -■.-■ Sir, — The New Education Board seem* " to have determined to take all appoint-... ments of teachers into their : own hands, T~ and virtually, to ignore 1 the opinions faiid wishes of local Committees in tliis matter:'' , This -is a • course which, if preserved in, will result very disastrously to the cause , : of education in Otago. I will assume that one of the- principal objects .of "the Education Act was to bring the bulk of " : the. ; people^ into '-sympathy with the cause 'of >■ education, and to get the co-operati6*d'of< * the parents throughout the Colony as much 'V as .possible. . . ■ ; .... . . Now, the course being pursued strikes;. .'■ at the root of both these objects, and in- 'i stead of making the cause of education- ," depend on the sympathy and assistance 1 of '"'"' the people, will very soon succeed in " making a mere department of Govern- ■ ment. -- --..;..- .-,-■ The Act provides that "no appoint- '„ ment,. suspension, or dismissal shall take, -. place until the Committee have been 'nrsfc.'i consulted." What does this mean?; D'omA. it mean, as the Board seems to assume ,' '" that the appointment shall first be made V" by the Board, and then intimation of tlio • same be given to the Committee ? This ! cannot possibly be the meaning ofit ; and ,-V, the meaning obviously is this, that if there,are several applicants for an appointment,* , ■; all holding proper certificates, the Com-"' '"' mittee is to' be " consulted" as to which of these it thinks most suitable for 'the particular school under its control' There : ! are very many reasons for this ; course. .-• The Committees represent— and generally r;• very well represent— tho parents whose > children are to be educated, and consequently are in a much better position io,' '"''' make a suitable selection of a' -teacher out of a given number who hold certifi-* cates of competency than the Board can Y '', possibly be. Then, the members of the?: - Board know nothing of local requirements and local feelings, and consequently cannot make a selection which 'will give I such satisfaction in a school district as a seiec-. : tion by the local Committee! '■"> "A' \ One of the first, results of the course • indicated by the Board -will be that an . antagonism will spring up : between the V Committee.^; and the Board, which, of, ..',-, itself, will be the most detrimental'to ; fhe , ". cause of education, because, if. the parents' 5 are dissatisfied, no efforts of the Board" ' can make a school successful; 5 ." * ' ' •"' -'•-'"••- --/.Again,, the .course . proposed- will . virtually make the Inspectors the -dis-; Ypensers of all patronage, as .the Board '-.,,-• must, necessarily rely on them, in making,. ... appointments: This ; will inevitably - lead! J .- to sycophancy and ' toady ism .bii.^the part of teachers, and the teacher •wh6 t cah' I Kest : ! pander to the . failings of < the inspector-, (for Inspectors have. failings: as ;iweli.aß' : i <* other people) will have, the best chance of V ■-' preferments.. ', . ....... ... 'J-, ti y ;A In conclusion, I would just express tne, ■'•' conviction that, if the School Committees!- * had known that the - new' Board wbuldb o-' ' giu its. existence by attempting to 'snuff oi out the bodies to. which it owes its election/ 1 v? not. one. of [the present members wottld, V" have been returned -and after the,yieyFSf a. they have already expressed on the; sub-! j ject under' discussion, Very few of. them,, would have ; the ' shghtest \ clianceVof ' r_l ' ' : , .election.., v.This is one of 'the hecessary're- A suits of the. absurd mode : 6f election 'where*. each ; Committee 'was ; voting in entire' lg- IA, norance of the views andinteritions Of they-; various candidates.-— I am, &_.-■,' ; '-:■'. XXUyyy. J. Dunedin, Mas2s,l&lß:A A -. Zi'Z'Ay Zt