SCHOOL APPOINTMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 611, 14 September 1909, Page 6

SCHOOL APPOINTMENTS.

: PASSIVE RESISTANCE ADVOCATED. : .In reference to„ the, statement in yesterday's issue by the Hon. 6., Fowlds, Minister for Education, concerning an opinion, expressed by,.Mr. p. V. Skerrett, K.C., [in tho submission of ono or more names by. education boards to school committees'in regard to educational appointments, the- Rev. A. Thomson, whose remarks ivero published On Saturday; further slates:—. ' "Tho public-in general and the school committees in particular-must feel very grateful to ■ the Minister'for Education for his lucid interpretation of the' vexed questions in the Education Act. However; one thine ;onlv. is clear. That is, that according to tho Ministerial explanation, the education boards are entirely justified in refusing to send any more than one name to the schoorcommittees both for -transfers jind appointments, which have been advertised; If that. is so,' it isthe greatest farce • in' the world to take the committees into account at'all in making these appointments, as there can be neither selection nor: consultation when but ono, name is forwarded. If the Minister says he made that intention perfectly clear to the Houso in his' speeches, it is an. amazing tiling that from, one end of the .Dominion to the other in 'almost every education, board there is a state: of friction in existence .to-day. When Parliament assembles, the members will best'know if that was their intention' when tho Bill was passed. "The Minister says that no amendment- of ithe Act will 1 toko place so far as ho is ccfricerned. That,-' of course, may- mean that wo will 'have-to get a new Minister.,for Education, because the. people, who have to pay for our national-system of education, .and whose .children have to bo taught in our'Statoschools ore; hot going to surrender their right to have a voice in the appointment of those; to whom they; are to trust the care of their children. ■'What should be tho attitude of all the school 'committees in ■ New ZealSnd," continued Mr. '• Thomson,' "in. view\ of .: the Ministerial • statement, if it 1 is- true that they, no longer ■have any . real- say in the appointment', of teachers ? No school committee should • confirm any appointment wheh one name only is sent. • There...is nothing in the Act; to force any committee to confirm such• an. appointment, and until Parliament docs sothcthing to confpel the real consultation with, the comthe latter should initiate a campaign of passive resistance. As to - the Minister's assertion that ..the Act work 6 well, anyone who knows what has taken placo in connection with tho filling of vacancies under the Education Board during -tho-last two or threo months knows that the very, opposite is the case, and that neither : tho school committees -nor,' the teachers who arc concerned-are satisfied with tho way things are going. In fact,'so far as I know, educational matters wero ntiver in: a more unsettled state in the Wellington, district than they are to-day. This is in, a:line, with the pseudo Liberalism which lias characterised the actions-of tho Education Department for somo considerable time."