BOARD AND INSTITUTE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1418, 19 April 1912, Page 4

BOARD AND INSTITUTE.

A RESOLUTION AND A REPLY

The following resolution lias been passed by the executive of the New, Zealand Educational Institute in reply to one contained in the letter of the Wauganui Education Board, dated March- 28, 1912:— "Tlio letter of the Wangor.uii Education Board, of March 28, making complaint of tho conduct of the secretary of tho New Zealand Educational Institute, has been considered bv tho executive of the Institute. The Sard's resolution takes the whole matter of tho alleged misconduct of the secretary for granted, and tho Institute indignantly protests against the publication of a resolution couched in such injurious terms as those employed without any opportunity for explanation having been given. Tho executive has abfeoluto confidence ill tlio honour and integrity of its secretary, who could havo given a perfectly satisfactory explanation of his actions had such been asked for, but tho extraordinary action of tlio board has now rendered this impossible. lie statement in the second paragraph of tho board's resolution is incorrect. Iho letters referred to were sent by the chairman of tho board on his own initiative, and had not been mentioned in the interview at Teilding. There was no obligation of confide.nco' in regard to those letters so far as tho executive was concel'ncd. Tho chairman sent them as some of the documents in the case, and the executive regarded and treated them as such. Tlio excculivo desircf to remind tlio board that its own regulations provide a proper channel for correspondence, ond the present position could not havo arisen had tho chairman respected those regulations. His publicly-avowed contempt for the general rulo of official correspondence is tho occasion of much distress and uneasiness to a large body of teachers. Another very serious matter was disclosed in tho recent proceedings, in that it was shown that the inspectors' official reports are valueless as a guide to a teacher's real standing. The Institute based its appeal on tho official documents, only to be told in Court that they were of no account. Thus it has come about that a teacher, within a few months of receiving the best report that either ho or his school has ever obtained, finds himself confronted with dismissal and professional ruin, and all inquiry into iho causes of it is denied him. The executive therefore •urges, in tho interests of education in general a'ld of teachers in particular, that the board will give these matters of irregular correspondence and extra-official reports (he attention they deserve. As the board tendered its resolution for publication, the executive in its own defence feels called upon to hand this reply lo the press,"