COLLEGE GOVERNORS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2361, 18 January 1915, Page 6

COLLEGE GOVERNORS

'MR. BRANDON RESIGNS FROM THE BOARD.

Mr. A. de B. Brandon, who for many years has been chairman of the Wellington College Board of Governors, has tendered his resignation to that body. His reasons are given in the following letter to the members of the board, dated January .12:— "I have given much thought to your kind request that I should reconsider my letter of 11th ult, and withdraw my resignation, but the more 1 review the position the more patent becomes the fact that the effect of the Education Act, 1914, is "to transform the Board of Governors into a mere creature of the. Minister.

"The board must obtain the approval of the Minister to its schemes defining— (1) the courses of study in the schools; (2) the respective powers of. .the board and of the Principal: (3) the fees to be charged to pupils ; .who. are not holdere of free places, arid; the Bcheme shall contain such other provisions as the Minister shall direct.

"No arrangement of the 6taff not coinciding with hard and fast rule laid 'down by the Act can be adopted by the board without the previous approval of the Minister.

"The principal function the board under its original constitution was development of its schools, and ancillary to that function was the management of the property. The development of the schools will henceforth be carried out by Ministerial rule and regulation, and the management of the property may before long, in the 'co-ordination of the work carried on by the various bodies controlling education' (to quote the misleading grandiloquence of the-Act), be turned over to a rent and interest collecting bureau, guaranteed by the State, and the State will undertake the responsibility of filling the gap shou]d'the revenue of the institutions not be sufficient for the discharge of current expenses <ind the replacement of rapidly wearingout buildings. "The statutory limitation of fees payable for 'free places' and the compulsory admission of 'free-plice' pupils to the. school-react against the governing body to make such increase in charges as circumstances from time to time require. Generally speaking, the school fees control the salaries, and the salaries control the teaching power, and with Ministerial domination exercised, perhaps unconsciously, with a view to purchasing political support, rather than in promoting the utility of the institution, a seat on the hoard no longer appeals to me an an office in which it will be possible to attain such results as will compensate for the voluntary sacrifice of .time and energy. . "I can assure you that it is with very great regret that I feel myself impelled to withdraw from a board where hitherto all the members have so freely devoted their energies io the welfare of the schools under their control."

At a meeting held on Friday it was resolved:— "That the resignation of Mr. 'A', de B. Brandon be accepted with' regret, and the board desire's.to place on record its appreciation of the great services he has rendered to the Wellington College, the Wellington Girls' College, and to education during the 17 years 'of. membership of the board, 15 years of that time as its chairman, and also to express its sense v of the great loss the cause of education in Wellington has sustained by his retirement." The secretary of the board (Mr. C. P. Powles} has written to Mr. Brandon as under;—"ln sending you the enclosed official notification of the acceptonce of your resignation, 1 am directed to say that the members of the Board of Governors personally feel very great regret at losing your services, which have for so many yeans been fully and ungrudgingly given to the management of the Boys' and Girls' Colleges. They greatly appreciate the able manner in which' you have always conducted the business of theboard, and the courtesy and consideration you have always, shown to them. "Tii© resolution sent herewith was moved by Mr. Warbuiton. and the Mayor, in seconding it; said he was sure lie voiced the opinion of the people of Wellington in expressing his profound regret at your retirement."