SCHOOL APPOINTMENTS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2953, 16 December 1916, Page 10

SCHOOL APPOINTMENTS

| A RECENT HEADMASTERSHIP j BOARD'S POLICY UNDER I CRITICISM At the meeting of tho Wellington lidueation Board, Mr. T. Forsyth moved —"That in future appointments lor all hcadmasterships be mado oil merit rather than seniority.'' I Originally, the motion was prefaced by the words: 'That the board rescind any resolution on record forbidding the appointment of first-assistants as Headmasters at other than small schools." The chairman (Hon. J. G. W. Aitken) advised the mover to drop the first part, as there was no such resolution on record. In speaking to the motion, Mr. Forsyth said that ho had understood from what was 'stated by one oJE the officials that there -was such.a resolution in existence. Mr. Fleming (Chief Inspector) explained ■ that what he liad said was that there was no sudli resolution on record. ~Mr. Forsyth said that the board should lay down some definite policy with regard to the appointment -of headmasters. He had tried, but could not grasp the basis on which such appointments were made. Take, for instance, what took place at the last meeting in regard to a certain appointment, when certain disabilities prevented a certain man from rising. In effect these headmasterships were not open to all teachers as was- represented, yet it was curious that quite recently a man was appointed a headmaster straight from the Training College, really before he had finished his two years' course. That was a direct contradiction of what was being held as the custom of the board. He did not wish to offer any offence to their experts, they would always need them, but if the board would work to, a policy it would save a lot of time in making these appointments. He hoped the members would speak their minds on the question, realising that at present no definite plan was laid down. '

Mr. Fleming, in making a personal explanation, stated that Mr. Forsyth had misunderstood him, and ho would like to make it quito clear that what he stated was that no resolutions had beon passed defining what tho board's policy was to be. It was only recently that the board had decreed an appointment, making the first assistant at Feathcrston headmaster of that school. Tho educational experts said that it was a good policy to lay down that only in the case of transfers could th'ey do without an advertisement. In the. caso of Clyde Quay they had'complied with tlio conditions. Mr. G. London, in seconding the motion, said that what in tho motion impressed him was that • in tho promotion of a first assistant to thoheadmaßtership of a school, it was_ generally for the good' of education.. Ho thought that where there was a person of outstanding ability it was tile ob'vious duty of the board to appoint that man to the position. Mr. A. W. Hogg said he wfts going to voto against the motion. He asked when had the board ever made a mistake, and when had they made an appointment solely on tile l ground of seniority? He challenged Sir. Forsyth or Mr. London to show when the board had made an appointment, in which seniority in preference to merit had been considered. He said the board would stultify itself and t-ie_ its own hands by passing such a motion, besides which it was a reflection gn old members of tho board.

Mr. J. Kobbell said there was another aspect to the matter. It was well known that teachers in the conntry were ' always trying to get into towns, and the former would bo placed at a great disadvantage by adopting the- motion. He agreed with . Mr. Hogg that it was no use tying their own hands. . /

Mr. B. A. AVright, M.P., said that ho believed that tho mover had no intcntion of censuring tho boaixVs experts or members, and it was not fair to tako it that way. The board had 110 policy, or at least it was an unwritten policy, to go upon in the appointment of headmasters. He did not think that the passing of tho motion would interfere with what had been done if merit were taken into full consideration, 'and soniorit}' only considered when all other things were equal. Merit was really for the experts to decide. AVhat did tho members of the board know about the merit of teachers?

Mr. T. Moss saw good in the motion in some ways, but there were numbers of teachers who.had not been fortunate 'in getting good appointments at first, and they would be placed at a still greater disadvantage. He had tho advantage of having been three or four years on the board, and bad found that the interest of the children and tlieir education had always been given consideration. In his opinion the effcct of tho motion would be to create dissatisfaction among the staff. , The chairman, (tho Hon. J. G. AY. Ait-ken) said that tho first few words of tho motion —"in tho future"—implied condemnation of what had been done in the past. He would like to say that in the past members of the board had taken both merit and seniority into consideration \ with every appointment made. It might have been that a man by a freak of luck secured a good position, but they could not get away from that. It should be remembered that the hoard had a whole district to consider, whilst a school committee only bad tho one school, and thoy. bad to consider the whole of tho service in making the appointment. He hoped the mover would see his way to withdraw tlie resolution, as it certainly contained an implied reflection on existing methods. Mr. E. H. Penny (Blenheim) said it was evident that the board did not consult the school committees as much as they had done iu Marlborough in making appointments. Mr. Forsyth in reply said he did not wish to censure anyone, and did not intend to cast reflections. In the case of Clyde Quay, they had applications from some splendid men from nil parts of the district. AVhat was tho use of inviting such men to apply for the position when they knew, as was stated at tho board's last meeting, that they had no chance whatever of being appointed? In Otago and Auckland first assistants were appointed to headmasterships in the same school, and the fact was that the results achieved in those districts were ahead of Wellington. He did not think that when an old man retired from a school another old man should be appointed. It was not'fair to the school, as that man could not possibly have the interest in the school when lie was to retire in a- year or two. It was not a case of town versus country. He wished to establish the principle that merit should count beforo all. Ho did not think the hoard would lie stultifying itself bv adopting the policy sugsjssteci, but it had stultified itself in tho past by having 110 policy, or rather oim'_ that was not tho subject of a resolution— it was an unwritten policy. On tho motiou being put it was lost by four votos to three. The voting was as follows Ayes: Messrs. AVright, Forsyth, and London. Noes: Messrs. Kcbbell, Hogg, Moss, and Penny. SMOKER'S THROAT. liritatiiig bacteria in the mucous membranes causo Smoker's Throat, which ia rapidly relieved by gargling Pluonzol while lying down with Lead well back. *