TEACHER'S APPEAL

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 140, 10 December 1929, Page 7

TEACHER'S APPEAL

FUETHER EVIDENCE

PUNISHMENT OF PUPILS

Further evidence in regard to the case of Ernest Marryatt, 'ate headmaster of the Upper Hutt Schol, who appealed agaiust his dismissal from that school by the "Wellington Education Board, was heard at the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon by the Teachers' Appeal Board—Mr. E. Page, S.M. (chairman), Mr. T. C. A. Hislop (representative of- the Education Board), and Mr. N. A. Foden (representative of the New Zealand Educational Institute). Mr. 11. A. Parkinson (secretary' of the Kew Zealand Educational Institute, appeared as advocate for the appellant, and Mr. T. Forsyth (chairman) for the Education Board.

Ernest Charles Morrell, of Upper Hutt, stated that lie had five children attending the Upper Hutt School. Several people had told him oi! the headmaster strapping his sons John and jNorman. Ho had told the headmaster that John had been in hospital for five or six months and was in a nervous stale, and had asked him to show grace to the boy in consequence. Though he had been asked by a committeemau to do so, he would not have taken any part in the matter, but for the unjust way in which Norman was treated on the very morning of the board's inDonald Smith, aged 12, stated that he had been in Standard V. of the school all this year. He had been strapped twice only. He corroborated as to the struggle between the headmaster and Frederick Anderson. The headmaster strapped Anderson while he held him down with his foot. Three or four other boys had been strapped. There were no marked boys that he knew of who were always being strapped. He remembered Margaret Grey being strapped twice in one day. To Mr. Parkinson: The headmaster did not push the boy back over the table, but put him on the floor. He did not think Anderson slipped. He was in the third seat, and saw what happened. Mr. Parkinson said that evidence would be called to show that others were in front of the witness, and he could not possibly have seen. Witness added that three girls were crying during the struggle with Anderson, and he supposed that was why the headmaster took Anderson to his room to strap him. On the breaking-up day Mr. Marryatt told them that lying was worse than thieving, and sneaking was the worst of the three; and "none of them would like to be called that." MARGARET GREY'S CASE. Margaret Grey (12), also a pupil in Standard V., said she did not see Marryatt with a strap in his hand while struggling with Anderson. For three weeks, after she came back from an attack of the " 'flu," she was strapped every other day. She was strapped twice in one day and three times on another. Other girls and several of the boys were strapped. On the break-ing-up day Mr. Marryatt called them "sneaks, thieves, and liars." To Mr. Parkinson: She did not know that there was to be an inquiry that night. To Mr. Forsyth: She was never punished for anything worse than inattention aud talking. Other girls were talking, but they were not punished. David Grey said that he had twice complained to Mr. Marryatt about the way he had punished his daughter— once last year and again about three months ago. He had told him last year that the child was anaemic and nervous. Mrs. Grey had written to the school committee complaining about the matter. FRED ANDERSON'S EVIDENCE. Frederick Anderson (14) said that when he tried to trip Nola Weale Mr. Marryatt had seized him by the collar and dragged him into the classroom, bullying him round and hitting him with his fists on his back, chest, and sides, about twenty blows. He struggled to get away. Then Mr.. Marryatt got his knee in his back, and he fell. The headmaster held him down with his foot on his chest for a time, then led him off to the office, got his strap out of the drawer, and strapped him all over the body, arms, and legs. Durino- the struggle, Mr. Marryatt said that his mother had been up to the school and told him that he was a.bit rough and he had to keep him in order. He had been strapped several times, and quite a number of other boys had been strapped, ana several girls. He was not present on the hreaking-up day. Mr. Parkinson: "The strap does not hurt much?"—" Sometimes." Some time after the inquiry at the school, he added, in reply to Mr. Parkinson, Mr. Marryatt said that he was going to lose a bit of money a year over it. Witness said'that some things said at the inquiry were not true, but ho did not admit that Sir. Marryatt had not put his foot on his, chest to hold him down during the struggle in the classroom, To Mr. Hislop: He meant that things said by Mr. Marryatt were not true. He still said that they were not true. To Mr. Forsyth:.He did not remember being pushed'across the desk or the table by Mr. Marryatt during the struggle. To Mr. Parkinson: On one occasion Mr. Marryatt called the class "thieves, liars, arid something else," but he did not think it was ou the broaking-up day. John "Winnibald (uncle and guardian of Frederick Anderson) said that the boy had come, out' to him from Montreal, Canada, because he was considered hard to manage, but he had found him easy to hasdle. The boy had complained to him of the thrashing he got on the occasion referred to, but that was the only occasion. That was

[ "bout May last. He put in a written complaint on 12th. August. Someone had asked him why he had not put in a complaint.

A TEACHER'S EVIDENCE.

George Donald "Warring said that t"o teachers had discussed the whole matter with Mr. Marrya"' aild as they could not be at the inquiry Mr. Marryatt suggested that they should send in a letter expressing confidence in him. Witness J's, n' up the le'ter—not in Mr. Marryatt s presence—and it was unanimously approved and signed by the teachers. lo Mr. Foden: He considered that tue behaviour of the school as a whole was good. They were among the bestbehaved children he had known. He saw a good deal of them in the playground. L '

To Mr. Jhslop: It was quite possible tor the general tone of a school to be good but for things to happen in one (■■lass such as had been complained about in Mr. Marryatt's case. To Mr. Page: At first ho had considered Mr. Marryatt a good discipinanan, but latterly his discipline had been indifferent. He thought Mr. Aiarryatfc had been neurotic, because of the complaints that had been made. tie had seen him angry, but not violent.

To Mr. Parkinson: He considered the school was in good working order up to the last three months.

At 5.20 p.m. the hearing was adjourned till 10.30 this morning.