Feilding School Committee.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 103, 12 May 1883, Page 2

Feilding School Committee.

A meeting of the local School Committee was held last evening, for the purposo of hearing a statement from Mr Dowling, the head master of the school* Present — Messrs J. C. Thompson (in the chair), Rev. H. M. Murray, Towler, "Watts, Worsfold, Bray, and Foster, seo. retary. The Chairman, in opening the meeting, said doubtless all members of the Committee knew the purpose for whioh they . were assembled. He hoped they would give Mr Dowling a fair and impartial hearing. He then called upon Mr Dowling, who said that he came ' before the Committee to make a statement, not as the report in the newspaper • said, to have a hearing. He did hpt" " stand before them as a person condemned. '!' He also wished to put some questions to ■■ ' the Committee, which he supposed would have to be put throngh the Chairman./ r Certain statements had been made,. by- .^-j, members of the Committee at a meeting:, J. [ held on Friday last, and he was there to Is,} answer them. (Mr Dowling here made a lengthy statement in opposition to th^7~^ proceedings taken at the last meetingof' the School Committee, and questioned the action the Committee had taken.) Mr Bray thought the proceedings were Q informal. The Committee was not tb hem '•-■* questioned by any man. If Mr Dowling *** had a statement to Diiikc they would hear 1 * him, but he should not question the P-PEp?- ."* mifctee. . ..j -t ( -j The Chairman said he did not thinK. ' . that they should refuse to hear Mr Dew?-,- ,-' ing- * ' ,i,*.v. The Rev Murray thought Mr Br^iywaa ; under a misapprehension. What Mr Dowhng asked for last night was infor- A i..; mation, and he was of opinion that, tha **.*-. Committee should hear him. .• ■ • ; Mr Dowling then put the following question to the Committee: "Bj the now* paper report a true represen tationofitte *ti Committee's proceedings of last Friday | night?" He was there to dispute 'certain '■'• statements that were made in thb' nferw&P'j paper. It was stated also that lie had? "'! defied the last committee. '*' . : ?*' Mr Bray said the report f»s- pub-, lished in the Feildino Stab on Saturday ' last, was a fair and impartial 0ne..,, ' . ■■ Mr Watts, Mr Towler, and -Mr WoTfc.il fold also considered the report a yepy^w fair one of the proceedings. • - Mr Bray wanted to know if Mr Dowling could gainsay the statement that Mrs Dowling had attended school late,'^ft*fjje-.«---the proper time for teachers to be at their respective duties. ' Mr Dowling did not deny that ;, haY 3 he wished to know if the • statement, as ~ reported, that Mr Foster .had said, hjEt-(^ e speaker) and Mrs Dowling had deified.,*, the last Committee, waß..co:rrect£. ;..,-.;>' Mr Foster said that he did sayap^tJK the last meeting of ■ the Committee. His reason for so- saying was based on the following grounds:— "ln the nrinutJtT book it was stated that Mr Wrjgh£,"fhe~ secretary to the last Committee, ' was ie-' quested to write to Mr Dowling wfth reference to the unpunctual attendance of Mrs Dowling. A copy of theletietf " sent appeared in the minute book, the draft letter was not to be found." He was of opinion that if thedctter had been scut to Mr Dowling, and Mrs Dowling ./*"•"'■ *

3. . " - »—■■■..» had not attended earlier to her duties in consequence of such letter, Mr Dotvling had defied the Committee. Mr Dowling said he never assumed a tone of defiance. He did not think it was the business of the Committee to take the position they had. Mr Bray thought Mr Dowling had no right to dictate to the Committee. Mr Dowling considered the whole of the proceedings, as reported, were very damaging to him. Mr Bray wanted to know if Mrs Dowl--4| ing had attended to her duties, if she was supposed to be at school at 9 o'clock in the morning, and if he (Mr Dowling) was supposed to attend at that hour together with the pupil teachers ? Mr Dowling replied in the affirmative to the questions put by the previous speaker. He considered the resolution recommending the removal of Mrs DowJing and Miss Goodison hung on the statement made by a member of the Committee, that he had defied the last Committee. Cries of No ; No. Mr Dowling said the statement made by Mr Watts with regard to Mrs Dowling being seen going to school at 10 o'clock on the morning mentioned by Mr Watts was not correct. Mr Watts said on that particular morning he observed Mrs Dowling going to school as the train to Halcombe passed. He went in to his house and found that it was a quarter to 10. Mr Dowling said ho had a reason he was prepared to give for Mrs Dowling's lato attendance. Mr Watts here rose and stated that about nine months ago the matter of Mrs Dowling's late attendance was brought before the Committee. The Chairman, the Rev. J. Jones, was instructed to call upon Mr Dowling. He did so, and reported to the Committee thafc Mr Dowling had given him a curt answer. When some of the members spoke of writing to Mr Dowling, they were told they would get a curt reply. Mr Dowling asked Mr Watts if Mr Jones had not informed the Committee that he told him (the speaker) he allowed him to use his own discretion with regard to late attendance so long as it did not binder the work of"jthe school. Mr Watts was not sure, but he did not think so. The matter of Mrs Dowling's late attendance was almost the only discussion the late Committee had. They were continually speaking about it. He bad seen Mrs Dowling going up the streot at two o'clock in the afternoon. The fact of Mrs Dowling's late attendance had; an effect upon the attendance of the scholars attending the school. Mr Foster wanted to know if Mrs Dowling got paid for stopping after •ehool hours and instructing the pupil teachers. Mr Dowling replied in tho negative, and said that the Inspector had never made complaints about Mts Dowling being late though he (the Inspector) had seen her coming late to school. With reference to another matter he might state that if the duties of the school commenced at half past nine it would prove beneficial, although it would detain him half-an-hour later in the afternoon. ' Even children living in the next street were not punctual in their attendance. The Halcombe school opened at halfkpast nine, also the Sanson school. Se did not think there were any restrictions in the Act to the school opening at half-past nine. There was no feeling of •defiance in his or Mrs Dowling's mind. The' Inspector had always seemed pleased with him. The report in the newspaper came upon them very suddenly. Had the Committee given him notice of the steps to be taken if the late attendance was not discontinued, it would have been heeded. Mrs Dowling also devoted a deal of time after school hours with the pupil teachers, and she taught them domestic economy and needle work. The needlework mentioned in the Inspector's report was under Mrs Dowling's supervision. The Chairman thought they had heard Mr Dowling exhaustiVely on the excuses for Mrs Dowling's late attendance. * Mr Dowling stated that a remark had been made at . the last meeting to the effect that a grave charge was made against him in the Inspector's report. The Chairman asked Mr Dowling if he could imterpret the Inspector's report Otherwise than the committee had. Mr Dowling said his time-table showed that he very often devoted time in passing down the school. Ho did not confine himself to the higher classes. The statement made by the inspector was incorrect. Mr Worsfold said that they not only complained of Mrs Dowling's late attjndaace, but- also of the bad results ob"^tained by the lower standards at the last examination. Referring to Miss Goodison, Mr Dowling said she did not gain the respect of ber scholars; and did not have control •orer ber class. He stated (in reply to a question by Mr Towler) that the number of scholars on the roll under Miss Gooditoa's care was about 62. The attendance Aat morning was 35. Mr Towler considered that a lady with a da-PB of 35 would have her time occupled in keeping them in order. JMr Dowling said that out of 78 passes 50 children rose from one standard to a fiigher one. * : Mr Towler said a short time ago he questioned hi*s daughter, (who had been

five years at school) and she could not tell him A from B. Mr Dowling, in concluding his remarks, again said that the report of the proceedings of the last meeting of the committee took him by surprise. (He then withdrew.) The Chairman informed the Committee ' that they were now at liberty to comment upon the statement they had heard from Mr Dowling. The R-ev Mr Murray defended Mr Dowling in a lengthy speech. The fact that the work of the school did not suffer through the lateness of Mrs Dowling ought to be a sufficient excuse. The weakness in the lower end of , the school was partly owing to Miss Goodison not receiving respect from her class. Mr Towler said that if any alteration was to be made it should be dono without further delay. Mr Foster pointed out that the resolution passed at last meeting was informal, as the Act required that a notice of three days should be given. After some further discussion Mr Watts gave notice of motion that he would move at next meeting, the resolution now in his name, wliich was to the effect thafc Mrs Dowling and Miss Goodison be removed. It was decided that the Committee meet on Monday next at 8 p.m. A vote of tlianks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings.