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Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 149, 9 June 1891, Page 2

The Wanganui Education Board cannot be ''congratulated on their politeness, if the letter written by the Secretary of the Board, Mr A. A. Browne, to the school teacher at Mangaone,- is to be taken as a criterion. Some time ago we mentioned, among our Mangaone items, that the attendance at the local school was so great that the residence of the teacher-had been invaded by the scholars, and in consequence the teacher had to take up his abode on some land near aj; hand, which he owns himself. This act of independence on tbe part of the committee who authorised it, and the teacher who committed it, elicited the ' following letter froth the " courteous secretary ",i — " Wanganui, June 6th, 1891. -•• Education Office Wanganui " May 1891. " To the Teacher of the Mangaone School. "I am instructed by the Board to direct you to remove the primer and first standard classes from the residence into the school room and. to place ano'therrow of desks in the schoolroom if they are required ; further, that you 'must occupy the residence with your family and belongings, and in the event .of your not reporting yourself as being in such occupation before the next meeting of the Board you will receive three months' notice of the termination of your engagement. " (Signed) A. A. Browne, Secretary " Wanganui Board' of Education." Of course the local committee held a meeting to support their teacher, who is not only diligent and efficient in the performance of his duties as a schoolmaster, but is a useful settler, and passed the following resolutions (for which we acknowledge our indebtedness to the Wanganui Herald) at a special meeting of the Mangaone School Committee on the 3rd inst., and signed by all present : — " That this Committee draw the attention of the Wanganui Education Board (1) To a resolution passed by this Committee on the 27th of April, 1891. » That pith the teacher's permission the residence be utilised for a class room until the Board can giye this Committee more accommodation in the school." (2) Copy of letter sent by the Secretary to the teacher. (3) That the Committee is of opinion that this letter has uot been sent with the full knowledge and consent of the Board, and that this Committee declines to allow the teacher to make any alterations in the present arrangement until the Board has added to the present schoolroom. (4) This committee is of opinion that the letter of the Secretary to the teacher is yery. discourteous and inhumane and tyrannical in its directions, seeing that the schoolroom is only 30 x 18ft., and only capable of working 50 children at the outside, whereas sometimes we have as many as 72 in attendance. (5) That this be sent direct to the chairman of the Board." The editor of- the Herald says the Secretary only writes by the direction of the Board, and is 'not responsible for the decisions of that body. May. be so, but the tone of the letter complained of is, to say the least of it, unnecessarily irritating.