BOERS OR BRITONS.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 9 April 1901, Page 3

BOERS OR BRITONS.

(To the Editor.)

Sib.—As a disinterested outsider —one who would like, however to see fair play—,l feel it incumbent upon me to point out to the Greymouth Education Board that they have failed to comply with their own regulations in respect to the appointment of a pupil teacher for Kokiri school.

Ignorance on such matters is becoming notorious in our district, when, however, we find the Inspector ignoring the regulations,Jwe feel bound to call attention to the fact.—That part of your report of last Education Board’s meeting referring to Kokiri school runs ;— lf Prom the Inspector stating that Jane Stephenson was competent to act as pupil teacher and that the teacher had no right to recommend Miss Cunningham. ” Ecgulation 7 runs thus ; —“ In nominating a scholar for the position of pupil teacher the head teacher and Inspector shall be careful to consider not only his or her fitness as regards scholarship and diligence, but also whether the nominee is possessed of a kindly disposition, and is likely to exhibit tact, discrimination, forbearance, and a pleasant demeanor in dealing with young children, qualities which, etc. ” This plainly indicates that the head teacher has a right to nominate a suitable applicant, and as Mr Petrie has asked, who should be better able to judge of the competency or non-competency of the appointee than she who has herself taught her, and who must therefore be thoroughly acquainted with her qualifications. This the Inspector cannot bo seeing that he is a non-resident. Is it acting in the true interests of a school to insist upon appointing one who the teacher does not consider competent to help her ? May not such an appointee prove a hindrance rather than an help in the school work ? The oft-heard cry against “ letting in outsiders, ” is to say the least, especially in a sparsely settled district, narrow in the extreme, What about the Inspector himself ? It is, of course, opposed to all modern theories of progression and is apt to lead to Boorish stagnation, from which Heaven save us. Yours respectfully)— UITLANDER. P. S. May I suggest that candidates of the Grey Education Board be required to pass an easy 2nd Standard examination : likewise would-bo committee men to pass an easy Ist Standard, and be able to answer correctly a few questions on the “ Haet ? ” Yours, — U. Stillwater, April 4th 1901.