GISBORNE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, 5 February 1902, Page 2

GISBORNE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

UN 8 A TIS FAC TORY DEALING WITH THE BOARD. COMMITTEE DECIDE TO CLOSE HIGH SCHOOL. The monthly meeting of t'- Gisborne School Comiiiittee was held .: evening. Present: Messrs Matthev .'hilnuau i, Brown, Hookey, Morgfi Humphreys, Sawyer, and Graham. Under date of Dec ;->jr 19th, the Board's Secretary wmi . n ..living the Committee of the a;\ jinLuent of Mr •J. 11. Bull as first master. Un December 23rd, the Secretary of the Board wrote, stating that the staffing of the Gisborne School was receiving careful consideration. In view of the extreme ditliculty involved in procuring the necessary number of teachers, the Board recommended the School to accept on this occasion the person recommended to the vacant posi-

tion in the School. The teacher recommended was Mr William H. Wilson, late of the Training School, and it was further stated that Misses G. M. Evans and L. Morgan would act temporarily. Upon receipt of the latter communication, a meeting of the Committee was held at Mr Matthews’ office, and the recommendations of the Board were accepted. Mr Wilson, the teacher mentioned, however, did not arrive in Gisborne to take up the duties, but another teacher, Mr Wells, was sent along. Members stated that they- did not- know whether Mr Wells was sent in the place of Mr Wilson or to till the position rendered vacant by the appointment of Mr R. Cole, second assistant, to Makauri. After a good deal of discussion, Mr Morgan moved that the Board should be written to, asking why Mr Wells had been sent after the Committee had agreed to accept Mr Wilson, the Committee in the meantime not being informed of the change. Mr Graham seconded the motion.

The Chairmau said that he would give the motion his hearty support. • The Board had, he considered, not treated the Committee right in the matter of these appointments. Ho was of opinion that they should have refused to open the school until they had a thorough understanding with the Board in regard to these matters. Mr Morgan asked if any communication had been received by the Chairmau from the Board stating that Mr Wells had been sent instead of Mr Wilson. Ho had some recollection of seeing a letter stating that Mr Wells was to take the place of Mr Cole. The Chairman said that no such communication had been received. After further discussion the motion was carried. A communication from the Board in regard to the site of the side school at Whataupoko was referred to the Committee having that matter in hand. Under date of January 27th the Board wrote stating that the secondary classes would be carried on as heretofore until the Board received from the Education Department regulations of District High Schools. The letter was in reply to a letter sent by the Committee asking that the secondary classes should be made free.

Mr Graham wanted to know the reasons for the delay. He could not see why the Board should wait for the regulations. If they were given the same capitation there was no necessity whatever for any change in the working of the school. He could not help thinking that the Board must have raised certain points which the Committee did not know anything about. He moved the following resolution : “That with reference to the Department’s reply to the Board, quoted in their letter of January 3rd, this Committee wish to be informed if their request was forwarded to the Department as sent from here, as they cannot understand what matters require clearing up, or why their request should not have been complied with.” The motion was seconded by Mr Morgan, who endorsed Mr Graham’s remarks. The Chairman said that the Board were always harping about the wretched regulations, and no satisfactory explanation could be got from them. The only thing for the' Committee was to coerce the Board. Mr Morgan said that he would like to hear the letter sent by the Committee read to the meeting. The lettor was not available, the Secretary explaining that it had been drawn up by the Chairman and Mr Graham, and several typo-written copies made. The motion was carried. The Chairman then moved the following resolution : “ The Board’s scholarships for this district not having been notified, thus preventing the Board of Governors from determining who shall receive scholarships, the Committee deem it inexpedient to open the secondary school until such information is in their possession.”

Mr Graham seconded the resolution. The Chairman said that there were a number of pupils waiting to go into the High School. He did not know that the regulations mentioned in the communication from the Board were required at all. It was a great pity that owing to the delay the children mentioned should be allowed to drift out into the world and lose the chance of getting secondary education. The Board of Governors of the High School were also in a bad position, as they had a number of scholarships which they could not award until they knew what decision the Board of Education had arrived at. There were several children on the scholarship list who should receive scholarships from the Board. He had noticed by the papers that a number of children in the Hawke’s Bay district, who were further down on the list than a number of Gisborne candidates, had been granted scholarships. The Gisborne children were left out in the cold, notwithstanding the fact that they had a greater number of marks. It was palpably unfair, and should not be tolerated by the Board. Speaking generally, the Chairman

remarked that the Board had treated the Committee very badly. The latter had telegraphed and written until they were tired of doing so. The Committee always sent back the same answer that they had to wait for the regulations. They had

seen the answers obtained from the Board by Mr DeLautour, and they were practically the samo. After pondering over the question he had come to the conclusion that it was simply impossible for the Secondary School to continue under present circumstances, and he therefore moved the above resolution. Mr Morgan followed in like strain, making a strong indictment against the Board regarding the manner in which the Gisborne school had been treated. He showed that in the Napier district a child who had obtained 465 marks had been granted a scholarship, whilst Gisborne candidates, Miss Ethel Ambridge, who had received 619 marks, and Miss Lois Sheen, 616 marks, had not received scholarships. Mr Morgan further pointed out that the sum of £OS was received fay the Board from the Education Department for work done up to September last in the secondary classes of the Gisborne school under regulations issued by the Department, and there was also the quarter up to the end of December, which had not yet been claimed. As the Governors of the High School were responsible for the salaries of the teachers of the secondary classes they claimed the amount. Mr Graham seconded the resolution, and stated that he would like to make it even a little stronger. They should call the attention of the Board to the loss the school was sustaining owing to the J maimer in which they were being treated. The resolution was carried.

With regard to the appointment of Headmaster Mr Morgan moved, “That this Committee desire to express their disapprobation of the Education Board in withholding so long from the Committee the applications for the position of Headmaster, with absence of sufficient reason, thereby depriving the school at its re-open-ing of the services and supervision of a Headmaster; and request the Board to forward, without any further delay, the names of the applicants, for selection, as the Committee consider that they are quite capable of judging as to a suitable man to fill the position.” He pointed out that applications were received by the Board on January 3rd and the Committee had not yet received them. The motion was unanimously adopted. The Committee appointed Miss Cusseoa

and Mr G. W. Morrice as pupil teachers. A letter was received from Mr lv. Cole, tendering his resignation, on account of being appointed Headmaster of the Makauri School. Members spoke in terms of the highest praise of the services rendered by Mr Cole, aud it was unanimously decided to forward him a testimonial. Mr Morgan said Mr Cole was a hard worker and had given every satisfaction, and he hoped tiie Committee would get as good a teacher in his place.