SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 688, 6 December 1902, Page 2

SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

The rrdma-v wetting of the Gisborne School Cuimoua-i wits hold last evening, Wiieu the io iowii.g uiHubers were present: — Messrs J. W. Bright tehairman). S'.veit. Blown. J-'iic. Humphreys, Graham, Orr, uuu Cramoit'.i. uk.uoiastkr's retort. The Headmaster, Mr F. J. Rowley, re ported as follows : '■ The attendance dming the month has averagsd 7-10. The roll number lias fallen to STS. A: the end of the year Misses Colehvook and Black and Mr Driller are leaving for the training school at Napier. If three more pupil-teachers are appointed in their place we will then have on the stall lour pupil-teachers out of seven, newly-appointed and raw. while two more have had only twelve months’ experience. This will weaken considerably the strength of the staff. Under the Act dealing with the staffing of schools, a mistress may be substituted for two pupil teachers, and I would strongly recommend your committee to request the Board to agree to such an appointment. A mistress would undoubtedly bo worth two average pupilteachers, and certainly would be far more useful than two in their tirst year of service. We should even then have four out of five in their first or second year of service. lam enclosing herewith a request to you from the IJ.B.1 J .B. Public Schools Amateur Athletic Asssciution to grant the school a holiday on Thursday next, on the occasion of their sports gathering. In connection therewith I would like to say that the children of the schoel are entering into the matter with enthusiasm; numbers of them are entering for the athletic events, and teams of boys and of girls are entering for competition in dumb-bell, wand, and other physical drills and in military drill, and a team of girls in a display in Indian club drill.” The Chairman said that he did not wish to put himself up as an authority against the headmaster, but he thought the proposal to appoint a mistress instead of two pupil teachers would weaken the staff. He thought they should approvo of the headmaster’s suggestion. The report was adopted.

I’UiiLISUIXG SCUOUL RETORTS. The Poverty Bay Branch of the Now Zealand Educational Institute wrote protesting against the publication of school reports, for the following reasons : 1. The report is confidential betweon the Board and its Inspector, and the School Committee and stall. 2. Very often the reports contain technicalities which can only bo understood by tcachors, and which, when read by others, are liable to be misconstrued. o. Conditions vary in different parts of the samo district, and orronoous opinions are often arrived at by treating reports as of comparative value. 4, In no other district is the custom generally followed. 5. It is lowering to the dignity of teachers to havo details of their work publicly criticised. In no other department of the Government service would such a tiling bo tolerated. We never have detailed criticism of the work of the officers of the Government Insurance Department, or the Savings Bank, or any other department, made public like reports on Government schools. If any good were done by such publicity the teaeiier would acquiesce. C. It is detrimental to tbo discipline of the school. To get the greatest valno from the lessons of a teacher, the child must have confidence in him ; anything that lowers his estimation of his teacher reduces the influence the teacher has over him ; the child is, under the system complainod of, placod in a position of critic of his teacher’s work ; lie hears his parents road and discuss the Inspector’s criticisms in his presence—he can even see them for himself, and lie enters school in a frame of mind that makes him hesitato in accepting the teacher’s authority.

Mr Oramond said the reasons givon by the Institute wero very good. Ho thought the reports on the schools should be treated confidentially. Mr Bright said that he had always'held that the reports should not be published.

Mr Sweet thought that two reports should be submitted, one for tho committee’s own guidance and one for the public, tho latter being a general report on the school.

Mr Bright moved : “ That the circular received from tho Poverty Bay Institute has the support of tho Committoo.”

Sir Graham seconded tho motion. Mr File said that ho had observed a report on a country school in the daily papers a few days ago. If tho report had not been a good one, it probably would not havo been published. Mr Sweet thought that tho fact of publishing reports of one or two schools led peoplo to think that the other schools must ho very bad. Mr Bright : That does not necessarily follow.

Mr File : Oh seeing one or two reports parents will naturally ask why the report of the school where their own children are attending has not been published. Mr Sweet agreed with tho circular. It was a bad thing to lower the dignity of the teacher in the eyes of tho children. Mr Graham thought the committeo’s report at the end of tho year ought to bo sufficient for all purposes. If two reports wore supplied by tho Inspector.they would only be misleading the public. Tho Secretary said that it had been tho custom for years not to publish reports on the Gisborne school. Tho Chairman’s motion was carried unanimously.

AN APPOINTMENT.

Tho Chairman stated that a good deal of correspondence had passed in regard to tho appointment of a second master of the Secondary School. After an interview with tho Board of Governors, it had been decided to ask the Board to call for fresh applications for the position, the salary to be £2OO per year. The Committee approved of the steps that had been taken.

A HOLIDAY,

It was decided to grant a holiday on Thursday next for the school sports at the Park. The Chairman said that he hoped all the members of the Committee would make a point of attending.