BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1047, 2 November 1877, Page 3

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Thursday, November 1. The Board met at 3 p.m. Present—Messrs J. Inglis (chairman), Tancred, Duncan, Webb. BUSINESS DONE BY THE CHAIRMAN. _ The business done by the chairman since last meeting of the Board was approved. NORMAL SCHOOL. A letter was read from the Department of Justice, stating that Mr Kennaway had been communicated with in reference to the engagement in England of a second mistress for the infant department of the Normal Training School, which had been authorised by the Government. THE LOBTTRN CASE. The following letters were read from Rev. Father Binsfield, on the subject of the alleged flogging case at Loburn : Oxford West, October 29. Sir, —I have much pleasure in acknowledging the receipt of your letter of the 19th inst., and I regret that my duties and absence from home prevented me from forwarding to you at an earlier date the subjoined particulars re the Loburn case which you wish to possess previous to holding the intended enquiry. The following are the parties aggrieved:—l. Wm. McConville, sixteen years old, and son of Bernard McConville, alleges that he was on several occasions punished by Mr Howard for not performing in a satisfactory manner the prescribed Bible lesson after his father had informed Mr Howard that he did not wish his son to be compelled to perform the Bible lesson. 2. Patrick Casserley, sixteen years old, and son of Thomas Casserley, of Loburn, states that he was punished for the same reason about every second day during five years. His father being nearly always absent, he was frequently told by his mother not to assist at the Bible class, but he did not deliver the message to Mr Howard for fear of getting more punished. 3. Michael Casserley, about thirteen years old, and brother of the last mentioned, complains of the same treatment for the same cause as his brother. 4. Ellen Brady, thirteen years old, daughter of Philip Brady, of Loburn, attended Mr Howard's school from 1874 to 1875. The Bible was read to her, and afterwards she had to write down what had been read, and was punished when her task was not properly done. She also had been told by her mother not to be present at the Bible lesson, but like the Casserley's did not like to mention the matter to Mr Howard. 5. John Brady, about eleven years old, and brother of Ellen Brady, says that in coming to Mr Howard's school he was asked by the teacher to read the Bible, but declined doing so because his mother did not wish him to read it, and still he was kept in the Bible class and had to write down the lessons read, and like his sister was punished when his task was not well done. 6. Michael Doyle, about twelve years old, and son of Michael Doyle, of Loburn, complains of having many times been severely boxed for not giving satisfaction to Mr Howard in the Bible class. This, dear sir, is the substance of the complaints of the above children. They say that the punishment inflicted on them consisted in being either boxed or caned, and that this state of things continued from 1870 to May 1875. Parents were under the impression that they should have to withdraw tlie children altogether from school unless the latter attended the Bible class. In conclusion, allow me to state that I brought this matter before the public simply on account of the new Bill of Education then before the House of Assembly, and my sole reason for so doing was not to lay charges against any individual party, but to show by facts that abuses of the above kind would be legally sanctioned if that Bill was to pass into law in its primitive form. I have, &c, J. N. Binsfield. Secretary Board of Education, Christchurch. The correspondence between Father Binsfield and the chairman of committee was laid on the table. The Chairman said that it was at first proposed that the inquiry should be held by the committee, but Father Binsfield objected to Mr Cunningham holding the inquiry, and required that the Board should conduct it. The Board, however, before undertaking the inquiry .desired to have before it some facts upon which to found their judgment as to the necessity of a formal inquiry being made. The letter of Father Binsfield now before the Board supplied the information as to the alleged offence and the parties aggrieved. Mr Duncan considered it necessary that a most searching enquiry should be made into the whole of the facts. It was resolved that the secretary pi'oceed to Loburn, and make a thorough investigation, and to request the attendance of all persons. FRENCH I ARM. It was resolved that an election be held on Monday week, for a member of committee in place of Mr T. Dicken, resigned. After the transaction of some further business, of a routine character, the Board adjourned.