BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2479, 17 March 1882, Page 3

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

An ordinary meeting of the Board of Education for the North Canterbury district was hold yesterday afternoon at three o’clock. Present—Mr John Inglis (chairman), Messrs Cunningham, Peryman, Booth, Montgomery, Webb and tbe Rev. 0. Eraser.

The Chairman’s report of business transacted since last meeting was read and approved. The Chairman, before the other business was proceeded with, read the following statement :—“ I have been informed that the Press Association have telegraphed to various parts of the colony, that a grave scandal had occurred at the Normal School, and I observe that great prominence is given in a local weekly paper to the matter. The complaint, which was made to the Bosrd at its last meeting of alleged indelicacy on the part of some of the infan:s has been thoroughly investigated by Mr Malcolm, while the gentleman who made the complaint was allowed the opportunity of questioning the infants said to be implicated. But there was no evidence adduced substantiating the charge. Moreover, he (the gentleman referred to) expressed himself perfectly satisfied with the course adopted by the Board. In future a teacher will take charge of the infants in the play-ground daring dinner hour.” He thought it desirable to make this statement because undue prominence bad been given in the press to the matter, and it seemed to him a great shame that anybody should have given such information with regard to a question of this kind before the Board had considered it at all or bad auy opportunity of investigating it. He wished to call attention also to the fact that in tbe “New Zealand Herald” of March 2nd there appeared these words—“ The Board of Education discussed the letter I mentioned yesterday in committee to-day. It created considerable consternation in that august body,” and so on. He' thought it advisable, after reading this, to look at the other papers to aecertain how this information had been telegraphed. He found by reference to the “New Zealand Herald” that it was telegraphed from an “ Own correspondent.” The paragraph that appeared in the other papers did not profess to get its information from the Board room at all, and was sent by the Press Association. When he first saw this it appeared to him that one of the reporters bad been guilty of a breach of confidence, and he accordingly made enquiries at the “ Lyttelton Times ” office to ascertain whether any of the reporters belonging to that paper had reported business which had taken place in committee. The editor made enquiries, and assured him by private letter that their reporter had net been guilty of anything of the kind. He acknowledged the justice of what he (Mr Inglis) said, and agreed that if any of the reporters had been guilty of such an act, they were liable to very grave censure, and it would be perfectly right for the Board to refute to allow the reporters to remain in the room on any occasion when they wished to consider a matter privately. Mr Loughnan said this was a special case, and he had satisfied himself that none of his reporters had communicated the intelligence. He (Mr Inglis) was very glad that that was the case. But somebody must have told what had been dona in the Board-room, and he could hardly suppose it was any member of the Board.

Mr Webb—Tbit matter was considered in committee, I suppose ? I was not here. The Chairmen —Yes. Mr Webb—l have been for some time a member of the Board, and I never heard of such a thing occurring before. As you say, it will become necessary for the Board to object to the reporters being present when wo are in committee. We believe them to be gentlemen, and they are in our confidence when we are in committee. I don’t suppose that any member of the Board communicated the information.

The Peebb reporter asked permission to say one or two words, but the Chairman said he could not be allowed to do so. The Board then went into committee to consider the report of Mr Malcolm, the Principal of the Normal School On resuming it was resolved, on the motion of Mr Webb—“ That after hearing the report of the principal, the Board is of opinion that the statement made by the chairman is sufficiently complete, and requires no further expression of opinion on the part of the Board.”

The Chairman subsequently stated that the reporter for the Press desired to say that ho did not report any of the proceedings referred to or make any mention of them whatever, except to the editor of the paper, privately.

The report of Professor Cook and Mr Veel was read on the redistribution of the scholarships offered for competition by the Board, with the view of establishing a now class E. The report also contained suggestions on matters which had been brought under the notice of the examiners for the scholarships in question. They suggested that there should be still two scholarships for each of the classes A, B, O and D ; but that one of the two unappropriated scholarships should be given to a new class E in which the age of the candidates should not exceed fifteen years, and that the remaining scholarship be awarded in any of the five classes, according to the result of the examination. They recommended that all children should be allowed to compete in any class, except those attending recognised secondary schools—schools at which the Board might from time to time determine that its scholarships were tenable. Children at these latter schools should be allowed to compete only in classes O, D, and E, and only when they had gone to the secondary school as the holders of scholarships gained in classes A, B, and O. The principles involved in these recommendations were those which were laid down in the second report of tho Royal Commission on University and Higher Education. If they were adopted means would be provided whereby deserving candidates for the Board’s scholarships wore brought within reach of the Junior University Scholarships, for which the lowest limit of age was sixteen years; thus, the children of poor parents would be helped to take advantage of the highest culture which the colony afforded. At the same time, the scheme was not open to objection on the score of giving undue advantage to those whose parents were able and willing to pay for their education. It was also recommended that holders of scholarships which were still current should not bo allowed to try for other scholarships without first resigning those which they already held. For olaeiei A, B, and C no change, either in subjects or marks, was proposed. Particulars of subjects and marks for classes D and B were given. In class D the amount of mathematics required was somewhat reduced, and it was proposed to introduce Latin and French. In reference to the latter recommendation, it was remarked “ that it must be borne in mind that the ordinary pupils at secondary schools will, if the propo-als are adopted, be shut out from the competition, and that it will be confined to those children whom the Board has, at an earlier stage of their career, already selected for the advantages of a superior education.” The consideration of the report was deferred until next meeting

Some correspondence was read in reference to a complaint by a parent of undue and undeserved punishment administered to bis daughter aged seven years. It appeared that one of the teachers struck tho girl on the head with a book. Mr Montgomery asked if this was not prohibited by the regulations ? The Chairman said that it was. Mr Montgomery thought any teacher who inflicted punishment in that way should bo dismissed at. once, and he moved that an instruction be sent to all the schools, to the effect that, under no circumstances whatever, was a child to be struck on the head. The motion was seconded and carried unanimously. The Board disposed of a Inrge amount of correspondence and dealt with a quantity of routine business, and then adjourned till the 30th instant.