"Abusive" Letter

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 153, 16 July 1937, Page 4

"Abusive" Letter

PORT SCHOOL'S CASE Education Board "Receives" Complaint INACCURATE STATEMENT "The letter is abusive, and I'm not going to be abused by anyone who wants to kick a football at me," said the chairman of the Hawke's Bay Education Board, Mr. G. A. Maddison, at the board meeting this morning in reference to a complaint from the Port Ahuriri School Committee regarding additional accommodation at the schpol. Members agreed that several statements in the letter- were inaccurate, and a resolution was passed that tbe letter should be "recoived." The letter stated that no reply had been received to a request to the board in February for an additional room, arid that the question of the attendance of Port Ahuriri pupils at the In termediate School had been introduced instead. The committee objected to such an evasion of the facta by the board. "Evasivs and Misleading." The letter classed as ''evasive and misleading" a statement by the board that there was adequate accommodation at Port Ahuriri.' It was stated that it was the Minister's intention to house all the pupils in the new buildings and the fact that a considerable number were still taught in the old condemned building two years after the erection of a new school was a refleotion on the board's "administrative inventions," and the board cannot escape responsibility. In the committee's opinion indications were that not one more room but two wpuld ultimately be required, and the obvious procedure for the board to adopt was to seek departmental sanction tQ carry out the original plan to complete the building, and not continue to victimise the Port because the committee did not concur with the Intermediate School proposals as they affecttd its district. "I don't feel inclined to consider this," said Mr. Maddison. "I don't think their comments are accurate, and until a body such as the Port Ahuriri School Committee can address the board in the way it should we should not deal with the letter." Mr. "W. Cuthbertson : It is ridiculous the way the committee has adopted this attitude. We do flatter ourselves that we have some knowledge of what is necessary for the welfare of the children. Cronndwork Undermined. Mr. G. H. Cooke: Your gpoundwork has been undermined in some way, Mr. Chairman. The committee holds a letter from the Minister of Education saying that it is not compelled to send its pupils to the Intermediate School and it is taking advantage of that. The committee seems to think we are holding a big stick over it, "If the Minister has given them to understand that they can still serve themselves in the upper standards it is very wrong, '» he continued. 14 1 understand that^ a copy of this letter has gone to the Minister — perhaps I should not say that," Mr. Cooke paid. Mr. T. Rowe: I think any school committee should speak to the board in respectful terms. To a certain extent that committee is kicking against th'e pricks. Mr. Maddison said that the Minister pleaded with the committee, in the inleresis of the children, to send them to the in termediate School, and had said that Aecommodation for standards five and six could not be provided in tli.o new school. "This letter is perfectly unjustijied," he added. "1 think that personally, and with members of the board, I have done a great deal for thq school, aua I hold special letters, addressed to me in person, thanking me for my assistance in the matter of ground iiuprovements, We have granted them special privileges. "The letter is abusive, and I'm not going to be abused by anyone who iikes to kick a football at me. I move that the letter be received, and that we riiorm the committee that the file ie opm for its perusal if it wishes." The motion was carried.