MR HULKE'S CHARGES AGAINST THE INSPECTOR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 89, 2 July 1880, Page 2

MR HULKE'S CHARGES AGAINST THE INSPECTOR.

* (From the Wanganui Herald, of Wednesday.) Mr Hulke attended, and the Chairman informed him that he would take the charges in the order that he had made them. Mr Hulke stated that the reason he made this charge was not on account of personal bias. He wished the Board to discover whether there was any truth in the rumours flying about the country. The Inspector is the distributor of the money placed in their hands for educational purposes. The Committees look to his report for guidance in judging of the merits of the teachers, and remunerate them accordingly. This is the only reason he had in bringing this accusation ; to place the Board in possession of information they should have. The first charge is that his examination is not in conformity with regulation. The pupils have regulations which regulate the work done at each ' examination .according to the regulation. Long multiplication of money was thus exempted from the third Standard, and ho should produce evidence that these questions were put. This was a part of the studies of the fourth Standard., yot Mr Foulis reports that

children of the third Standard were puzzled by such question.*. Mr Foulis asked if he did not toll the children of that Standard that Jkf was optional with thqm to answer that question. Mr flulke : — They did not understand you. Mr Foulis denied ever putting questions that were not in conformity with the regulation. Mr Hulke called Miss Minnie Burr, who stated : Went up for examination of the third Standard of Foxtou School. Was required to do two compound multiplication and one compound .division sum. One was 600 articles at 17s 6d and the same number at 7s 6d. The other was long division of money. Had previously seen the Standards as to what the examination was to be. By Mr Foulis — Five sums were dictated to me. Do not recollect you saying anything to the effect that the third Standard could make nonesense of that" question if they chose. I remember you saying to the class that if they answered it correctly it would pull them through. By Mr Boss — Am 18 years of age. The next charge was that places named by Mr Foulis were not on the maps or in the books in our schools. Mr Hulke said the Inspector asked for the names of three rivers running through Asia into the White Sea. There is no White Sea on the coast of Asia. The Chairman said it was sometimes advisable to put a negative question. Mi Hulke — The question was put to all the children, and they were told that they certainly should know them. I say that his report cannot be taken as evidence of the state of education in this district. I say that he asked for places that don't exist. Negative questions are said to be repulsive to the mind of every child by Professor Bamsay, as they instinctively feel they are being led into a trap. By Mr Foulis — You detained the class ten minutes answering these questions. The previous question went smoothly till you asked those questions. You asked each child in that class separately one after the other. By Bey. J. Boss — I sometimes ask negative questions, but always caution the children beforehand that we are going to have some fun. Never asked such a question in a written examination ; nothing but grammatical errots to correct* Miss Minnie Burr deposed — The question given i» William Howe was " Name three rivers running through Siberia into the White Sea." He tried to answer it. He said North Dwi. Other children in the class were asked the same question. The whole class in fact. It was put separately to each child. Did not answer it because the White Sea is not in Asia. To Mr Foulis— Could not say how long you were examining the class on this question. By the Chairman — Mr Foulis was not very long. By Mr Foulis — You did not name any of the children. Mr Hulke (in reply to Mr SausonV — She could not tell from memory the number in the class. There were 16. Miss E. Howan gave evidence corroborative of that given by Miss Burr, stating in addition that she really imagined the Inspector thought there was a White Sea in Asia. She recollected the time taken over the question, because they were waiting for Howe to answer. Mr Hulke said there were either 19 or 20 girls said in this report to be weak in geography. No .wonder when this was the style of conducting the examination. Mr Stewart was as much disgusted as myself, and promised if he could to come from Waitotara to this meeting. If any of tho gentlemen present desire to hear what the children can do when fairly examined, they can at any time take them iv history from Herodotus, 500 8.C., to the date of the penny postage stamp in the reign of Victoria. Affidavits from J. F. Bockstrow and John M'Cullooh were read as to the efficiency of the children in history, made at a subsequent date. Mr Hulke said he produced these affidavits to show that these children could answer any reasonable question iv accordance with the dictum of the best authorities. The next charge was that the historical facts of the Inspector differed materially from those given in the text-book. One boy was called up and asked which were the sovereigns that reigned longest ltt the land. The boy answered two, and when about to name the third, was interrupted by the Inspector saying, "Yes, my boy ; Queen Elizabeth was the last." •■■■:.• The following is condensed from the Wangauui Chonicle : — The fourth charge related to the defective pronunciation of the Inspector, in support of which Mr Hulke put in a protest by the parents of children attending the school based upon the reports of the children, also a letterfrom Mr Flower, a former chairman of the Foxton Committee, referring to the previous examination. The Board refused to recognise either of the documents. The fifth charge referred to the careless* marking of the slates by the

Inspector, several marked "wrong" being rights and- wee versa,- Affidavits were put in by Messrs Stewart, /HjPallbcli, and Rockstrow, also by Mrfinlke, in support of this charge. The Chairman thought the slates should have been produced. Mr Snelson thought Mr Hulke had failed to prove the slates had not been tampered with after the marking. •>.•-.- Mr M'Gregor thought Mr Hulke should have looked ovetf the slates immediately after the examination. The. Inspector pointed out . ]bhe children might themselves Have altered the slates after he had marked them. The sixth, charge was, that the inspector stated in his report that » "the infants at the Foxton School ♦• read and knew their letters fairly," ! whereas he had never examined them. Mr Hulke furnished proof in support of the charge. In reply to this charge the Inspector produced a note he had received the day before from Miss M'Phee, stating that six children who had gone up for examination ought not to have been scheduled at all for the first standard. These he (Mr Foulis) classed as infants, and reported favourably on them, regarding them as a type of the whole. They spelt very fairly, and he gave them and their teaohers the credit they deserved. Mr Snelson thought the charges frivolous in the extreme, and that the witnesses had been tutored beforehand. He thought the Inspector's explanation, re the Foxton infant examination satisfactory, and pointed out the probability of boys correcting their slates directly they saw the Inspector's marks. He sympathised with Mr Foulis. He would move, 11 That the charges brought by Mr Hulke against Mr Foulis have not been proven, and that the Board sympathises with Mr Foulis in this enquiry." - Mr Contts, in seconding the motion, hoped both parties would learn wisdom from the result. Mr Boss supported the motion, and jt was astonished so much time and trouble had been taken in achieving such small results. He was astonished so little had been brought against the Inspector, considering how many were watching him. Mr Sanson strongly opposed the motion, and thought their sympathy should be with Mr Hulke. "With regard to Mr Hulke's report re the neglect to examine the infants, the speaker had some time before named .tfee^aubject to Mr Foulis, telling him ▼ that he had heard in Foxton that he had not examined them. Mr Foulis then explained to him that he had gone in to the room and had picked out here and there, and had in that way. This explanation satisfied the speaker at the time, but the different way Mr Foulis explained the matter this afternoon compelled him to doubt the veracity of both statements. He considered the several statements fully proved, and he was far from sympathising with Mr Foulis in the matter. Mr Notinan opposed the motion also, and said he did not consider Mr Foulis fit for the position of Inspector. Mr Watt supported the motion strongly, and said the charges had been got up by a man who was always in hot water, and who had unfortufaftely .settled among as cantankerous a set of people as could 1 ' be found anywhere. They would all agree with him there. (Laughter.) Mr M'Gregor supported the motion, winch was carried — For the motion, Messrs Watt, Boss, Snelson, Coutts, and M'Gregor. 'Against — M^srs Sanson and Notman. •Mr Sansdn then gave notice of motion to discharge the Inspector, on payment of a quarter's salary.

tution absolutely necessary.