Feilding School Complaints.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, 28 February 1890, Page 2

Feilding School Complaints.

The following is the report of the Committee appointed to 11014 inquiry atFeilding: — We have to report that we visited FeiWing m 30th January and held an enquiry in the presence of six members of the School Committee, into the com* plaints of rude, discourteous treatment preferred, by ,Mrs Lfcsaman, assistant mistress against the headmaster, Mr Wilks. The enquiry occupied the whole of the afternoon. We. find that Mr Wilks, has not on all occasions treated Mrs Lissaman with courtesy that a lady has the right to expect from a gentleman, but that he bias on several occasions addressed her in such a manner as necenavily to. cause strained relations to exist between himself and the lady in question, and to weaken her influence in the school. On the other hund we find that Mrs Liasaman, who is acknowledged by Mr Wilks tq be a willing and capable teacher; is so excitable in, temperament and voluble in expression that without apparently being aware of it, wastes time that ought to be de* roted to continuous and systematic instruction and thus" > exhausts the patience of the headmaster* We recommend thut Mr Wilks be instructed in exercising the oversight required by the Bbavd over the work of his subordinates, to treat them with due consideration ancrcourtegy, and not on any aecoant to address them in such a manuer as to humilate. them before their scho l ars*^-Gaßi»r Carson, Gko. S. Bake*.

The Chronicle gives the following a?count of the discussion on the game at the Board's meeting en Tuesday last; The committee which had visited Folding and inquired into the complaints made by Mp Liesaman against Mr Wilks, reported that they found that he had not treated Mrs Ltfsamanwith the courtesy that * lady had a right to expect from ft gentleman,, but that he had on several otcasipnu, addressed her in ■uch a manner -.as necessarily to cause stiained r-lationg *j exisD, and to weaken her, influence in the school. On the other. Wand, thafcAtrs Liaeaman, who is acknowledged by Mr Walk, to ba^wUing ifcd capable teaoher, was so excitable iv temperament and -rolu^in expression that she, appnrentiy.wkhout being aware ol it, wajtea time, aud thu« wbawts the patii««» o fth§ kni-

ma ter. Tb.ey recommended that Mr-Wilksfee instriwted, iv.exercising the oversight, squired by the Board over the woitik of his subordinates, to treat theai with due consideration .And courtesy* and not on any ao^ount to address them in such a manner as" to humilate them beforr. their scholars. The Chairman o f the Feilding CJoommittee forw'ai-ded a resolution passed by therr lt stating fchatin thej r r opinion Mr "* VVilks had l>een in the constant hah of acting towards Mir 3 Lissamar j n 6Ucn a "discourteous and tyran o j ca i manner as not only to greatly i n j ur€ > Jaer feelr ings, but to prevent her gjgr a bl e to make successful progreaii' ,^Th»y expressed their f-^ con fid e nce in MrsLissaman, » >n d desired to retain ier. aervices, w /h j et tney believed, /would be the v feeling of the fttuente. i' ai^ ; - Ihwght. ' tli4t it •would tend gg^iy to the interests of the soho- £jj Ml . ilkß were called en to reeif a a letter from Mr WHto thatMra Lii.sa* IB **.- 'A. c taurht her pupili that a # : *'AA jWI was aaoblong. He W ;^ofw/ iHed long letters denying that J»« had been " discourftoaa ir or "tyrijan/ iqal."^rHr- .(^arsota supplemta^ei.' this i report willia rerbal accom it <f. ,f what, had taken place. Mm Lift «Mf 4ajQ proyi4ed 32 pages qt f obl,fi?a tailed 'f or" twfr hburs. Ylx St 1 «i6h»n and &iss &b^ g^ve cvi«cc, and they gat Wad? from ihe:ie v katftses that Mr Wilks had Hot t' seated her as she ought- to have beem * »ite<i. Whilst proving Mr WilVs • 'loitability, Mrs Lissiaman gave the, ■' most extraWdiuary «videnc-? of l^er Wn. Mr Wilks .stated in his r#i>ly on charges of insubordinatipa, but the whole thing bt'ofce down ; fjhe, only obarge was that sh^ had entered a name in the register. a,p& n«rd a Jso removed two names, a thing iiewo (( uld Mil altew any subordinate ,to It appeared that white. he trfi&U^. the <othen aU right, he treated Mrs. las-;--Aman offensively^ but it wa^ also «hown that she was terribly excn table rand talkative.— Mr Bridge cotneboibrated Mr Carson's report, : but -thought it waf a good deal Mrs Vjis # •«am»n*s own fault. It seemed" to him that there wfls not sufficient reasou to warrant Mr Wilks' remoyt 1 —Mr Nofcman moved the adoption oi" the report, and that a caipy be senfe .to the parties interested, and this, -f was seconded by Mr F. Fry. -A.; lengthly discussion ensued, Messrs. Beckett ond Sanson being in favour ; of adding to it in the way of saying i thai Uf 'Wilks be w«rned that if be. j «annot agree with, his subordinates, lhi» services be dispensed with. — i r Th<»re was a suggestion by Mr Baker" Ha separate the teachers by transfer- , ing Mr« Lissaman, but this, it was. thought by Metsri Notman and Bridge would be equivalent to^ a votes jpf oensure on Mrs Lissaman, where- ; as both the Board's Committee and 1 the School Committee censured Mr. Wilki.— The motion, as originally proposed, was carried unanimously.