EDUCATION BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1598, 15 August 1916, Page 4

EDUCATION BOARD.

MR. FRED PIRANI RE-ELECT-ED CHAIRMAN.

Mr Pirani has been re-elected Chairman of the AVanganni Education Board by five votes to three, over Mr Mclntyre.

Mr Pirani, on taking his seat, after referring to the difficulties to be faced this year, said the position was not a sinecure. It did not

carry any remuneration such as mayors and chairmen of harbour boards received. An education board chairman was always out of pocket. He loved the work, but it was an unfair position for a public man to be placed in. Thei’e was a cabal amongst the inefficient teachers, who were going about from corner to corner trying to pick holes and —

A member: Question! Mr Pirani: Yes, they go to Wellington to use their influence with the Department against the Board. Proceeding, the chairman said the new members would be amazed at the things possible, things of a kind that had debawned old members from standing. If the new members wished to retain their self-re-spect they would have great influences to combat.. - He was speaking plainly, and he knew what he was peaking about. The old members ■vvnuld sayV’the same thing. Before six months had passed the new memborS; would; it for themselves. He (Mr Pirani) had been discussed "outside, hut the old members, the inspectors, the teachers who did their work —don’t ask the teachers who had not the interests of education at heart —and all would say they were satisfied with the administration. Since he had been chairman of the Board he had endeavoured to make every member conversant with the work, also of giving them the responsibility of looking after educational work in their respective parts of the district. Directly the secretary received notice of any matter, a copy of the letter was sent to the member in the part of the district concerned, and who would be asked to report independently. A lot of business had to be done at intervals, and a lot of small matters had to be dealt with by the chairman and secretary with the assistance of the inspectors. No member of the Board would have complaint; that he had nothing to do. Ho hoped they would all realise their responsibilities and assist in every way’. There wore three ex-teachers on the old Board, and if any injustice was alleged by 7 teachers then it was done by their old associates as well as by the Jay members of the Board. The first consideration should alway’s be the children. If they were not getting fair play it was llte members’ duty to see that they did. The second consideration was the teachers, and they had very’, little to complain about. — Chronicle.