WAIAREKA SCHOOL. SOME STARTLING REVELATIONS. (Dunedin Star.)

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8166, 22 April 1895, Page 4

WAIAREKA SCHOOL. SOME STARTLING REVELATIONS. (Dunedin Star.)

tico was to examine in each of theso subjects not less than half the clashes taughb by the same teacher, and he hud nob the least doubt that this was done in Mr Fiasor's case. In Mr Fraspr's school fchero wore three classes in history, and ho did not doubt that at least two of their* were oxaiuiupd. " Science occupied only four or five rainutoa." Ho could not say what time was given to the examination, but he was certain that enough was givou to enable him to thoroughly test thn knowledge of the pupils. Ho should nob attempt to test the science of any class in "four or (ivo minutes." The fifth charge was "that poetry and exercises were not examined iv tho mistress's room." — Were these subjects unexamined his notes would have disclosed tho omission, and tho entry mado in tho report would not have been inado. luthia room there wero two classes liablo for examination in pootry. It was not likely that both woro examined, but one of them must havo been. Tho day being wot, and thoro being no playshed, tho children not under examination had to take hholtor iv tho lobby, and Miss Andrews, tho mistress, was frequently there keeping them quiet. At any ra'o, sho was frequently out of tho room, and ho thought ho was right in saying she was in tho lobby. Tho pootry might havo boon hoard in hor absence, but heard it must Uavo been. As to Iho exorcises, they woro soen citlior separately or in connection with tho action songs. " Tho geography was marked ' fair ' in ono report, and ' very fair ' in tho other." In tho one caso tho subject stood alotio and iv tho othor it was grouped with two other subjects. As tho difference between " fair " and "very fair" was not groaf. and, aa tho latter was moro favorablo to tho toachor than tho former, ho did not consider that in placing geography under tho more favorablo description ho was doing an injustica to tho teacher. " ' (iood order ' in tho manuscript report of last year nnd • satiasactory ' iv tho published report." Ho did not oxamino i-ho schools last year, and was therefore not responsible for tho report. "In tho Third Standaid Mr Goyou went beyond tho requirements in asking tho pupils to parso a relative pronoun, to givo its antecedent, and to state whether it was singular or plural." Nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and verbs wero tho parts of speech the pupils of Standaid 111. wero expected to know. Ho did not ask for tho antscedont of tho relative pronoun. Ho asked tho children to name nouns for which pronouns stood, and to say whether the nouns meant ono thing or more than ono thing. In tho courso of tho examinations ho had found that most of tho grosser errors in composition woro duo to tho want of attention to the agrcomont in number botweon tho noun and its verb and between tho pronoun and tho noun for which it stood. He did not speak to Mr Fraser in a tono of aspority, nor did he say anything that could, by a fair mind, bo tortured into that. Ho did not say anything to the members of committee that should tend to the prejudico of Mr Frasor, nor did they say anything to him that indicatod tlwt they woro greatly diesatisQod with Mr Frasor.

Mr P. B. FrftBer wrote bo tho Education Board resingmg his position ns bead- master of the Waiarekft School, and urgiDg on the inquiry asked by him into bhe complaints he had mado against the last examination of tho school, fie asked tbat, if the Committee appointed to inquire into the case hud not boon reported his resignation should bo held over, and that he be reliovod from duty at tho cud of April. The Chairman Baid tho Committoo appointed wero Messrs Mackenzie, Fraser, and himself, Mr Mackenzie being out of towD, Mr Fraser and himself had met, and thoir report was aa follows : •' Your Committeo appointed to inquire into certain charges mado by Mr P. B. Fraaer, head-toachor ot tho Waiaroka /School, against Inspectors Coyen and Fitzgorald, in connection with the last examination of tho Waiareka School, bog to submit tho following report : 11 Aftor duo consideration we decided to hold the inquiry in Dunedin on the 130 th March, and Mr Fraser was notified of the fact). We at the samo timo agreed to accept any written evidence which he was prepared to bring forward. Mr Fraser objected to this couise, and entered into a long corrospondenoo which is herewith sub' mitted. Tho Committee met at tho appointed time, but as neither Mr Fraser, nor anyone ropiesenting him ' put in an appoaranco the inquiry was adjourned till tho 3rd of April, in I order to give him an opportunity of ! collecting and submitting his evidence. As Mr Fraser declined to attend on this day also we closed tho inquiry. The written ovidence of tho three com. initteemon who were present at the examination in question was submitted by the inspectors. This evidence does not support Mr Frasers allegations. Had Mr Fraser been continuing in the uervice of tho Board we would probably after his refusal to come to Dunedin, have proceeded to Waiareka to hold the inquiry, but aa he has resigned his position we felt that no further action og our own part was necessary. 'John F. M. Fka&ek, ' Henry Clahk." The Chairman moved, and Mr Cohen seconded 2>ro /unna, the adoption of the report. Mr Macgrogor said that after hearing the report he was compelled to tay there was evidently a desire on the part of the committee to burke the inquiry, and it was a contemptible action on their part to say that Mr Fraser was in the wrong. The Committee were appointed to go to Waiareka to hold the inquiry, but they bad not gone. Instead of that they sat in Dunedin. The speaker read lengthy correspondence, showing tbat Mr Fraser wished the Committee to hold to the Board's decision to have the inquiry at Waiareka, where he bad his witnesses. In one letter Mr Fraser wrote stating that, although he resigned bis position, he would like the Board to retain in their hands the power to dismiss him if, after the inquiry, they found any reason for doing so. Tho luncheon adjournment was taken at this stage, and og the Board resuming at two o'clock. Mr Macgregor spoke of the origin of the case under consideration. Tho Waiareka School Committee sent a recommendation to the Board that there should be a change of teacher. The letter containing thij recommendation wai referred to Mr Fraser for his explanation, and Mr Fraser wrote a long letter in which be mado certain statements as to Mr Qoyen's manner of conducting the examination. The action of the Committee had reference to an inspection report by Mr Petrie, and the Committee had intimated to Mr Fraser indirectly that if the next examination report was not more favorable they would take the action which they subsequently took, In hia explanation Mr Fraser wrote : " Regarding Mr Goyen's examination of the school. I beg respectfully to inform tho Board that it would be woll-nigh impossible to get children to make a good appearance, oven after a whole year of hard work, in the face of the sarcasm and invective to which thoy were subjected. Furthor, there are some thing in Mr Goyen's report which I cannot understand. For example, regarding spelling, ho says < it w<ia good in all classes except Standard IV., implying that in that) standard it was bad. In point of fact, out of eight presented in that class only one failed, and out of forty-one presented in that subject in my room only two (brothers) failed. With regard to history, which bo reports ' moderate,' it is fair to say that he asked a few questions of the Third Standard and that tho upper standards the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth (divided into two different classes) he did not examine at all. The examination of my iclence, a subject) described as 1 moderate, 1 occupied four or five minutes for all my room. What is stranger still, the inspector report? on certain other subjects which he did not oxamino in any way. For example, the poetry of the mistress's room is Baid to bo ' very fairly known,' and yet Mr Goyen did not hear a line of it. Again, he describe* the ' disciplinary exercises ' of that room at ' very fair,' yet he did not see any, for none were given. Moreover, I cannot underBtand why class geography, in tho report furnished to the Board, should be described ' very fairly known,' while in that to the Committeo ib is only ' fair,' any more than I can explain why last year tho school was Baid in its report to have ' good order/ though in the Board's published reporb is only ' satisfactory.' In the Third Standard grammar Mr Goyen went beyond the requirements in asking the pupils to parse a relative pronoun, to give its ' antecedent ' or • plural,' I protested at tho time, bub was told in a tone of asperity, in front of my claßs and members of committee, that I could not teach Third bbandard com- I position without teaching such formal I grammar as indicated above with I One or two rulei of concord beiidei. I

I may Bay I presented sixteen pupils iv Third Standard composition, and only two failed." Mr Frasers explanation was then referred to Inspector Goyen, who sent a reply, and the Hoard then ordered an inauiry into tho complaints against tho inspector. Tho action of ' tho Board's Comrnibtee was unjustii'N ablo. The repoit, ho held, was frainoJ deliberately for tho expross purposo of closing tho aftair — (The Chairman : Hear, hear.) — and make it appoar that Mr Eraser was iv tho wrong. — (The Chairman ; No.) Tho Committee had shown that they were unwo'thy of the trust imposed on thoni ; they had humbugged tho thing for nearly six months — au injustice to tho teacher and to tho inspector — and now an injustice was threatened to both teacher and inspector by adopting tho report. Tho Committeo should now bo discharged ; ib would bo absurd to ask thorn to deal with it ngaiu. Tho most satisfactory course to pursue, he thought, was to ask tho Miuister of Justico to appoint) Mr Ctirew to hold the inquiry. Mr Cohen said the Board had not shirked tho inquiry, aud they should deal with the case. Tho Chairman admittod that tho inquiry had stood over for a time, but there was a reason for that. Whon the inquiry was first ordered ho had to leave on business in tho country, and while on that trip thoy met with an accident, which further delayed tho matter. When ho was prepared to go to "NVainreka Mr Fraser was ill, I and ib was then resolved to hold tho | iuquiry in Duuedin, believing thnt it might be held hero without detriment •to either party. Tho result was that the complainant would nob appear ■ with his witnesses. 110 would liko to say that the minuto of tho JJoard w/vm that the inquiry should be held, and nothing was said as to whom it should de held.— (" No.") Of course, if tho , Board wished tho inquiry to bo held he would have no objection to it, but he J would object to going ouUido the i Board with tho matter. In answer to Mr M'Kpitow, the I Chairman said there wero letters from , three of the Waiaroka School Com1 mitteo bearing on tho examination it question. Tho Secretary read the letters. Mi Wade, clerk of the Committee, wrote stating that Mr Goyon oxamincd tlu I school in a business-like way, and thai j it was not to the children's credit thai j they had to be prompted so much ai i they wero. The school was examinee I fairly, both aa regards Mr Fraser am the pupils. Mr Willett and Mi Williams, also members of the Com uuittee, wrote that Inspector Goyei ireated Mr Fraser and tho pupils wit) every courtesy. Mr Cohen thought tlmb the inquin . should proceed, and that it should b held ab Waiareka, wheie all the ovi> denco could be found. Mr Mackouzie said that it wa practically determined by tho Boan | that the inquiry should bo held a I Waiareka, and perhaps tho otho ' members of tho Committee mado i mistake in holding tho inquiry ii Uunedin on April 3. Ho would havi attended the Committee's meeting but he was engaged on tho Taril Commission, which took him awa; from Dunedin. Mr Green thought an inquiry $,houl< have been held. The Chairman, with the permissior of the Hoard, withdrew his motion fo the adoption of tho report, and moved that it be simply received. The amended motion was carried Mr Macgregor dissenting. Mr Frasers resignation of his posi tion was then accepted. Mr Borrie moved—" That a Com inittee of tho wholo Board bo ap pointed to hold an inquiry into th< matter at Waiareka on a date to b< fixed by the chairman, three to form r quoium." Mr M'Kerrow seconded the motion Mr Macgregor moved an amend, meufc — "Thab the Minister of Education bo asked to appoint Mr Carew, 01 some other magistrate, to hold ar inquiry into the mattor." Mr Cohen seconded tho amendmont pro for ma. Tho amendment was lost, and the motion was carried. Inspector Goyen's reply to the charges made against him by Mr Y. 3, KiMser, lato headmaster of tho Waiareka School, wad laid on tho tablo at a late hour yesterday afternoon. Inspector Goyen jontended that there was no ground for saying that tho children wero subjected to " sarcasm invective." lie spared no pains to ascertain tho condition of tho schools, bub ho treated tho children with tho greatest; kindness, and tho man who allirined the contrary afiirnaed whab was not true. The presence of two or three coinmittcemen was, no doubt, of somo disadvantage both to toachor and to nervous children j bub itibpoc^ j tors had no other means of defence against charges of ( harshness,' ' sarcasm,' ' invective,' ' frowns,' ' asperity,' ' severity.' Ho was willing to leave his defence to tho committeemen of Otago, hundreds of whom had seen him examine ono or other of tho schools. As to tho spelling of Standard IV, if the same perooutago of correcb spelling had been required in this examination as was required in tho examinations of previous years, not ono but four pupils oub of tho eigh 1 ) oxamiaed would have failod One boy had seven error*, and each of three othors had three errors. No examiner would bo justified in describing this as good spelling of a passage of a few lines selected from v, book specially prepared. As to tho history, ib was impossiblo for him to say what timo was given to tho examination in oaoh subject in whioh tho several classes wero oxarcinod ora'ly, but he was certain that he had in no case examined a class in tho perfunctory manner implied by Mr Frasers " few questions of tho Third Standard " If there was time all were examined, but frequently there was not time, and then the inspector adopted tho principle of sampling advocated by tho Board some time ngo. Hia (Ingpector Goyen's) prao- ,