BOARD OF EDUCATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5051, 1 June 1877, Page 5

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Board of Education was held yesterday at noon. Present—Hon. C J. Pharazyu (in the chair), Hon. W. Gisborue, and Messrs. Bunny, Beetham, and Toomath. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. BANK ACCOUNT. The Secretary stated that the Board had a balance to its credit on the new account of £3640 12s. OHAKIU. The report of the Inspector as to the condition of the school in the above district was submitted, being to the effect that it was in a precisely similar state to that which ho described in his original report. The letter was referred to the chairman of the local committee. mk. Sinclair's case. It will be remembered that Mr. Sinclair (whose conduct of the Taita school was made the subject of unfavorable comment by the luspector iu his annual report), wrote to the Board a letter, with the object of refutiug the charges -made against him, and also making certain charges against Messrs. Graham and Lee. That fetter was read at the last meeting of the Board, and the subject was postponed till this meeting, in order that Jlr. Lee might have an opportunity of answering it. Mr. Lee made in writing the following statement : " Education Board Office, " Wellington, May 17, 1577. " GENTLEMEN,—I find Mr. Sinclair's letter of the 23id ult. a complete tissue of absurdities. It appears to be written with the object of diverting the attention of your Board from his ownshortcomings. Inordertosatisfyyourßoard that Mr. Sinclair's statements are irrelevant and inconsistent, I will briefly touch upon them in order.

"1. Mr. Sinclair weakly admits that he cannot do more, unless I can give him rules for enforcing better attendance. Better teaching on his part, or rather on the part of a more competent master, would lead to better attendance and better results.

" -2. The statement that the pupils weremore than usually excited on the day of examination may be taken for what it is worth. The examination was scarcely more difficult ; it was different in form, and might have surprised a teacher who looked for a set order of things. Iu any case, there was no hardship, as all schools were examined on the same plan. " 3. I cannot understand what grievance Mr. Sinclair can find in being told by Mr. Graham that there was some chance of bis son getting a scholarship. '* 4. I cannot understand what evidence of impartiality there is in telling a boy who is a candidate for a pupil teacher, that he should be a handy lad, and that he should not bring up his papers stuck upon a pin in about the same order as we see in the streets of London catsmeat stuck upon a skewer. " 5. Mr. Sinclair's defence of his daughter's arithmetic paper is an evidence of his own unfitness for the office of a teacher. I append the examination paper in question, with my remarks made thereon last August. The Board will see that there is no correct work whatever on the paper. I pointed out to Mr. Sinclair what a "discreditable state of things was brought to light by the examination, not one mark being allowed for the paper ; but it was not until some time after the examination that I found out that the failure had arisen from neglect of duty on the part of Mr. Sinclair himself, who had not given Miss Sinclair the four hours special instruction per week required by the regulations of your Board. AVhat, then, is the meaning of Mr. indignation at my remarks on the failure of his daughter ? And what does he mean when he states, evidently to stir up a local feeling in his favor, that the Board would of course stand by their official? It is clear Mr. Sinclair has been for some time in a strait. " 6. Mrs. Sinclair was pronounced by me to be valueless as a teacher. I have been a master as well as a student in one of the largest and best training colleges for schoolmasters in Britain, and I have had a considerable and varied experience of eighteen years in good school work since. It did not, then, take me long to sum up Mrs. Sinclair's capabilities as a teacher,and I candidly, but not offensively, told Mr. Sinclair my opinion. She was removed, and the daughter put in her place. "7. With regard to the very serious charge preferred by Mr. Sinclair against Mr. Graham, I can only say that Mr. Graham reported the matter to me precisely in the form in which he states it. lam of opinion that Mr. Graham neithtr could nor would invent such a statement, and that unless he invented the statement Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair's declarations cannot be true.

" So far as I am personally concerned I look upon these miserable shifts and petty charges on the part of an incompetent teacher as necessarily pertaining to my position. I do not think, however, that such charges, if unproved, should be made witli impunity. The facts which have led to this recrimination on the part of Mr. Sinclair remain. There are no less than one-third of the children attending the Taita school who, after two years' teaching and being of sufficient age, have failed in an examination which should have been exceedingly easy work for them. —I have, &c,

"Eobert Lee, Inspector of Schools." Appended to the letter was the examination paper referred to. The following letter from Mr. Graham, the secretary, in reference to his difference with Mr. Sinclair, was read : " Wellington, May 18. " Gentlemen, —Mr. Sinclair, the master of the Taita school, having in his letter of 23rd April last, addressed to the Chairman of the Board, chosen to deny the accuracy of the statement made by me at the meeting of the Board on the 28th March, in answer to a question put by the Chairman, —I respectfully beg to repeat the said statement, and in corroboration of the same to refer to the Inspector of Schools and Mr. Bunny, to both of which gentlemen I reported the circumstance, to the first officially, and to the second as a member of the Board. " Should the Board deem it necessary, seeing that Mr. Sinclair has backed his denial by affidavits of himself and wife, I am perfectly prepared to make affidavit as to the correctness of the statemeut made by me.—T have, &c, " Ciiaiu.es Graham, Secretary." The Chairman said that Mr. Lee appeared to be perfectly in tho right, and he should be inclined, therefore, to vote for Mr. Sinclair's dismissal.

Mr. GRAHAM asked the Board to express in some way its disapproval of the conduct of Mr. Sinclair in making statements regarding him which were utterly without foundation. Mr. Toomath thought that was not a matter the Board could deal with ; they had simply to consider Mr. Sinclair's conduct as an officer under the 73oard, aud his management of the school under his charge.

On the motion of the Ciiaihman—that the Board having taken into consideration the Inspector's original report, Mr. Sinclair's letter and the Inspector's letter, together with the Secretary's letter to the Board refuting- the accusations brought against him by Mr. Sinclair—it was resolved that Mr. Sinclair should be informed that his services would no longer be required. It was agreed that Mr. Sinclair should be given notice,

SCHOOL LIIiIiAKIES. At the request of the Board, expressed at a former meeting, the Inspector prepared the following report, which was read : "Wellington, April 10, 1577. " Gentlemen, —I have the honor to recommend the following plan for the establishment of school libraries : " 1. That there be a small permanent library in connection with each school. " 2. That a central depot of circulating books be maintained. The permanent library should consist of books of reference, histories, biographies, technical education, dictionaries, a good general atlas, and other books of general utility. Your Board might contribute one half the cost of such books provided that the "rant shall not exceed per annum for each child on the books of the school. The central depOt shall supply new, entertaining, and instructive books. Packets of such books shall be sent to each school at the beginning of every , one volume being allowed for every children on the books of the school. The permission of the General Government might be obtained for allowing such packets to travel free of charge. Each school may make its own selection of books from a printed catalogue furnished by the Board. I need not now give minor details of the plan. I estimate a grant of Od. for each child in aid of a permanent library, and a supply of one book periodically to every 10 children on the books, will cost £2OO per annum, supposing that new books are obtained every year, and the old books given to the permanent libraries. If found to work well, the plan admits of large development. Where there is a desire on the part of the local authorities to establish a good library, the annual grant made by your Board will be a valuable encouragement. In districts where less interest is taken, or where there is less need of a school library, there will be no waste of public money. I think when school libraries are once started, in many cases they will grow in a few years to fair proportions, as local funds are often available for such useful purposes of general education, and donations of books might be made from various sources. Good reading is undoubtedly one of the best means of educating a nation, and by means of school libraries such education may be brought into the houses of the people.—l have, &c, " Robert Lee." The consideration of the report was postponed till the next meeting, to be held at the latter end of July. OTHER BUSINESS. A letter was received from the Hon. Wm. Fox, urging the want of a school at this village, which was now of considerable size, and would become extended should a means of educating the children of settlers be provided ; and Mr. Fox offered to present the Board a half-acre section of land for a school'site. It was agreed, on the motion of Mr. Bunny, that a schoolhouse be erected at a cost of £l5O, and the secretary was instructed to write to the Hon. Wm. Fox, thanking him for his liberal offer to the Board. A letter received from the Teachers' Association in reference to the above, was deferred till the next quarterly meeting, as the subject was one of which notice would require to be given. A letter was received from Mr. Huntly, teacher of the Upper Hutt school, enclosing a memorial from the parents of families for the confirmation of Mr. Huntly's appointment. The Board resolved to let the matter stand over till Mr. Lee should be present, Mr. Huntly in the meantime to continue in charge of the school. A good deal of other business was Jgone through in the way of guaranteeing sums for slight improvements in various schools, at the conclusion of which the Board adjourned.