THE EDUCATION BOARD AND THE OAMARU SCHOOLS COMMITTEE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 958, 15 May 1879, Page 2

THE EDUCATION BOARD AND THE OAMARU SCHOOLS COMMITTEE.

At the meeting of the Education Board held yesterday afternoon, the correspondence that has passed •between the Board and the School Committee with reference to the appointment of teachers was read, and the following discussion took place, as reported in to-day's Times : TheChairmansaid .it was due to Mr.'. Pryde that he should say that lie had himself drafted the letter which Mr. Pryde had sent to Oarnaru. Of course, if he had understood that the Committee wanted the certificates, he would have explained to them that there were no certificates beyond those which were the ordinary official documents of the Board. The Committee had been furnished with these official testimonials,-and also with the gist of the Board's confidential testimonials. Finding there was no further communication from the Committee, he had during the morning telegraphed to Mr. Fleming (the Chairman of the Committee), but had not received any reply to his telegram. Mr. Fraer did not think it would have been prudent for the Board to have forwarded to the Oamaru Committee the names of candidates which it deemed ineligible, as a refusal by the Board to appoint anyone recommended by the Committee might lead to a misunderstanding and disturbance. Mr. A. C. Begg considered that a mistake had been made in not sending to the Committee the names of all the applicants, but said he would not move again in this matter, as the motion he considered advisable had been twice negatived. He did not think it was wise to treat Committees, especially so important a Committee as the Oamaru one, in the manner described in the correspondence. Every Committee was deeply interested in seeing that the best applicants were appointed, and anything which was calculated to reflect on Committees or to irritate them, should be avoided. Mr. Fraer said that the action of the Board did not mean that the Committee could not pick good men, but simply that the Board was in a better position than the Committee to make a selection.

Mr. Ramsay thought when the matter was under consideration formerly, when the Dunedin Committee was concerned, that it was arranged that the Board should send the list of all the applicants to the Committee, that the recommendation of the Board should be considered by the Committee, and the recommendation of the Committee considered by the Board. With regard to Oamaru, he thought that agreement should be carried out, and that had such a list been forwarded to Oamaru —the Board strongly recommending certain of the applicants—one of those recommended would almost certainly have been appointed. The Commmittee apparently objected because so few applications were forwarded to them. He suggested that the names of all the applicants should be forwarded to the Committee. Mr. Elder thought it would have been unjust if the Board had forwarded to the Committee the names of applicants whom it did not consider qualified for the appointment. The. reasons upon which the Board acted would not be known to the nublic, and a serious and unjust stigma might attach to a teacher in consequence of the Board declining to sanction his appointment. The Chairman said there seemed to be prevalent in the country an impression that the Education Board had in its possession a number of testimonials which the applicants had forwarded to it, aud that it had deliberately held these back. Such an opinion was entirely erroneous. The Board here, as was the case in Victoria, did not recognise testimonials, except such as were of an official character —viz., the reports of its inspectors and the positions of the teachers as defined by their classification. He mentioned this because the Oamaru School Committe was apparently under the impression that in this respect the Board was treating them improperly. Mr. K. Ramsay moved, " That a list of the qualified applicants for the position of head master-of the North School, Oamaru, be sent to the Oamaru Schools Committee, with an intimation that the Board is prepared to appoint Mr. Lindsay, Mr. Dun: can, or Mr. Hume to the situation, but will be glad to consider any other recommendation the Schools Committee may desire to make." In moving the resolution, Mr. Ramsay said that although the Board from its position was supposed to know more of the qualifications of the applicants, his experience on the Dunedin Schools Committee led him to believe that in manj 7 cases the Committees were better qualified than the Board to judge of the fitness of the appointment.

Mr. Begg seconded the motion. The resolution was put and lost, the mover and seconder only voting for it. Mr. Elder then moved, and it was seconded by Mr. Green, and carried — " That the matter be postponed until a reply to the Chairman's telegram be received, and that meanwhile the Board sees 110 objection to the Oamaru School Committee obtaining confidentially from the secretary the names of all the applicants, if they so desire." The Chairman said he would deprecate any action on the part of the Board which would create a conflict between the Board and a Schools Committee. He believed the Board was as anxious as the Oamaru Schools Committee that a fitting appointment should be made, and anything that might lead to a deadlock between the two bodies should be, if possible, avoided. At the same time, however, it was as incumbent upon the Board as upon the Committee to stand upon its dignity, and the Board should not be dictated to.