The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1884. ELECTING SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 69, 18 February 1884, Page 2

The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1884. ELECTING SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

It is satisfactory to find that the Press of the Colony—or, at least, many of the papers—are strongly denouncing the present system of electing School Committees, which is certainly far from creditable to the Colony. The arrangement now in force of nominating candidates and electing them on the same day affords no opportunity for the electors to hear expressions of opinion on scholastic affairs, and it seems to us that too little interest is taken by the public in the transaction of the business of School Committees. It appears to be sufficient that a man possesses a certain amount of property in a town, or holds a good business position, to enable him to be nominated as a candidate for election as a member of a School Committee, and that, in many instances, the suitability of a person for the position is not taken into consideration. Thus it is that the appointment of Visiting Committees has been productive of the most farcical proceedings. An illiterate man —more especially if he be in a good pecuniary position—has not always the common - sense to conceal as much as possible his deficiency in scholastic knowledge, and some of them, in this Colony, have had the temerity to a«k chil dren to spell words which the questioners could not pronounce correctly. We can recall a case in point, in which an egotistical, parrot- like member of a School Committee was appointed one of a Visiting Committee, and, on “ attending to his duty,” had the assurance to ask a boy to spell the word “ minute,” pronouncing it “mi-nuet!” Of course, the smart boy smiled, while the teacher felt annoyed, and it was not until the schoolmaster pronounced the word properly that the dunderhead saw he had made a mistake. We admit that there are a great number of estimable men who have received but little education, and yet deport themselves creditably on ordinary Committees, when simply business matters are brought on for consideration ; nevertheless, the fact remains that they are totally unfitted to deal with scholastic questions. But this deplorable fact does not seem to

trouble some of the electors, and they unthinkingly or carelessly give their “ plumper” to an unqualified man for the reason that he is “ a very old friend” or H a jolly good fellow,” The system, too, of giving out ballot papers indiscriminately at a large meeting is exceedingly objectionable, for the reason that there is no check against an unqualified person voting, or even getting two or more papers, if he feels inclined to act the part of a schemer. Another objection to the indiscriminate election of members of School Committees is the false and degrading position into which teachers are often placed through the scheming propensities of unscrupulous persons. A member of a School Committee, in a small town, for instance keeps a store, and, in consequence of the influence he possesses, almost compels a teacher to procure provisions, &e., at his establishment, however objectionable the adoption of that course may prove to the customer. It may be contended that a teacher is a free agent, and, if a man of spirit, would not be influenced in such a manner; but the dependent on the whim, or something worse, of a School Committee may have a large family to support, and his affection for his wife and children would induce him to submit to imposition and mortification rather than run the risk of losing his situation But, apart from these kind of troubles, it is exceedingly hurtful to a sensitive gentleman, who feels that he is thoroughly qualified to perform his duties efficiently, to have an ignoramus questioning his capabilities. No doubt there are many well-educated and intellectual school-teachers who have been subjected to much annoyance by illiterate members of a School Committee, and for their sake—if not for other reasons—the system of electing them to conduct the affairs of educational institutions now in force should be abolished. A proper course in the election of School Committees would be, we think, to compel candidates for the office to undergo an examination as to their scholastic knowledge up to such a standard as may enable them to judge of a teacher’s capabilities, and to permit no more than two members of one denomination to fill such a position in one educational body of the kind at the same time. The adoption of this course would, we think prevent, in a great measure, cliqueism, and certainly be more acceptable to school teachers than the system now in force. It is very evident that some better arrangement than the present in connection with educational affairs will have to be adopted, and it is to be hoped that the subject will be dealt with satisfactorily during the next parliamentary session.