A DRUNKEN SCHOOLMASTER.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2642, 8 September 1881, Page 2

A DRUNKEN SCHOOLMASTER.

‘ ■ [By TeLEGCRAPII.] In the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, Mr Dick, in reply to Sir William Fox, said Government had private, but no official information, that a person who had been degraded from the Christian ministry in Scotland on account of habitual intemperance, was appointed to the mastership of a Government school in the Otago district by the Board *of that district ; that he has... since, on acco.uijt., of in temperance and gross neglect of duty,;been removed from that school, but reappointed to another; and. repeatedly removed and reappointed to other Government scbdols, the last of such, instances having occurred onl}' a few weeks ago. Also, that the person alluded to is in receipt of an allowance of £SO a year on account of his possessing a University degree, a bonus which presumes superior fitness in the person enjoying it. It was a mutter which belonged to the functions of the Education Board, and Government had no right to interfere. He believed, however, that what was stated was quite .true. In view of one or two cases of this kind having been reported to him, he had caused a circular to be issued calling upon local Boards to report all such cases, with the view of- (getting .the defaulters’ , certificates cancelled. One or? t\vb such bases have been reported, but the case of'tire individual in question had not been reported.