POPULAR INSPECTOR RETIRES.

Shannon News, 19 August 1924, Page 3

POPULAR INSPECTOR RETIRES.

FAREWELL ip MR BAKEWELL. liOROWHENUA TEACHERS MEET IN) LEVIN. The wide popularity which Mr F. H. Bakewell, late Chief inspector in the Wieilington Educational Board’s district, enjoyed amongst the teachers witn whom he came 'in contact in the course of his duties was evidenced by the gathering which took place at the Levin District High School on Saturday morning, when some sixty

teachers from the Horovviienua Brancn of the New Zealand Educational lnsftitlute, including representatives ol the teaching proiession front Shannon to Paraparaumu, assembled to bid farewell tQ the. retiring educa-

tionalist. Amongst those present also were Mr J. Linklater, M.P., Messrs Harkness and Atkins, members of tlie Wellington Education Board, Inspectors Cowles and Blaclcie and Mr D. W.

Matheson, chairman of the Levin District • High School Committee. Apologies for unavoidable absence were from Mi' W. IT. Field, M.P., Mr J. utughley, Director of Education, and Inspector Burns.

One of the class-rooms had been skilfully oonyerted into a temporary

drawing-room by the lady members or the Levin District High. School staffHere morning tea was served, a-very pleasant social hour being spent. A number of songs and pianoforte selections were also rendered by members of the staff.

HIGH TRIBUTES. FROM TEACHERS. The President of the district branch of the N.Z.E.1., Mr F. H. Taylor, of

Shannon, in rising to make a pre-

sentation to Mr Bakewell on behalf

of the branch, of a substantially filled pocket-wallet, took the opportunity ol' welcoming the visitors. They were met together, be stated, to bid farewell to tiheir late chief, Mr Bakewell —-not only to bid farewell, but to assure him of the very high esteem and -regard in which he was held by every member of the teaching profession. He was perfectly well aware that there were many there who had known Mr Bakewell > longer than he had, but os President it fell- on him to make the presentation—a presentation which he hoped their guest

would accept as a jtangible expression. of the very higlT esteem and friendship in which he was held by every member of the branch. (Ap-

plause). SCHOLARLY AND PRACTICAL. Mr Bakewell, he continued, was

held in esteem for his high qualifications and scholarship. He had held his position of Inspector for 26 years. He (had always set a very high standard for himself and for the teachers

over whom he presided. He did not look upon education as a thing which should turn out merely efficient cashregisters. He had high ideals, the standard he set being to fit the boys and girls in such a manner for the battle of life, that when they came to go out into the world they would, be best equipped to make the most of the opportunities, which life provided. Further, Mr Bakewell was held in high esteem by the teaching profession because of his knowledge of men and affairs. He . was essentially a practical mjan and fits advice and knowledge of life were always worth having and always worth following. There were many teachers present Who Were thankful for the advice and help they had received from their late chief and owed a great deal of what success they might have attained to it. THE TEACHER’S FRIEND.

Above all, said the speaker, Mr | Bakewell was respected for his abso- j lute justice and kindness of heart. He; was not a driven, but a leader. He came into a school to 'help. He was ready to recognise the difficulties ol a position and to wbat was brought before him, and did everything at all times tot encourage the teachers in thei£ great work. He had been a friend to many teachers, and they felt that in losing him they were losing one of the greatest friends that the teachers of Horowhemia. had ever had. He would like to assure Mr

Bakewell that he had the best wishes

of the entire teaching staff ,of the dis- i trict for a long enjoyment of his re- <. tirement and assured him that they j would all try to carry out.{ho ideals which he had worked for.' On behalf e of the teachers of the district he j would'ask Mr Bakewell to accept the , wallet to which they had all contri- { buted,. as a small token of their ap- ' predation and esteem. (Prolonged j applause). f NOT A DETECTIVE. Mr R. J. Foss, headmaster of the Levin .'District High School, who spoke next, expressed himself as pleased to supplement the remarks made by the previous speaker. The expressions which had been given voice to by Mr Taylor had not been used with any intention of flattery and rather understated the case than otherwise. He (the speaker) had been headmaster of a school in the Wairarapa when Mr Bakewell was first appointed Inspector, and he would line, to point out that one of the first acts of their late chief was to kill | one idea., and. that was that an. WIspector was a kind of detective. When j he came to a school he came as a practical man. He was the first inspector who. had been a teacher: he had been through the mill and I brought that special knowledge to the inspecting of schools, ahd schools and teachers benefited by it. Mr Bakewell had kept, up the efficiency of the district, and had indeed advanced it, but he had done more than this—he had improved relationship between the teachers and the inspectorate. In conclusion he trusted that be would not sever his connection defin- { itely with the teaching profession because he was giving up his inspectorship. There were many ways i n ! which he could still be useful to edu- ■ cation tand it was the earnest hope of those present that he would seriously consider merely a widening of his activities in the cause of education when he left his present posii tion. (Applause). 3 THE TEACHER’S GREAT RESPONSI- ~ BUJTY. - Mr J. Linklater, M.p., said he felt

somewhat diffident about expressing himself in such a learned company as was assembled (laughter), but he was “.very pleased indeed to be able to join in the tribute paid to Mr Bakewell. sHe Wanted to say that the teaching profession was recognised generally as the greatest profession on earth in its influence and effects. In the teacher’s hands was the moulding of the future citizens of a country and according to whether their work was done well or ill depended largely the future of that country.

Mr Bakewefi’s work had been the inspecting of the schools of the Wellington district and in this he had had a very heavy responsibility placed upon his shoulders. That he was leaving with such an excellent feeling existing between himself and the teachers of the district spoke highly of the manner in which ,he had carried out his work, whilst the advance in Standard of the schools was a high tribute to his ability. (Applause). As lie had stated previously it was recognised that the teaching profession was the most important in the country. It was not his intention to discuss whether the teacher was adequately paid or otherwise, but he would like to say that the salary given should be sufficient to attract the best brains of the country to the profession. A junior teacher: It does now! (Laughter and applause). , Continuing, Mr Linklater said that although New Zealand had just come through the greatest slump in history, it was eminently satisfactory to note that the vote for educational purposes had been largely increased. The total money voted for the purpose this year had been £3,271,781, to which must be added the amount derived from educational endowments, etc., which made up a further *£7B,10b as against £2,286,000 for 1922-23. REVISION OF SECONDARY EDUCA- ’ TION REQUIRED. The expenditure on Education had risen since 1911 by 166 per cent, and whilst this was largely due to the increase in the number of scholars and to the greater advantage taken of .secondary education, the improvement in educational facilities was responsible for much of it. ' Whilst it Was pleasing to see the wide advantage taken of secondary .education .at the present time, it was an open question if the secondary education as provided at present was in the best interests of the country. It was an undeniable fact that it gave a decided bias towards professional and clerical life. This was all very well in its way, but New Zealand was an essentially farming country and the time had arrived when secondary education should be directed in a larger degree to fitting the youth of the country more fully for New Zealand’s greatest profession—farming. In conclusion he hoped that the autumn of Mr Bake well’s life would he spent in . happiness and health and ielt that he could assure him, in common with those who had spoken belore of hearty good wishes of the leaching profession . and of the general public. Messrs Harkness, Atkins, Cowles and Blackie also spoke, Mr Harkness saying that as a member of the Education Board he hoped that Mr Bakewell would not. sever his connection with education and suggested that as a member of the Advisory staff of the oourd Jiis experience would be inval--1 uable.

TO HELP—NOT CRITICISE. Mr Bake well, who on rising to reply was greeted, with' prolonged applause, expressed his regret at severing his connection with the profession. He Lad always felt, he said, that when the time came toi retire he would he able to put on his hat and coat and do so cheerfully, but as the time approached he' felt a very genuine reluctance to withdraw .from, the work in which he had been so long engaged. Much had, he said, been made of the good feeling which he had tried to create between the teachers and himself. If such a feeling had existed it was largely due to the excellent class of teachers whom he had had to deal with. He had tried toi be helpful: it was so easy to criticise—to say that the writing might be a bit better, or that the geography was not quite all it should ne. Of course it was not. If it werej, what would the children be going to school for. (Laughter and applause). During his -4.1 years’ connection with education in this country, he had seen so much of the difficulties with which the teachers, more especially in back-block districts, had to contend —lack of facilities, poor accommodation, and more particularly still, lack of stimulating companionship and society, that he felt always that any encouragement he could give them was the very least he could do. Mr Bakewell sketched at length the advance in education in the country

since he had first joined the profession, emphasising particularly the advance in public opinion regarding its value and necessity/ He agreed with Mr Linklater as to the necessity of agricultural colleges, which would be places where the students would not . merely gain degrees, which in the past had often merely covered a lack of practical knowledge, but where farming would be taught as a practical science and men sent out not with useless degrees, hut with a wider knowledge of farming. Finally he asked those whom he left behind to carry .on the business of education to always work so. as to let the public know that the service, which was a public servicq, was the most dignified and the most necessary of all to the public. He would always bear with him a recollection of the many fine men. and women with whom he had been associated in the work and he thanked them sincerely for their expressions that day, and for many past kindnesses. (Prolonged applause). The function, concluded with the singing of T ‘Auld Lang Syne,” and three hearty cheers lor the retiring Inspector.

Mr Bakewell was born in Kent in 1858 and was educated at Queen’s Royal College, Port of Spain, West Indies, and; afterwards at the Boys High School, Qffigo. Alter a short

experience of farming in Otago l , he joined the Defence staff, leaving that in 1883 to enter the teaching profession, .and serving in schools in Marlborough, Nelson, and Grey town, and Masterton in the Wairarapa. He was appointed Inspector 26 years ago ; , an ( ] has been connected with the Welling-j ton Education distript during the 1 whole of that time. j