“STRAW-SPLITTING” OVER HOSPITAL SCHOOL

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 144, 8 September 1927, Page 15

“STRAW-SPLITTING” OVER HOSPITAL SCHOOL

BOARD’S STRONG PROTEST “rpo split straws over the hospital school is really a shameful thing!” declared Mr. H. S. W. King at yesterday’s meeting of the Auckland Education Board. Members resented the attitude of the Department to the school at the Auckland Hospital. The department had advised that it was opposed to constituting hospital schools as separate schools, the circumstances of their establishment being quite exceptional, and the teacher not having the same responsibility as a teacher of an ordinary school. In an?/ case the present teacher could not be appointed to the head teachership without submitting the position for competition. . . Mr. King: This is not a fair thing and the public generally must realise that it is quite an onerous thing to teach in a hospital school. We are agreed on the excellent work being clone. The instruction has been a great assistance in bringing back children to health by keeping their minds occupied. We should get the hospital board to take action. The chairman, Mr. A. Burns, declared that the teacher had more responsibility than the ordinary one. The department should not practise economy at her expense. Several pupils had obtained proficiency while at the school —a splendid achievement. The board decided to make a strong protest to the department.