TAIHAPE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3316, 21 October 1919, Page 4

TAIHAPE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

A special meeting of the Taihape School Committee was held last evening to further discuss the position that had -arisen betweeii the Committee and the lioqqdmaster of the school relative to the Committee having allegedly slighted the headmaster re the proposed menlorial- at the school. Those present were: Mesdsanies ‘De Lautour, iVleC‘ormick, and Randell, and Messrs Burrell, Denncss, Rutherford, Hocking and Swindells (ehairnian). ’ The Chairman submitted the following report: “I have to report having seen the Hcsadinaster, Mr Thurston, with regard to that portion of his last report dealing with :1 suggested memorial to be erected in the school grounds, and which. was r(’ferred back to him by niyselt‘. Mr Thurston felt very aggrieved set the published report on the matter, and stated that, in effect, the comlfiitvtee had questioned his verucity. and that it had been mentioned to him by sevenal people. I pointed out to him that he and myself had talked over the matter on a number of .occasions_. which he admitted Was correct, and which he mentioned in his report. I told him that there Was 11° intention of ignoring or sliglliing him in any way, but that up .to the Present moment the Committee had no concretc proposals, but only suggestions. Wr Thurston maintained, however, that the committee had ignored the headniuaster of the school, and that the only way for the Committee to put Tnelniat

ter right was for them to see their ex-,i°‘7 and give the same publieiiy to the II” tor as was given to their previous resolution.‘ ’ ’ After a V'C‘l‘)' lengtliy discussion on‘ the matter. it was resolved that theCommittee adheres to its former resolution, that the Headmaster was not slighted in the matter of :1 memorial’ at the sehool,'in that up to the time of the Headmaster ’s assertion of being‘ Slighted in. the uiatzter no consideration hud been given to the p"oposal by ' the Committee. It was further resolved that, in View of developments mising over the memorial. the secretary write to the secretary of the Education Board to asccertain whether a. headmas~ter’s presence at a school committee meeting‘ is obligatory or optional. ' Following on the attitude of the Committee to the Headmaster, a letter was received, signed by members of theteaching staff of the school, in which it was stated that, feeling an injustice had been done Mr Thurston, they felt an apology should be tendered him, failing which apology, they could not be expected to co-operate in any way‘ in any arrangement. for the proposed e.hildren’s ball. l Mr Wilson, first assistant «at the school, supported the letter in person. A long examination of Mr Wilson took place by members of the Committee as g to whether the letter was briefly an expression of a resolution passed by the teachers conjointly. Mr Wilson admitted that the letter was not the result of a resolution passed by an organised meeting of the teachers, and, further, though the pupil tea:-hers’ signa-' turcs were appended to it, ?.*v_-',-}' had not. been consulted in its compilation. I-le,. however, believed it to be a genuine expressionof all the teachers’ feelings in! the matter. .

After longdiscussion, in view of the fact that the teachers wouid not cooperate unlesg an apology was tendered, a.nd:that the'Committee had decided to adhere to its former decision, it was resolved in ‘respect of the ball that a meeting baa co;nVex‘léd of ladies and gentlemen of the-tow.n..to further a. school ball. ,The meeting to be held in. the school on Tuesday, the 28th inst, at~S. P-TIL '

A vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Wilson for his attendance. _