HIGH-HANDED BEHAVIOUR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 280, 19 April 1911, Page 4

HIGH-HANDED BEHAVIOUR.

To the Editor. Sir, —I desire to ask through the medium of your columns why the Education Board is using such high-handed methods in dealing with, its teachers lately. The first injustice I have to complain, of is the publication of the names of those unfortunate teachers who failed to pass their examinations. Such an action, as well as being, I think, unprecedented in the annals of the Board, seems to me to be the essence of little-mindedncss, if not the outcome of petty spite. Certainly, such publication could be beneficial neither to the authors nor to their victims, and scarcely of interest to the general public, on whom the most probable effect would be to arouse its contempt—l will not say indignation—at such a piece of meanness. Even admitting the possibility of such a step being necessary, at the very least the Board might have, made certain of their facts before sending the list to the Press. I refer to the list of the teachers who did not sit for examination, which I would advise the Board to revise. 'Secondly, school committees surely become rather a superfluous institution if they are to have no say whatever in the appointment of teachers. It is surely enough that they should be powerless to reject any kiuil of a teacher the Board chooses to thrust on them. But what is harder is to be treated with contempt when they venture to protest against losing a teacher who suits them. Committees so treated, if they have any backbone, will resign. Lastly, but not'by any menus least. T wish to call attention to the injustice of putting teachers of many years' standing; old, and I venture to say, faithful servants of the Board, into small schools in order to give place to younger and less experienced teachers, and thereby lowering their salaries, in some eases, by as much as £7O. Surely experience and length of service arc to weigh a little against the importance of possessing a certificate, which, after all, is not necessarily a sign of efficiency in teaching. An explanation of such strange proceedings might be that certain officerß of the Board are over-zealous in the fulfilment of their duties.—T am. etc., DISGUSTED: