A TEACHER'S INDISCRETION.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 July 1918, Page 2

A TEACHER'S INDISCRETION.

RESIGNATION DEMANDED.

The Education Department notified tlio Tarahaki Education Board at ; yesterday's meeting that, in April last, Mr.. J. S. Mackenzie, secondary assistant of the Hawera District, High School, wrote condemning tite proposal to disestablish the District High School at Hawera, with the view to establishing a Technical High Sehppl. Mr.. Mackenzie was informed that iiay/ representations he had to make on the matter should be sent through the headmaster to the School Committee, or" the board, and not direct to tho Department? He, however, wrote again to the Depart l ment on the matter, stating that hi 3 letter was intended for the Director .of Education. in his capacity as chairman of the Council of Education, and this letter was merely acknowledged. Mr. Mackenzie had sent a-further letter to tho Director of Education on. the subject, and the Department took.', strong' exception to its terms. A copy of this last letter was sent for the information of the and for taking any action it might think fit. ... The letter, datedKawera, July. 9,1»1'8, was as follotvs:—"Deferring to your; xeply to my communication of the sSTih-i June, I wish to make it clear that I had no.- desire to open- a correspondence on the matter with the Department. I hay! not so much-as expected asknoyyledjg* ment of my letter. My purpose, in subl- - my. information to yon was that you might be acquainted with facts, which you would probably not otherwi*have known. If the Department prefers to be led by the nose in the dark,l.can see nothing but disaster ahead of our education system. As regards the suggestion that I should make representations through the board of the district, it is obvious that such representations traversing the declared policy of the board would never reach the Department. Effort would be wasted. ' The whole trouble at Hawera lies in the policy of ihe Taranaki board to establish, (whether by fair means or by foul does not seem to matter to them) the obsolete system of technical high schools. I still trust that the information I have handed to the Department will be taken into consideration beforo decision is made to grant the board's request." . On the__moiinn of Messrs Masters and Wilkinson, it was resolved that Mr. Mackenzie be informed that his action in addressing a ktter to the Director of Education regarding the establishment of a technical high school at Hawera and tlie disestablishment of the Hawera District High School, and especially in employing exceedingly disrespectful terms regarding the. board in such let-t.-r, considered by Ilia board to be a gross indiscretion. The board consefluently will be pleased to receive Mr. Mackenzie's resignation of his position on the staff of the Hawera District High School. Mr. Dixon remarked that', for gross impertinence, tho letter capped anything that he had ever known during his sixteen years' experience on education boards. Mr. C- A'. Wilkinson said that any man who spoke like that of his employers was not. fit to be employed.