TEMUKA SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 980, 20 July 1882, Page 2

TEMUKA SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

I The usual monthly meeting ofj.the I above Committee was held last Tuesday evening, at which all the members were present. MINUTES,. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read, Mr Bolton asked why the resolution proposed by himself seconded by Mr Haris, which the’Chairman declined to put, had not been inserted in the minutes. The Chairman : Will anyone move the confirmation of the minutes? 1 ‘ Mr Mendelso n proposed that the minutes be confirmed. Mr Brown seconded the motion. Mr Bolton ; You refuse to insert my resolution in the minutes, Mr Chairman ? The Chairman : All in favor of the minutes being confirmed hold up their hands. Mr Bolton : Mr Chairman — The Chairman (after counting the hands): The motion is earned. Mr Bolton : Mr Chairman— The Chairman was industriously signing the minutes and did not answer. Mr Bolton : Mr Chairman— There was no reply. Mr Bolton ; Mr Chairman, ; wills you answer me ? Do you refuse to put my resolution in the minutes. ■ * The Chairman ; Most decidedly. Mi Bolton : Thanks (and he sank contentedly into his chair). teacher’s report, The master’s report showed the number on the rollto be : Boys, 175 ; girls, 159 ; total, 334. Working average : Boya, 117 ; girls, 92.8 ; total, 209.8. Strict average : Boys, 117 ; girls, 92.8 ; total, 209.8. Highest attendance : Boys, 131; girls, 98 ; total, 229. CORRESPONDENCE. Letters were read from the Board of Education approving of the readjustment of the teaching staff, and stating that Mrs Rowe had received three months notice ; also stating that the Board was not disposed to spend money on repairing the master’s residence,in view of a new house being built, but would pay the difference in the rent got for the house and.) the rent paid for the teacher’s cottage’; 'also enclosing applications for the position of Second teacher. > - 1' The following is the letter from the Board relating to Mrs Rowe :—- Board of Education Office, Timaru, June 26th, 1882. Sir, —I have the honor by direction of the Board of Education to acknowledge , the receipt of your letter of the date as per margin (June 22nd), and in reply to state that the Board approves of the readjustment of the school staff as recommended by your Committee. .The post af second master is being advertised, and die applications will be forwarded to your Committee for consideration on July lOtli. Mrs Rowe has, in consequence of the (Iteration, received the statutory ! three months notice of the termination of her present engagement. —I have the honor ;o be, Sir, your obedient servant, Henry W. Hammond. Secretary, The Chairman Temuka School Committee. ■' From Mrs Louisa Rowe as fellows:— Temuka, July 11th, 1882. Dear Sir.— l saw by a report cf the iroceedings of your last Committee ueeting that it is proposed to re-arrange he teaching staff of the Temuka School. I have received no communication whatever from the Committee, and the troposed step is affecting my position, vill you kindly inform me if l am to ac;ept newspaper reports as private and . ifficial information.—l remain, Sir, your ibediently, ' Louisa Howe# y. The Chairman .. (Committee Wf •1

, ACCOUNTS. Accounts to the amount of £3 2s 4d were passed for payment. COMPULSORY EDUCATION. ; On the motion of Mr Mendelson, seconded by Mr Russell, it was resolved — “ That clauses 89 to 93 both inclusive of the Education Act of 1877, re compulsory clauses, be brought into operation with reap set to the Temuka School. THE BONE OF CONTENTION. Mr Hayhurst would like to know something about Mrs Rowe. He could not understand the action that had been taken in reference to her. Mr Mendelson commenced to read the clause of the Education Act which enabled the Committee to make recommendations to the Board with regard to the teaching etaff, from which it appeared that before the Committee could make any recommendation with regard to any teacher three days notice should be given to each 'member, Mr Hayhurst said he had not been given three days notice. Mr Bolton said that the clause had not been taken the slightest notice of. The consideration of the question had been gone into at a caucus meeting. He had asked Mr Mendelson why he (Mr Bolton) had not been invited to it, and Mr Mendclson said they did not want him there. : The Chairman : You must move a resolution, Mr Bolton. , Mr Bolton . I am going to directly, but i want to show first that all this arises out of caucus meetings. The Chairman : I cannot allow you to go on, Mr Bolton, unless you move a resolution. Mr Bolton said he would move—" That ■the recommendations of the committee be ■ held over.” All the mutter was settled at a caucus meeting, and the Chairman brought with him a paper on which the names of the proposer and seconder appeared. He had everything cut. and dried. Mr Mendelson moved —"‘That Mrs Rowe be referred to clause 72 of the Education Act.” Mr Brown seconded the resolution. Mr Bolton continued to say that the matter had been decided at a private meeting, and that Mr Mendelson had said the reason he (Mr Belton) had not been invited was because there wore things he ehould not hear. He protested. Mr Hayhurst said they could not allow the discussion to go on in this way. Ho would.support the chair in this matter. Mr Boston said that he had as good a right te know what was going on, as Mr Russell : Why did you not oppose it when it came before the meeting 1 Mr Bolton ; Because I was taken nn- j awares. I am surprised at the brazen , audacity of Mr Brown. Mr Hayhurst: Really I must protest against this. Mr Bolton ; I have as good a right to speak as any other man. Mr Hayhurst: But you are not speaking on any subject. The| Chairman : There was nothing decided, Mr Bolton. Mr Bolton: I am surprised at the audicity and bad Hate of Mr Brown in sitting here when the householders would not elect him. The Chairman : Will you let me make an explanation, Mr Bolton. The resolution has nothing to do with Mrs Rowe. The Board of Education wrote telling us that they could not get a third teacher. The resolution passed recommended the Board to advertise for a second male teacher, and it made no mention of Mrs Rowe. Mr Bolton : Was it not decided at a caucus meeting, Mr Chairman ? The Chairman : There was nothing decided at any meeting except the meeting of the Committee here. Mr Bolton : Was it not discussed at. a private meeting 1 The Chairman : There was nothing decided, Mr Bolton : Will you answer me, Mr Chairman. Was the matter considered at a caucus meeting first. Will you answer that. The Chairman : I will not answer you. There was nothing decided. Mr Bolton then continued to denounce caucus meetings, and said the Chairman wanted the public to believe nothing was done at them. Mr Russell: Oh! Yon have gone over the same ground over and over again. Mr Bolton : I will say what I like. Mr Russell: You come here to obstruct, Mr. Bolton : No such thing. If I am not allowed at caucus meetings - Mr Mendelson : Oh ! We have not our blankets ? Mr Bolton : My resolutions are not put by the Chairman, but be turns round and insults myself and Mr Davis, ilr Mendtlson told him it was legal, but he had not the manhood to stand here in the Committee and say it was legal. (In the 'confusion, as there were more than one speaking, our reporter Was not able to \ make out what was legal which Mr Mendelson had noc the inanhood to say was so, but it would appear that it referred to the action of the Chairman with regard to Mr Bolton’s resolutions.) Mr Mendelson would insist on his resolution being put, and it was carried, while Mr Bolton still continued to defy them to say the whole thing bad not been cut and dried at a private meeting. Mr Hayhurst moved—' 1 That Mrs Rowe no notice to leave unless there is

some ground of complaint against her.’ He did not think that because a teacher could not be got at a certain price another teacher should be made to suffer for it. The question was, would it benefit the school ? , Is a male teacher more valuabje than a female teacher ? They had had male teachers of very strange character in that school. Mrs Rowe had been in the school eight or nine years, and might be there eight or nine years longer if not interfered with, and there was nothing against her. As for incompetency to manage boys, it remained to b« proved that she was so, and he thought the result would be in her favor. During her husband’s illness the whole burden fell on her, and there were no complaints. The children were actually crying because of hearing that she was leaving, they were -so attached to her. Had they aey such results from ■ male teachers 1 It was admitted that the standards she taught were the hardest to teach, It was true the Inspector’s report was unfavorable, but that was owing to the mismanagement of the school. He would be worry, unless he saw some grounds for her dismissal, that she should be out of the school. It would not be easy te fill her place. As to that sh# was only temporarily appointed, that was incorrect. Her appointment was permanent, and it was very hard on her to be turned away now. People would say she was taken advantage of because of her helplessness. Mr Mendelson said that what had been done could not be undone. They had only recommended the Board to advertise for a male teacher. The Board had done so, and they could not ask the Board to swallow the applications now. He would protest against the motion being put. Mr Bolton thought it was a rough-shod ■ •way of treating an old servant. It was a great injustice. The Chairman reminded Mr Bolton that he ought to consider the interests of the school before the interest of an individual teacher. Mr Bolton said there was nothing to show that the school was suffering. The Chairman : The fact that they had no applications for the third teachsrship was enough. Mr Bolton should not go on a false basis. Mr Bolton was not going on a false basis. The whole thing had been settled at a caucus meeting, and did not take three minutes to decide at the Committee meeting. THE FUEL FUND. The Chairman said only 13s Gd had been collected for fuel during the month. Mr Mendelson moved, and Mr Russell seconded—“ That the master’s attention be"called to the small amount collected for fuel etc, and that he be requested to inform the children that unless they bring tlioirpennies more regularly the committee will be reluctantly compelled to slop fuel.” The motion was carried amidst severe strictures passed by Mr Bolton on the Chairman for refusing to allow him (Mr Bolton) to examine the accounts. The Chairman said he had refused to show them to Mr Bolton because he had asked for them in a very impertinent manner. THE APPOINTMENT OP A TEACHEII. Mr Hayhurst would move—“ That Mr Wood be asked if Mr Bethune is appointed second teacher, and Mrs Rowe remains a teacher in the sehool, will it make any alteration in the working of the teachers.” The Chairman said the matter of arranging the school lay alt#g ether in the hands of the head teacher. Mr Hayhurst said Mrs Rowe had done her work well, and if she were put back from a salary of £llO to £7O, and' have to do the same work it would be a great hardship on her. Mr Davis seconded the motion, but it found no other supporter, aud on being put it was lost, Mr Bolton declining to rote one or way the other, Mr Mendelson moved- “ That Mr Bethune be recommended for appointment as second teacher.” He might explain that this would be a temporary appoint ment,as his permanent appointment would depend on Mr Bethune getting a certificate. Mr Hayhurst: And has Mr Bethune no certificate ? The Chairman : No. Mr Hayhurst : Well, this is going back with a vengeance. Displacing a certificated teacher for an uncertificated one ; making an old and certificated teacher tale a back seat, and putting an uncertificated teacher in her place. The motion being seconded by Mr Brown was carried, and the proceedings terminated.