THE SCHOOL INSPECTOR’S REPORT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 981, 22 July 1882, Page 3

THE SCHOOL INSPECTOR’S REPORT.

• TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— lf you were indeed half as sharp as you affect to be, half as watchful over the public interest as you ought to be, or half as good at cut and thrust as some old editorial soldiers that I have encountered in my time, you would not remain a silent, an amiable, or contented men after reading such rubbish as Mr Inspector of South Canterbury Education District has thought fit to give expression to, and made the country pay for the printing of,in his recently issued “Annual Report, 1881.” This highly intelligent, politely educated, and cruelly hard-worked functionary has thought fit to enter a protest against the use of schoolrooms for entertainments, recreation, and dancing, and all this he, no doubt, thinks peculiarly fitting and seasonable at a time \«ben churchmen and dissenters, Parliaments and peoples, Conservatives, Liberals, and Radicals are in one mind striving who can do most in the interest •of the majority ; to promote national, rational, inexpensive and needful recreation. Now, sir, as I am a little afraid of some weakling being carried off his legs, and losing his head in reading Mr Inspector’s lucubrations on the subject of dancing, I think it light to enter a protest on behalf of a large number of people, men and maidens, in this happy land, against the stupid notion that schoolrooms can be in any way made the worse by being utilised for such purposes. But let me ask this question, Who gave Mr Inspector the power to lay down the law in relation to such matters ? I turn .to the Education Act for enlightenment, but I don’t find that the inspector is required to do much more than attend meetings of the Board, conduct their correspondence, examine the children, and inspect and report upon the condition of the buildings, which last piece of business is very satisfactorily performed by the architect to the Board; and I turn again to the Act to ascertain the functions of the Committee, and 1 do find that they have power to “ use the school buildings on days and hours other than those used for public school purposes

upon such terms as the Commiitee may from time to time prescribe. Again, in his reoort already referred to Mr Inspector has a good deal to say about some Committees that lie knows of, who unduly interfere with the teacher in his wotk. Now, sir, I for one protest against this loose style of condemnation of Committees nnd their doings. If an inspector had aught to sny of any particular Committee or of its Chairman in respect to this or any other irregularity, let him speak out in plain terms, and say “ Thou art the man,” or let him for ever be silent. I hold, sir, so far from a schoolroom being an unfit place to dance in, that it is and ought to be regarded as the most suitable place in which to teach and indulge in the Accomplishment, and if I had much to do with Committees and schools I would, if I could, have all children attending public schools taught to dance. Can you or any of your well-informed readers tell me this ; What is the life, what the habits, what the recreation, of this educational being who is so superior to dancing, ■ doesn’t 'believe in public meetings being held in schoolrooms, ami takes so keen a delight in snubbing Committees who in their immorality think dancing very much better thnu drinking, and friendly gatherings more to be encouraged than selfish isolation 1 Does this gentleman know, has he ever asked himself, what sort of a life many a small farmer and laboring man in the country and in small towns may drift into in the absence of legitimate recreation, such as periodical gatherings may easily be made to furnish him with 1 or is this a consideration not to be taken into account by the Representative of the Six Standards 1 in these days philanthropists of every shade and denomination are intensely occupied in considering how best to educate the larrikin class, and to provide for their recreation—a truly noble undertaking. It is a healthful sign of the disposition of the age, but are the respectable portion of the community to be left to their own individual resources 1 Have they no friends to claim for them their due, share in all the good that is going 1 Away with such a notion. The majority always deserve consideration, and I assert of them that they are now, when rightly approached, more than ready to be operated upon, and to yield to kind treatment. It is a wonder to any reasonable mind that men so hard hearted as colonists should show an inclination to rush into such a mild form of recreation as dancing, singing ‘ Begone Dull Care,’ and taking pleasure in a recreation that all nations have at their best period shown an inclination to indulge in. For my part, sir, 1 wish that there were more dancing and less drinking in this world. I never yet knew a man the worse for dancing, but I think 1 have heard in my day of one or two to be worse for d g.—l am, etc., Not an Inspector.