CHARGE AGAINST A SCHOOL MASTER.

Waikato Argus, Volume III, Issue 226, 23 December 1897, Page 2

CHARGE AGAINST A SCHOOL MASTER.

(BY TELEGRAI'II OWN CORRESrONPENT.) AuckjjAXD, Last Night. In the charge of assault; brought against H. J. S. Ellis, head master of the llichmontl Road School, arising out of the caning of a boy aged nine year?, the Magistrate, in giving h : s decision, said neither the Education Act nor the Board regulations prescribed the manner in which corporal punishment was to be inflctcd. It would seem that the master must use hia own discretion in the matter. In this case it did seem to him that the punishment exceeded the offence. In arriving at this conclusion he did not for a moment impute to the master any bad motives, in fact lie found that the punishment was inflicted without any display of temper or pique. Taking all the circumstauccs into consideration he thought defendant must be convicted of the assault. The fine would be 203 with.costs £6 is. 'Mr Cotter, who appeared for the defendant, asked that the fine might be increased to £5, so as to give the dcf< ndaut an opportunity of getting a judgment in the Supreme Court. lie could not appeal if the lice were only 20s. The question was an important one to a'l teachers, and thy wished generally to get judgment at the Supreme Court. They want a decision as to whether the punishment was reasonable or not, and whether the evidence of persons who did not sec the punishment at all is to be taken. His Worship said he wou'd consider the question of appeal.