EDUCATION BOARD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 96, 28 February 1879, Page 2

EDUCATION BOARD.

(From the N. Z. Times.)

A mcfitiiifi of.the Education Board was held on Wednesday last. Present the Chairman (Hon, C. J. Pharazyn), Hon, W. Gislionie, Messrs Hutchison, Toomath,' Charles Pharazyn, Bectham, M.H.R., and Archdeacon Stock. iue creytown school.

A letter was received from the Greytown School Committee, enclosing nomination of committee for the Education Board, and then stating :—" The committee are in favor of the Rev. Mr Porritt being appointed head master, and Miss Maher assistant; and suggest that they take office at once, or the present staff be increased, as the school is suffering for want of teaching power." The committee also drew attention to tiio fact that Miss York was appointed pupil teacher and is only receiving mouitress'a salary. Mr Toomath, as a matter of order, wished to know whether it was not the rnlo that the Board should forward to local committees the names of the masters it was proposed to appoint to schools, merely asking that the conimittae should express approval or disapproval, and not giving the committee power to reject one person and choose another, The Chairman said that was so. Mr Toomath observed that it seemed to him they were drifting into irregularities, and the local committees were absorbing the functions of the Board. If the Board were to be dictated to. by the local committees then there would be no opportunity of advancing teachers. He thought in the case of Mr Porritt that be should 1 e required to produce a certificate from the InspectorGeneral, in terms of the Act. .The following report was read from the Appointment of Teachers' Committee—"The committee beg to report, (Ist) That they have examined the applications received for the posts of head master and assistant to the Greytown school, and have recommended the Rev. T. Porritt for the headmastership, and Mr D. H. Pattio for tho assistantship, and have forwarded the applications to the Greytown School Committee; (2nd) That they have authorised the following appointments (supjeotto the concurrence of the school committees interested)— Miss Gooder to Kaiwaiwai school (temporarily), Miss Craig to Mount Cook girls' school (pupil teacher), Miss Archer to Mount Cook infants' school (pupil teacher), Miss Mullins to Kaiwarara school (monitress), and Mr Porritt, ho d master, Greytown." The Hon. Mr Gisborno said the terms of the report took him rather by surprise, because he did not recognise tho right of the committee to appoint, unless in cases of urgency. The duty of tho committee was . simply to recommend, Mr'Hutchison drew attention to the following sentence in certain correspondence between the secretary and Mr Wakelin. On .January G-(the Board did not meet till the last Wednesday in January),—Mr Lee wrote; —'• I write privately to inform you that .the Appointment of Teachers' Committee have decided that an entire change must he made in the teaching staff of the Greytown school." Ho altogether objected to the words " have decided,"

The Secretary, in reply to Mr Gisborne, said all the cases except that of Groytown were matters of urgency. A discussion ensued as to the course which lind been taken in regard to Mr Porritt, Mr Toomath contending that it was notthe province of the tad to forward all applications to the local committee, and ask them to decide. The course should he for the Board to select a mm, and then, if the local committee had any objeotion, to hear that objection and decide upon it. It was not right that local.committecs should have tho power of choosing a stranger in preference to teachers who possibly deserved promotion, however good the stranger might be. Mr Charles Pharassyn said that was quite Mb opinion, The forwarding of testimonials tolocalcommittees, the result of a motion put upon record some 'time ago at the instance of Mr Gisborne, simply invited difference of opinion in tho local committees, and possibly difference between the committees and the Board, The Secretary, in reply' to Mr Toomath, said Mr Porritt had brovght out with him irom England a second, class certificate of the English Government as a primary scnool ; teacher; and beyond a doubt the InspectorGeneral would give him a quid pro jw for I W certificate, ■■.-'. '■

• Mr Toomath inquired whether anycerfcifi. cato had been issued by MrHabcns?' Tho Seoretary replied in the negative, But that did Sot"-matter, because very few certificates had yet been issued. : Mr Toomath then complained that Mr Habens had been getting-information from tho Secretary and from tho teachers under the Board -without tho pennisfion of tho Board, In fact, ho had altogether passed by the Board and-gouo to the servants of the Board for information. ■ confeascdhe could see nothing wrong obdut that. It was but right that the Education Department should obtain .full information. It was resolved that in the opinion of the Board tho following appointments he made, subject to thejeo'mmittecs respectively being con'sultedthcreon:—Mrs Scales, of Tenui, to Greytown ; Mrs Anaca, of Tauhcveniltau, to Tenui. The question of sending Miss Mahsr to Tauhcrenikau wiu postponed, pending a decision as to what should he done with the Tauhcrenikau school, it being reported that tho numbers had greatly fallen off. Mr Fhnrnzyu moved that tho other portions of tho report be agreed to. • Mr Beethom seconded. Mr Hutchison said he objected to all of them, because of the manner in which they had been made. Ho held that the appointlonts should he made hy tho Board, with all credentials beforo it, Mr Toomath remarked that the Board had appointed this committee, to save its own time on mQCtiug days, and to relievo tho Secrotary of an unpleasant duty. Mr Gisbornc said this was a recommendation from tho committee, and the resolution was founded on the recommendation. If Mr Hutchison objected to any of the appointments now was tho time to make himself heard, The resolution'was agreed to. As to Miss York's appointment, tho Secretary stated that she was only being paid £1 a month, and she was being paid as a monitrcss simply because she was such. She had not passed the necessary examination qualifying her for a pupil teacher. The Board resolved to wait to see whether Miss York qualified as a pupil teacher, when her case would be taken into consideration. Another letter dated 31st January was read from the local committee, urging that Mr Wakcliu should be removed to a position of equal value to that of Greytown. In reference to'tnis matter, Mr Hutchison contended that no proper notice had as yet been given to Mr Wakelin, because on the question of dismissal the local committee had never been consulted, Mr Gishoruo remarked that the committee had recommended a change, but asked for consideration for Mr Wakelin, Tho yippointment of Teachers Committee thereupon met, and requested Mr Wakelin to go to Kaiwaiwai, and resolved if he did not go to dismiss him, He thought no Court would hold that the local coimnitteo had been consulted as to Mr Wakelin's dismissal. Were the words of tho Act complied with hy a preliminary recommendation of the local committee? That was tho question. Mr Hutchison thought at most the local committed had only agreed to a transfer. Mr Pharazyn said that tho committee in their letter recommended the Board to provido other' teaching power, and that to his mind was a clear expression of opinion for dismissal. Mr Bcetham thought the acceptance of Mr Porritt by the local committee was tantamount to their agreement that Mr Wakelin should be dismissed. After considerable discussion, in which most of the members seemed to admit a, mistake had been made, a committee consisting of Messrs Hutchison, Toomath, CPharazyn and Archdeacon Stock were appointed to inquire into the wholo circumstances and report at next meeting. KAIWAIWAI. Mr Samuel applied for tho position of master of Kaiwaiwai. The Inspector recommended applicant. It was decided to consult the local committee on the subject.

MASTEMON. Mr Gordon wrote compiling that he was only getting £l6O a year, whereas he expected to get £IBO. In Wellington he was getting £200.' The Inspector said ho told Mr Gordon that he would only get £l6O. It might he added that the local committee proposed to give him a special allowance of £3O a year. The Board declined to tako any action. UUttDINO COMMITTEE KEPOKT. Tho coonimittce reported that they had accepted the tender of Mr {J. Dooley, for excavation for school buildings at Kaiwarra, for the sum of £35. The committee bad also approved plans for teacher's residence at Carterton, and instructed Mr Toxward to call for tenders for its erection, TENDERS. The following tenders for the erection of a teacher's residence at Carterton were received :—Accepted : B. Thompson, £375. Declined : Bailer and Smith, £s4s;Hannan. £535; C. Potts, £380; Gray, £4Gg; Mortyn, £478 Russell, £593 ; W. B. Allen, £460. SCnOOL COMMITTEES. The Secretary reported that in a number of cases no returns of elections were sent in, and there did not seem to be any clause in the Act directing the school committees to send returns in. A day was fixed for the holding of meetings of electors whereno elections had already taken placed TAUIIKRKNIUU. The Chairman of the local comrniittec wrote asking permission to spend £1;" on fencing. FEATIIBKSTON Mr Gurr wrote asking leave of absence to enable him to visit the Normal School Christchurch, aud also asking for the cost of his passage down.- Tho Chairman of the school committco supported tho request;—lt was agreed to give him leave of absence, but not. to contribute towards his expenses. Some desks of the valuo of £l4 were granted.

CARTEMOS. Tho Board confirmed the action of the local committee in renting additional accommodation for the school,