MASTERTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2084, 2 September 1885, Page 2

MASTERTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

A special -meeting of the Masterton School Committee wsb held at 4 p.ra, yesterday. Present—Messrs Buddington (Chairman), Lowes, Reese, Hoeg, Woodroofe, audGirdwood. The Secretary read the application and testimonials of Mr John Reyuell for the post of assistant mastor fit the Masterton School.

Mr Lowes thought the testimonials very satisfactory, and they could not do better than confirm tho appointment, Mr Hogg held that the Committee makes the appointment. The Board had only quite recently conceded that point to them. The Chairman said that was not so. All the Board had done was to agree to forward all applications. He called oti the Secretary to look up the matter in the minute hook.

The Secretary read a minute of correspondence showing that the Board had only agreed to forward all applications. Mr Hogg said that according to the spirit of the Act they ought to make the appointment, and they should fight the Board over it. He moved that Mr Rennell be appointed, subject to the approval of the Board, . The motion was seconded by Mr Woodroofe and carried, only the Chairman and Mr Lowes voting against it. The Secretary read a petition signed by householders, praying the Board to cause the school district to be divided, and a letter from tho Secretary of the Board asking the Board to make a recommendation.

The Secretary read a letter from -Mr Payton, apologising for his unavoidable absence, andprotesting againstthe division of the district, as inimical to the interests of education.

The Chairman suggested that if the promoters were members of the Cornmittee, those members Bhould five them some indication of the causes which led them to take the step. Mr Girdwood said he was mainly responsible for it, and had taken active steps beoause it was the wish of nearly all 'the residents in the northern end of the town that there should be a division. Unless that was done, the school at that end would not get the justice to which it vas entitled. :He was sorry, that he should had been compelled to take that course. If they looked up the returns they would find that the average attendance was not so large as it should be. Since 1880 they had only got about 100 more children, while, according to the increase of the population, they should have an increase of at least 200, If another school were erected it would cause competition between the two, and both would do their best, It was, therefore, in tlie interest of education, to make the division.

Mr Woudroofe was of opinion that they should never have shifted the old school. The present school was, no doubt, a very creditable one. but it would be for the interests of education to have a second

Mr Hogg moved that the Board be requested to carry out the prayer of the petition. They had not worked very harmoniously together, and could do better if they divided, Besides, the new school was only an infant school, and parents at the northern end complained that they had to send thnir children all the way to Kurupuni. If they had two districts - they would have just double the influence with the Board.

. Mr Reese seconded the motion, and said he had very many reasons which he might give in fa»'or of the step. He had weighed all the points most carefully, No one was more surprised than himself to find that the petition had been circulated, but he agreed with it. The bare idea of the infant school being raised to the level of an ordinary school seemed to raise an antagonistic feeling in some quarters, rhey seemed to look upon their school as something quite above ordinary education. The Chairman: It has been proved to be above the ordinary by facts,

Mi' Roeao continued, and said that they had not heard the motives which ii'id led then) from time to time to give their school such unbounded praise. He idnutted that they hud a fairly good school, but that ivas all, and he saw no reason why they should lavish so much praise upon it at every meeting. They would perhaps hear the reason some other time. The school was too large for the number of children attending it, and they could do better by having a second school,

Mr Lowes said the petition was on} of those sortofthings comingfrotnone sideof the Committee only which appeared to be quite in accord with the tactics whioh that side had adopted. One of the reasons that was advanced was that the northern end of the town did notget justioe, but he failed to see the relevanoy of the charge. It was only a few months since the question of the side school had been mooted, and aa soon as the matter came before the Board, a committee was appointed to inquire into it, and to report. That committee recommended that a side school, for infants should immediately be established, and that next year a grant should lie made for a second ordinary schopl. The report was al jptii by the Board, and approved of by the School Committee. He did not see how u;idjr these circumstances, why the smooth manner of 'working should be disturbed, and an element of antagonism to the present school introduced, with hints and insinuations of dark motives. He should like to know what was meant by these things. One of Mr Reese's reasons for dividing the district was a very novel one, He said that the presont school was too large. That was surely no argument against it. They had a strong teaching staff, which would be interfered with, and it would therefore be unwise lo make the division, The petition was no doubt genuine, but he saw the names of many who had no children, or none of school we. It did not represent the opinion of the residents of the northern end of the town. Mr Hogg had said the side school was only a receptacle for infants. That was what it was meant for, and in due time that would be altered, If Mr Boifg referred to Carterton when he spoke of other places having more than one district, lie was unfortunate in his choice, because Carterton was a very straggling place. As for two schools leading to better teaching, that was a fallacy, because ■ they always found the most superior staff in the larger schools. If the Committee did not agree upon one or two points, that was 110 reason why they should divide the district. He entirely failed to see any necessity for the prayer of the petition being granted.

The Chairman said he felt very strongly on the matter, Mr Girdwood had referred tu the supposed fact that by having a second school they would create competition, and put the present head master on hia metal. They had that competition already with the other schools m the district, with which the local school was very frequently and critically compared, and they had competed successfully with them, although there was a great number of them. Mr Reese had imputed motives, and _ he-would tell him what was the motive—Pride in their grand sohool. If they praised the school they had every reason for it, because it was one which they might be pud of. They had not only their own ideas ; i«n the subject, but the sohool had given satisfaction to the Inspeotor and others capable of judgiue. It was, perhaps, natural,- that.Vthe new members of the Committee should think that "they know everything just as well as

the old members. He found that- when ho went on a new, body, it-took him some' time before he oould become thoroughly useful. He had now been Chairman of that Committee for four years and a*half, and that had been his experience - then. It was very strange Mat lie had not heard anything of the wish for dividing the district except from certain members of the Committee. He thought that he, as Chairman, and as one who kept himself well acquainted with such matters and took an active interest, should not have heard anything of thiß crying demand from others. It had been reported that Mr Girdwood had taken the petition round. If so, was it not his first duty to give notice to other members of the Committee ?

. Mr Girdwood explained that he did not think he would have been justified in bringing the matter under the notice of the Chairman. If they wanted to know why ho had not done it, he would tell them that it was because the Chairman had interfered with him when he was getting forms and desks for the second school. There was no necessity for bringing the matter before the Committee. The action was fair and open. (Mr Reese: Hear! Hear I)

1 The Chairman continued that the children from the northern end had not such a great distance to go to the present school than those from Makora would have to.either one or tlio other. In the event of the division being carried out, they would, have two weak schools in place of one strong one, which was the pride of the district. Mr Girdwood said if they had a Becond schoolthey would require a second district, as they could not carry on amicably. He objected to Mr Lowes saying that the old members were better able to do the work than the new ones.

Mr Lowes: I beg your pardon, I did not say so.

Mr Girdwood: But I heard it most distinctly. Mr Lowos: No, you did not hear me say so. - ■ .

Mr Girdwood thought that if they had the second sohool thoy would probably have as many children at the first eohtxpl as they had at present. Mr llogg, in replying; said they were only consulting the interests of children and parents. If they had an independent school thoy should have an independent committee. He admitted that thoy had a very efficient Bchool, but did not think that the second'one would detract from it. Aa for the largo schools being best, thoy had the Femridge school close handy, and he would just as soon send his children there as to the Mastertoi one if it were convenient.

The motion was then put and carried. Messrs Reese, Girdwood, Woodroofe,and Hogg voting for it, and the Chairmai: and Mr Lowes against it. The Chairman asked tho Secretary to enter his formal protest on the minutes. On the motion of Mr Hogg, it wat resolved by the same majority that tin boundary between the two district should be taken along Bannister am Perry streets and the railway road. This concluded the business,