MASTERTON SCHOOL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3892, 21 August 1891, Page 2

MASTERTON SCHOOL.

The monthly meeting of the Masterton School Committee wa3 held in the Central Chambers last (Thursday) evening, there being present Messrs J3. Feist (chairman), W. G. Beard, C. E. Daniell, W. Perry, Z. M. Hoar, and W. M. Easthope. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Treasurer reported a debit balance of Is 3d. The Education Board wrote, forwarding £2 as rent for the Theatre Royal, and £2O as capitation to the end of June. ARBOE DAY. A circular was received from the Education Board, requesting the Committee to set aside one day in the year as an Arbor Day. The matter was left over for future consideration. teacher's report. The head teacher reported the number of children on the roll to be 608, the average attendance 490, and the percentage of attendances 81. A few repairs were required to the school buildings. The visiting member was authorised to undertake the necessary repairs. Misa Keeling reported the number of names on the roll as 101, and the average attendance 87. ABSENTEES. The Secretary repotted that a number of children had been irregular in their attendance.

Instructions were given to the Secretary to send notices to the parents of the children who had been absent.

Mr Easthope asked if there was any report from the Truant Officer as to the children who did not attend school at all.

The Chairman: I cannot say. The Secretary stated that no notice had been sent to Sergeant Hannan with regard to truants. It was decided to request the Inspector of Police to instruct the police in Masterton to act as Truant Officers. DRAWING EXAMINATION. The Chairman and Messrs Hoar, Perry and Daniell were authorised to supervise the drawing examination to be held on September 2nd. SECOND SCHOOL. Mr Easthope said he would like to hear something about the building of the second school. A letter received from the Education Board on the subject was read. It was resolved that the Board be requested to inform the Committee when it will be in a position to make a grant for the second school.

HOLIDAYS. Mr Easthope called attention to the fact that two holidays had been granted this year to the children attending the Masterton school in honour of events which had transpired in Wellington. The Chairman : Do you refer to the opening of the Education Board Offices ? Mr Easthope : 1 plead guilty, sir. I do not think it is proper. The Chairman did not think the Committee had a right to take exception to the holidays proclaimed by the Education Board. Mr Easthope moved that before the Education Board grants further holidays the local Committee be consulted. Mr Beard seconded, jwo forma, but expressed the opinion that no excepfha siibuld be taken to iut r "of a holiday on such an occasion aiT the opening of the Education offices. Mr Daniell thought some protest should be entered against the granting of holidays for such an event as the Wellington Agricultural Show. The Committee should express an opinion on the subject. Mr Jackson, who was present, stated that he would rather that there were no holidays. They were compelled, however, to recognise certain days. After some further discussion the motion was put and declared lost. PUNISHMENT OF SCHOLARS.

A letter was read from Mrs E. Selby to the headmaster, in which complaints were made of the severe chastisement of her son Harry, for a trivial offence, in the presence of an elder brother.

A communication from Mr Selby on the same subject was read. The reply of Mr Jackson to Mrs Selby's communication was also read in which it was stated that tbe charges made were absolutely without foundation. The boy had been thrashed for wilful destruction of his book and insubordination. The elder brother had not been brought into the room to witness the thrashing.

The two teachers who were in the room at the time the punishment was administered, wrote, stating that they did not consider the thrashing too severe.

The book which had been destroyed by the boy, and for which offence the punishment was administered, was here placed before the Committee, and the headmaster explained the circumstances of the case. The whipping he had administered was not by any means too severe. He had no ill-feeling whatever towards the family of Mr Selby, although the child was very hard to manage. The Chairman said this was one of the most disagreeable matters which had come before the Committee since he had been a member. He thougut, however, a proper course had been adopted in having the whole thing ventilated.

Mr Selby, who was present, said he had been invited to attend the meeting. He pleaded guilty on behalf of his boy to the damage done to the book. His boy bad, however, been unmercifully whipped, and bis brother had been called in to witness the beating. The bruises were on the boy's body a fortuight after he was whipped. This was the first occasion he had listened to bis boys, but the news had been brought by other boys. He was sorry to have to bring the matter before the Committee, but it was only on account of the elder boy being called into the room to witness tbe thrashing he did so. Mr Daniel!: What redress does Mr Selby wish? Mr Selby: I only desire that the boy be not thrashed so severely in the future. J$ the head teacher cannot manage him I would like him expelled. Mr Daniell: Do you think, Mr Selby, the boy was unduly punished ? Mr Selby: I do. Mr Beard: What is his age ? Mr Selby: I think he is nine in Decembsr.

Mr Beard: How many strokes did

U °Mr Jackson: I not say, he would not get more than a dozen. Mr Perry: And there are two marks left. Mr Selby: Fourteen days after. Mr Perry: But he might have been whipped in the meantime. Mr Beard said his opinion was that a mountain was made out of a mole

hill. Mr Selby had not complained that the boy had been wrongly whipped, but he had been whipped too much. He thought it only right that a schoolmaster should have sufficient authority to maintain discipline in the school. It was the duty of the Committee to uphold the master in cases such as the present. Personally he approved of the action ot Mr Jackson. He would propose, " That with regard to the complaint against the headmaster of thrashing Harry Selby, this Committee, having heard the statements of Mr Selby and the headmaster, and heard the corn respondence, uphold the action of the j headmaster." Mr Daniel! seconded the resolution. If he was in the place of Mr Selby he would feel that the boy had been severely whipped, but would conclude that the punishment was justified. j He felt it his duty to support the head I master.

Mr Easthope said he had adopted the plan with his children that if they came home and complained of being whipped, he administered an additional whipping himself. At the same time he did not think Mr Jacksou had written a proper letter to Afrs Selby, The Chairman said he entirely sympathised with the resolution. It was a very difficult matter for a man in Mr Jackson'? position to maintain discipline. He thought that under the circumstances Mr Jackson was fully justified in the' punishment he administered.

The motion was then put and carried unanimously.

FINANCES. It was decided to write to the Town Lands Trustees, requesting the consideration of the application for a grant. Accounts amounting to £lB 18s 8d were passed for payment when tunds permit. The meeting then adjourned.