TE AWAMUTU SCHOOL.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 950, 25 July 1878, Page 2

TE AWAMUTU SCHOOL.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE CENSURED. The Editor Waikato Thies — Sir, —Oblige by inserting in j r our first idsuue the following report of the meeting anent school matters here which I convened.—l am, your obedient servant, W. Sloane : Three months ago the teacher at Te Awamutu received notice from the Board of Education, that his services would not be required after the 31st of this month, and, shortly after this notice was received, a petition, asking for the continuance of Mr Maclaurm's services, was subscribed by almost all householders of the district, and by all, save three, of those who had children at the school. This document was addressed to the Education Board, and handed to the Local Committee, with the request that they would forward it to the Board, j They did not transmitit; and when it came to be known that the committee had only dealt with it as waste paper, another memorial was prepared, and after having been subscribed by all who had children at the school with one solitary exception, it was forwarded directly to the Board. The Board sent it to the committee for their consideration. Shortly after this, the teacher received a letter from the Board, informing him that his term at Te I Awamutu conld not be extended, as the Local Committee had reported that the continuance of his services at Te Awamutu, would be inconsistent with the interest of the school. ' So soon as it was known that the

commit!ee hud acted so as to defeat the wishes of the people, three sixth of the parents of children at

school, united in calling a uueting of housjhulders with the view of arranging a course of action. This meeting took place on the 20th prox. and it was thereat agreed unanimously to requßst the committee to reconsider their finding, relative to the teacher, and fco ask the Board to continue his services. This the committee refused to do, aud inconsequence of their refusal, the meo'iug announced in your Saturdays issue was convened, and your readers will now be prepared for the following ouclensed report there yf:

The meeting took place at 7 p.m. in the Public Hall. Tnere was a nunieroos attendance of householders. Mr C. James occupied the Chair.

A letter from the teacher was ivad. In this letter it was alleged t.hao the School Committee had grossly neglected the duty of visiting the school, that, contrary to his expressed desire, no public examination of it has been conducted, and that notwithstanding the representations made by the School Committee, not one of their number, and not one of the number of those who preceeded them in office, had, on any occasion, expressed disatisfaction with his teaching. Various questions having been put to the Committee by Messrs Thompson, Sloano and others present, such facts as the following were brought out—that the Chairman during late months had put his name to the monthly certincite setting forth that ihe school had been properly conducted, although he had not visited it, that, five of the seven committee members have ha I no children attending the school, a.d therefoie no personal interest in it, and that not having visited the school they could not as a body of their own knowledge, give anything higher thau hearsay evidence as to the state of the schoo 1 .

A telegraphic correspondence, between himself and Secretary to Education Board, was produced by the Chairman of the School Committee, with the A'iew of establishiug' the point that the corami tee had been simply guided in the action they had taken by the nature of the Inspectors' report, on the school. It was, on the other hand, argued that a letter which the teacher had deceived from the Board plainly established the point that when the Board had, under the influence ot humane and gentlemanly feeling, virtually pub to the committee the question— shall the teacher's ierm be extended or not?—they, insteid of reciprocating such feeliug.s, aud instead of seeking to accomplish the expressed desire of the district, did act in direcD opposition thereto.

The testimony of residents who had children at the. school was heard, iind it was strongly in favor of. tho teacher. Mr Mandeno, one of the Committee, stood alone in expressing an unfavorable opinion, and, on bei«ig pressed by Mr. Thomson, he admitted that his hostility to Mr Maclaurin d ited from ihe period of the appointment, of that geutleman to Te Awamutu.

Tin following motion was then p'lt by .Mv Sloane, "That this meeting lias no confidence in the School Com nibtep ; that they have every confidence in Mr MacLiurin; that iho School Committee' be requested to resign ; and that the Education Board bo communicated with, so as to secure, if possible, their co-opera-tion in the way of persuading the Committee to retire."—Seconded by .Mr Potts.

No amendment having been brought forward, the motion was carried unanimously.