CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL COMMITTEE. Remodelling the Teaching Staff. Interesting Proceedings.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1776, 22 November 1883, Page 2

CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL COMMITTEE. Remodelling the Teaching Staff. Interesting Proceedings.

Thk itsn.il monthly meeting of the above body was held at Mr Gr. F. Hosking's office, Ciimbiidge, on Tuesday evening last. Present : Messis Hoiking (chairman), Hough ton, Sargent, Hewitt, Wright and Nixon. The Rev H. R. Dewsbury was unavoidably abseut. Puoku'ajimk ov Bt'hiNKs.s. — The Chairman lead the following circular convening the meeting :— A special meeting of the school committee will be held in my office on Monday next, at 7.30. Business :To consider applications for the office of cla&sical master for the High School, fencing and levelling fills' playgiound, &c. Mu Bull's Sick\ ioix— Mr Sargent enquued as to whether the Board of Education had finally decided on Mr Boll's dismissal.— The Chairman e\pl<iined the state in w hich this mattci stood at the piesent time. The loquisition for the retention of Mr Boll's soi vices had been signed by the .school committee of Hamilton, and also by the mombeiN of the Cainbndge Committee. He could not as vet say wli.it eftoct the requisition had on the Boaid of -Education. Ri:Moi)r.iJ,i\(r thi: Ti:\<'in\<s Srvrr. — Mr S.ugont, in eutoiing upon this business, said lie would move the following pioposition :—-": — -" This committee lespectfully suggests the follow ing for the consideiation of thoboaid, with a strong reconnnond.ition tli.it the board give eftoct thoieto. (1) That m \ie\\ of successfully cai tying on the Cambridge High School, it is necessary that the head master shall ha\e educational status to qualify him to teach, dnect, superintend, and examine the whole of the subjects taught in the High School ; (2) tli.it an assistant te.icher should be qualified to assist the head te.icher in teaching the High School subjects, and that it is detrimental to the best inteiosts of the High School for an assistant te.icher to be in a position to give instruction in subjects of winch the head tea< her cannot diiect, examine, noi pumoimce on their ments ; (3) that this committee view s with alarm the jnospect of constant changes taking place in the assist'tnt teachetship, if the teaching of the Hiyh School subjects must on him depend with the limited sal.uy ofteicd, helie\ ing that any man possessing a Uni\ ersity degtee w ill only stay as ,i stepping stone to a more lucrative, appointment ; (4) that in oidei to meet the exigencies of the case the bo.ud will le-model the teaching staff of the Cambridge High School by removing the present head toaohor, and by appointing a head master with a University degieo at a salary of, say, £300 per annum, and a dwelling house free of rent, and one assistant teacher qualified to assist in teaching all the High School subjects at a sal.uy of, t.ay £l(so per annum."— Mr Wright seconded the piojjosition. — Mr Nixon said lie did not consider, judging from the circular calling the meeting, thai they wore assembled to consider the question as broached in the proposition bi ought foiwaid by Mr Sargent. -The Chairman said there was no doubt about it they were called together to cousidei the applications for the appointment of assistant teacher to the school, and any other business which might ;uise out of this subject. Mi Sargont s proposition dealt with the question under review, and he would thorufoie have to rule in his favour. The chauman thonpioceeded to read applications with testimonials from the five applicants all duly qualified to hold the position applied for.— Mi Nixon pi oposed "That the committee recommend Mr Wiight (one of_ the applicants) as assistant teacher of the high school." —Mr Sargent seconded. —Mi Wiight piopos>ed as an amendment "That the applications as road be not considered." —The chairman thought Mr Nixon's proposition would go well haud in hand \\ lth Mi Sargent's proposition. — Mr Nixon's proposition was put and cmiiod.— Mr Wright spoke at eonsideiable length in opposing the course which the meeting was taking in tilling the position of assistant teacher By adopting this course they were stultifying their intention of le-modelling' the teaching staff as jnoposed in Mr Sai gent's piopositiou. — Mi Saj gent's motion having been put by the qluurman, the latter gentleman said that, considering the numerous complaints of parents of children attending the high school, it was to his nilnd very necessary that a nhangc should be made in the teaching staff. — Mr Houghton approved of the course as suggested in Mr Sargent's proposition. — Mr Hewitt likewise gave his approval.— The Chairman said he felt sure in considering the matter they were all actuated by the de&he to benefit the school and the district, and not to iiniuo a^y particular individual, Thuy all wanted to make Higl} S,ch<\o.l a thotough success. — JYJv Nrixrai wanted to know if in considering this matter they weie going to ignme the primary school. — The Chanman replied that practically there, was now no primary .schooj, The school was now a High School to all intents and purposes. — Mr Nixon said if the parents were .satisfied with the present head teacher, he could not see why the committee should take action in direct conti avention of the wishes of the parents. — Mr Sargent said he wished it to be distinctly undeistood he bi ought forwaidh,is motiqn purely in the inteiestsof the sohoal and of the community. He believed the head master should be a man having a University degree. — Mr Hewitt considered it was greatly out of place for Mr Nixon to biing forward a personal matter, when the question under consideration was one of a pinery public chaiacter. — Mr Nixon appealed to the chairman as to whether Mr Hewitt ov Mv Hoiking was chaiwi(ai\ of the meeting. H,e could not se.e,' w,ny IV{r Hewitt should call him to order. If such a thing weie allowed— if he (Mr Nixon) were not allowed to speak -it was either for him or Mr Hewitt to withdiaw. He could not se,e why his mouth should be cloned, htf another member of the oommjttee. He would propose an amendment'to the effect that the office of headteacher qf the school be maintained unaltered. Mr Stewart ■vya.' 5 a, man of high mqial chara,c,|;ev, and, an excellent teacher, iyid t;he childien, had, been brought on re- j marls'ab|}y well. — M;r Nixon's amendment, finding no seconder, lapsed. — Mr Sargent's Eroposition was then put and carried, Mr Tixon only dissenting. The School Playground.— The Chairt man said the committee had, umv S2l in hand to be cjevofeed, \p improving the girls' pjaygrounq. The. ground would have to be fencad and levelled. — On the motion of Mr Nixon, it wiis agreed, that Messrs Husking, Hewitt, Sargent and Wright be a committee to carry out the necessary improvements. ; Alleged Ovkh PytfisH:ti*m ( of Girls.— Th,e Chairman »ald, that of late there had bse,n considerable wailing and gnashing ,of/ tefltK among, some of, the parents,,, on accpdnt of< their daughters beirig' : jivljat they considered over-thrashed' by 'the^ofaster. ;^lf« v U*\»s[ht»?, ;Bfr Gautf 'WO, Ijceu

thrashed in such a' manner as to prevent her from returning to school, nnd it had taken him all his time to induce her parents, as well as thtf (Parents of other girls, to send them to school again. At ■ the same time he had also been informed by ' Mr Nixon that his daughter had beenthrashed. — Mr Nixort her^ interposed, and denied over having told the chnirmjvn that his daughter had been thrashed.— The Chaii man asserted that Mr Nixon had informed him to that effect, ' aiid'sb far as he could understand. Mi- Nixon was seriously annoyed about the matter. — Mr Wright, who was piv-s-iiitat the time, supported tIM chaiiman, but Mr Nivon again interpose^r by denying ever having made use of thj^ term "thr.ished," The Chairman was stiw c mvinced that Mr Nkoil hs^f informed him to that effect.— Mr Nixon said the chairman had been making use of certain bt.itenient.-i in which he was, concerned, and which, if he allowed to pass uncontradicted, might be the means of getting him involved in a ca&e of criimual libel.— Mr Wright distinctly averred that Mr Nivon had spokenV to him and Mr Husking about the punish- * inent of his girl, and seemed much annoyed. He objected to "Mr Stewart inflicting punishment on his daughter as • hadnbeeu the case. — Mr Houghton considered that if the chairman had made some trivial mistake m making use of the wrong word it was as little as Mr Nixon could do tc-jCorrect him by telling him what he actually* did say.— Some other conversation followed on this matter, Mr Nixon refusing to state in what manner his girl had been punished. — The Cha.iruiJ.ii considered that it degraded elderly girls to bo thrashed in the manner inferred, and the time had now arrived for the committee to step in and interfere, — Mr Houghton was of opinion that corporeal punishment should not be inflicted on girls at all. — Messrs 'Hewitt and Nixon coincided.~Mr Wright said Mrs Geirimill had come to him complaining about the treatment her girl had received, and insisted upon his accompanying her to the school to enquire iuto the matter. —Mr Nixon asked whether or not it was the duty of a member of the committee toaccompanyan aggrieved parent to the school in order to institute an eiKjniry with the head teax:her on a matter of this kind.' — The Chairnian ruled that jfc^, was nob, but had to admit , that he huni*eflfc had been guilty of a like offence on a pre^ vious occahion. — Mr Wright admitted the iniudiciousness of his action in so doing, but said he only did it out of courtesy. — Mr,, Houghton then proposed, and Mr Hewitflfc seconded, " In reviewing the actions of the* head master in the cases of Miss Nixon, Miss C. Liane, and Miss A. Clark, this committee, whilst deploring the head teacher's inability to maintain discipline without the aid of corporeal punishment, considers that, with big girls, it is not an appeal to their sense of right and wrong, and therefore ha* no good offoc^ wlfilst it ts degrading for a young lady of 15 or 10 years of age to be whipped, and will therefore a.sk the board to' uphold it in making a rule in the Camlnidge High School that corporeal punishment shall not be inflicted on any girl over 10 years of age, and that any teacher committing the offence shall be liable to suspension on the committee's recommendation to the board." — Carried unanimously. This terminated the business, and the meeting ended.