CAMBRIDGE EAST SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1822, 11 March 1884, Page 2

CAMBRIDGE EAST SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

A sieuting of the above committee was held on Friday evening last, when theie weie present, Messrs G. F. Hosking, (chahinan) E. Hewitt, T. Wells, J. Houghton, and James Forrest. Tub Board and thi: High School — The following communication was received from the Secretary of the Board regarding the present condition of the High School :—: — Sir, — In reply to your letter, dated the 7th instant, I am directed to state that the condition upon which the Dibtrict High School was establibhed was "that it should be continued only so long as it shall be self-buppoiting," and that the income and expenditure for 1883 were as follow :—: — INCOMK. Fees (2 quarters) £92 8 0 Grant from le venue for secondaiy education leserves . 50 0 0 £142 8 0 KvrramruuK. Salaries (fi months.) . Wi 310 Stationery 3 10 10 m) 14 8 Siu,— l am directed to call the attention of the Committee to the conditions upon which the Board agreed, in March last, to the establishment of a Distnct High School at Cambridge. The proposals biibnntted to the Boaid in October, 1882, contained a promi.se on the parents to .send thirtynine (3'J) pupils. Up to the present date advice has been received of the payment of feet, for three pupilb only for the can ent quarter. Ftoin the btatetnent, fuiuMiee! to you yos-teuiay, showing the income and e\penditine for last year, it is evident that but for the extraneous aid dciived fiom the special giant voted by the Reserves Commissioners, the school was barely self-sup-porting, even with an attendance of 23 pupils. I am duectcd to ask the committee for information as to the causes of the extraordinary decrease in the attendance, and as to the prospects of continuing the school upon a substantial basis. Mr Wells said that with the assistance of the chairman he had diafted the following letter -which he would move an a reply to the foiegoing : — Sib, — I have the honour to acknowledge th' 3 receipt of your letter bearing date 12th February, and in reply to your question as to the extraordinary deciease in the attendance at the High School, and the prospect of its future buccess, I have the honour to state that in the opinion of this committee the deciease m the attendance is largely due to the fact that the school has from the very beginning been placed on an unsatisfactory basis. First the salaries of £100 per annum has been found insufficient to retain the services of a master qualified to teach the High School subjects. The committee in diffidence to the expressed opinion of the Inspector, yielded against their own convictions to the appointment of Mr Stewart as head-master of both the Primal y and High Schools. On the lesignat'on of Mr Wilson, in September last, it became evident that a teacher possessed of university qualifications would not consent to retain for long a position second to one his mfeiioi in scholastic grades, particularly when appointments of a much more lucrative character were constantly offering. The constant changes in the classical master have greatly mitigated against the success of the school during the peiiod of its existence, and the smallness of the number of those who have this quaiter entered themselves as pupils in the High Schools, is, in the opinion of the committee, accounted for by the facts : Ist, the un warrantable attitude which Mr Stewait has seen fit to assume in his hostility to the committee, in publicly charging its members with personal animus, and 2nd the unseemly quarrel between Mr Stewart and Mr Wright (which quairel has become a matter of public scandal) has had the effect of bringing the whole organisation of the High School into ridicule and contempt, while in addition to this the committee feel that there is good reason to suppose that Mr Stewart lias lately, for reasons whiah it is unnecessary to state, discouraged in every way possible the attendanoe of children at the High School, As early as November last (four months after tho inauguration of the High School, and previous to Mr Wright'a appointment), six of the committee, realising that the basis of the school was unsatisfactory, supported the resolution for an entire remodelling of the teaching staff. This led to an open rupture between Mr Stewart and the committee, and the contention has been earned on ever since by the committee and the large majority of th,e uiiblic, on the one hand, and the minoiity of the public, abetted by Mr Stewart with all that petulance and indiscretion which are so eminently his characteristics, on the other. This led to such an unhappy state of feeling in the community that any joint guarantee for attendance at the school is not at present pq->sible to .secure, nor can it be seciuc4 nqjjil several tnoi}th,s afser th.c withdrawal of Mi' Stmyarp, whon elements of discord may disappear, and feelings of undue heat resume their normal temperature. Briefly to recapitulate : (Ist) The present organization of the school is proved to be unworkable. (2nd) The salary of £150 is inadequate to retain the services of a classical master. (3rd) Mr Stewait's persistent antagonism to his committee, the party bitterness -which ho has cheated in the community by the activity of bis opposition, his personal contention with his assistant, have brought the school into contempt. The committee, would respectfully urge the board not to regard the past want of Buccess in what ljas, reajly b,een a mere tentative measure, ag any indication, that tjhe school will not succeed, if placed on a proper and substantial basis. If this is done they entertain no doubt that the school will b§ sja}f»supporting. The need of a High School m the district is as pressing now and as imperative as ever ; though owing to the excited state of feeling, concerted effort is at present impossible in obtaining a guarantee. In conclusion, the committee request the board to adveitise without delay in the Auckland, Wellingjam. and Gh^tcjfur.c.h, 'Ba'ne.r.s tyr % duly qualified classical master anq| an assistant at the salaries heretofore given, failing the board's ability to offer higher rates of re* numeration. Mr Forrest did not coincide with the views set forth by Mr Wells in the letter just read. Any remedy they might recommend would b3 unavailing, as it was quite evident the High School could not be carried on" sueoesaiulfy. It was an institution far ill advance of their mean's td support it. Mr Hewitt having seconded the motion, it was put and carried. Resignation.-— Mr Hughes submitted his resignation, which was accepted. Mr Sargent was unanimously elected to the Other, matters qt minor - im^ortgnca