Hawke’s Bay Education Board.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 314, 20 June 1889, Page 2

Hawke’s Bay Education Board.

Naym, last night. At a meeting of the Education Board on Tuesday, a letter was read which has appeared in the pres* commenting on the way in which the examination of children was conducted. The Inspector said the statements were totally unjustifiable, and absolutely false. On the motion of Captain Rnssell it was agreed that the letter was unjustifiable ana not founded on facts.

In reference to the above the following i letter appeared in the Christchurch TelegraphSir,—Some little time ago there appeared in your columns a local (starring to a letter in a Napier contemporary on the above subject. Thia latter charge* the Impactor with conducting his examinations in an unjust and tantalising manner, and quote* a* an instance some queationa in spelling. It the allegation* ware true, no one oould fail to agree with the condemnation you express; but I have no hesitation in declaring my conviction that the charges are either utterly false, or, what is worse still, a malicious distortion of what was in itself harmles*. The letter has bean quoted not only in your columna, but also in the Wellington Post, and a* Mr Hill waa for many year* well known in Christchurch when master of the Gloucester steeet school, and has many friends here, I feel called upon to write in refutation of these columnies. I am well acquainted with five or six young men, now themselves teachers or students, who were pupils of Mr Hill’s in the Gloucester street school for many yean. They have often spoken to ms with enthusiastic admiration of their former teacher, and of the relation of complete confidence that always existed between him and hi* pupil*. They used to regard him in fact rather as an elder brother than a* a matter. You will agree with ma that each a men could not, as Inspector, be guilty of the conduct he is charged with. Moreover, when a teacher I myself for four or five yean held a position in the largest school in hi* district, and tha* have intimate knowledge of hi* method* of examining. So far from Intimidating the children or puzzling their wits with tricky queationa, he invariably placed them entirely at case by hie pleasant, chatty manner, and aaked them none but eimple, straightforward queationa; nor have I ever heard a single complaint against him of the nature of these charges, except, perhaps, from one or two teachers, whose utter inoompetence has compelled him to write condemnatory reports of their work. Mr Hill'e old Cnrietchuroh pupil* will be lurpriaed at the attacks upon nlm which have oooaaionaliy appeared in the Napier papers ) but the matter la eaally explained. They have all emanated from one Or other of three or four men, whose school* have received bad report*. One of these ia a teacher who, by hie violent attack* and quarrelaotnenea* made himaelf objectionable to the Inspeotor and Board of another district, and had to relinquish hi* position. Another la that redoubtable newspaper warrior who some year* ago used to oaua* great amusement by his frequent and groundless jeremiad* in the Obriatohuroh papers against the College Professor*, School Inspectors, Education Board, and, in fact, all persona in authority over him. These two gentlemen found it ex pedient io seek new fields, end are now exercising their cuttle fish talent* in the Hawks's Bay district. The position of School Inapectot is an extremely trying one. It would almost seem that eaeh time he adde one more to the list of hie condemnatory reports he adds one more to the list of his personal enemies. It is to be regretted that Education Board* do not eubject these cantankerous people io stricter discipline, and compel them to send their complaints to the proper quarter before making attack* in newspapers on men whose official position debars them from replying. It is only when the first course has failed that the aecond becomes justifiable. Confident that yon will gladly publish this letter in justice to the reputation of an absent man.—Youra truly, O. T. J. Ali-sb3. Canterbury College, June 6»h.