INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 202, 27 July 1937, Page 5

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL.

• (To the Editor:) Sir, —It will be some satisfaction to school committeemen in this city to learn that the Wanganui Education Board has set up a special committee tb meet them in Palmerston North with a view to arriving at a definite expression of opinion regarding the location of our proposed intermediate school. My efforts, therefore, hare not been altogether futile, although the questions submitted by me to the deputy-chairman of the board have not yet been answered either by him or by the board. However, 1 presume the board will make the necessary data available to their sub-committee, as 1 at least will repeat those 16 ques - tions when the meeting is held. School committeemen in that capacity and as parents and taxpayers will probably expect them to be answered. Would the board also adopt my previous suggestion that our city engineer be requested to submit a survey oi all land at present or likely in the pear future to be available in the heart of this city for building purposes? The merits or demerits of each block contained in that report could be discussed by the meeting, which would not then have to rely on the suggestions of committeemen or Mr Oram. Several columns were devoted by the board and by Mr Oram to a variety of subjects including my association and myself, hilt little practical "attention was given to the main point at issue, an intermediate school for Palmerston North aiid information regarding it which school committeemen desire beloro making their final decision. The board in that statement asks why I did not communicate through the official channels instead of writing to the Press. How much notice would the board have taken of me had I questioned the genuineness of Mr Oram’s report, and how much information would I have obtained? I wrote the letter in the Press to Mr Oram, because he was its deputy-chairman, resident m this city, and the person largely responsible for the report that “no suitable site was available.” Any criticism I gave was perfectly fair and justified and my requests were reasonable. The board’s circular referred to lack of a suitable site, disadvantages of a separate site and other matters regarding which committees were not previous aware. That circular was prepared as a result of Mr Oram s lexport, the closing date of the ballot was only a few days off, and school committeemen sought through me an explanation of these matters and other information from the person who should have been best able and most willing to supply it. Wo are still seeking that information. My letter merely stated certain facts and asked certain questions. It certainly w-as not, nor was it intended to be, a personal attack-on Mr Oram as suggested by the hoard. If, as the board suggests, it was a personal attack on him, why did the board reply? Could not Mr Oram deal with a personal attack on himself? If it was not a persona attack, why then has the board attacked both my association and myself and imputed to us such biased motives ? I thank them, for their frankness which is a refreshing change from the usual methods of dealing with my association.

J was not, nor am I concerned in any effort to prejudice Mr Oram s standing with Palmerston Hortli committeemen..; He rather than the-bwrd is its surest and ablest protector: ,1 was and am concerned, however, with the denial of vital information, the accuracy of certain statements, and the unseemly haste and apparent desire to force the College Street proposal through without proper respect for the opinion of committeemen, the board states “it is of the opinion that the establishment of an intermediate school in Palmerston North should be expedited as much as possible. iNo one objects to that opinion as long as the school committeemen concerned have all the facts in their possession before giving their approval or objection. I still feel that the board itself is not yet in possession ot all the facts, and that Mr Oram did not correctly report the position to the board when its circular read efforts to obtain a suitable separate site were unsuccessful.” I say again that no genuine effort was made to locate a

separate site. The board asks what offence it has committed. Its offences are: (1) That it has still declined to supply the information which school committeemen desire to obtain. (2) That it issued to committeemen, doubtless in all good faith, a ballot paper accompanied by a circular which contained inaccurate information capable of influencing the opinion of the electors. (3) That it did permit its deputy-chairman to make a statement regarding my association and myself iii our absence and without the opportunity of defence. (4) That it apparently accepts his statement as correct. The board lias heard Mr Oram’s side of the matter, will it not hear me?

The board’s statement regarding the Opera House meeting and the lateness of the hour, as the reason for non-sup-ply of all information, is not quite accurate. It took all my persuasive powers to get the board’s chairman that night to disclose the intended site of the school and our appeal for information was not responded to very liberally. Tlie board has asked why I introduced questions 14, 15 and 16. Question 14 regarding grading, staffing and capitation v r as submitted because, committeemen of the different schools likely to he affected required that information. They, rather than the board, have to find extra funds should the status of their school be affected. Question 15 regarding costs of intermediate schools Was submitted because committeemen desired to learn (a) what has happened in other districts; (b) what primary schools had been converted; (c) what the costs of building and administration were. After all committeemen are also taxpayers. Question 16 was submitted beca.use many school committeemen who were not present at the Opera House meeting still considered they were entitled to more information before they made a decision. This is particularly so when the board said, “a separate site was not available” after the Opera House meeting had decided in favour of a separate, site. The board says if I know of a central site suitable for an intermediate school, and if I am as sincere to help as I would have the hoard add the public believe, why have I not submitted details of such site to the board so that the matter Can be exa.mined. I understood that the question of investigating suitable sites was in the hands of a special committee of the hoard. I made one or two suggestions to that committee, as did other school committeemen, but little attention was paid to them. Had I been asked to make a survey of all land available which might be suitable, I would have been pleased to do so. I will still be prepared to do so if asked. Neither my association, the school committeemen of this city, nor I realised that the responsibility of submitting a suitable separate site rested with us and not with the board’s special committee.

Apparently tlie board and Mr Oram a.re somewhat worried about the situation, or they would not have gone to such lengths to explain themselves in the Press .and leave the main issue still unanswered. Such methods only aggravate rather than relieve the sense of dissatisfaction that exists amongst committeemen regarding the proposal for an intermediate school and its site. The result of the ballot is a further indication of that dissatisfaction. There was a definite majority against the College Street proposal, but the board did not point out that a large number of votes were not cast at all because those committeemen were not prepared to vote until they had more infornia.tion. The board’s statement implies that board members must not be criti--1 cised and must not be judged by school : committeemen and their association. May I point out that school committeemen are both the electors and judges of board members. Does the board deny 1 school committeemen the right of fair criticism, and why cannot it show a ■ greater measure of co-operation with ■ the School Committees’ Association ? > The board suggests that the School i Committees’ Association is not free > from bias. Do board members possess ! some special qualification which the avi erage school committeeman, including i myself," does not possess? After all, ; both the board members and school . committeemen are working in an hon- . onred common cause without thought • of reward' other than the satisfaction | that comes from work well done. Why, [ therefore, should this .apparent an- . tagonism exist between the nssocia- . tion and the board? As president, of ! the New Zealand Federation of Prim- ' ary School Committee Associations. , may I say that with the exception of ' the Wanganui district there exists a 1 wonderful spirit of co-operation be- , tween the various education boards .and committeemen of the associations throughout New Zealand. The efforts ■ of those associations have been welcomed by the different boards and none of them is concerned who receives the credit. In other districts board members are members of the school committee associations and in some cases are the officers of such associations. I still believe that the efforts of the combined association have been a powerful factor in obtaining official attention to many of the problems which affect our primary education system and its administration. School committeemen after all have not much authority, but they are certainly called upon to do a great deal of work and meet many financial burdens in their administration of school affairs. AVhy should the Wanganui Education Board treat them like so many little children? If they are good they get a few pennies occasionally; if not, then they onlv receive a rap over the ■ knuckles. The board refers to the excellent schools of Palmerston North which Air Oram has represented with conspicuous ability for the past nine years. The condition of those grounds and buildings, the equipment provid ed and improvements effected are • largely the result of considerable effort on the part of individual school committeemen' and interested ladies, and are not due to any special or preferential treatment from the board. Alust the hoard and one of tlieir local representatives. Mr Oram, also have the credit for the .work to which they have made little contribution? Committeemen are not much concerned to whom credit is given : they have their own sense of personal satisfaction. I have been perfectly sincere in any work I have done in the cause of primary education, and have devoted considerable time and effort to the discharge of my responsibilities without deriving as far as I know any material personal benefit'from such work. If, as the board suggests, I am not competent to set either myself or my association in a position to judge or criticise the hoard, then I can . only express regret that school committeemen have mot made a wiser choice in their selection of association and New Zealand Federation president. Both my association and I desire to co-ope-rate and assist the board in every possible avenue of a useful and constructive nature, not alone for Palmerston North but for the benefit of primary 'schools and the children generally. Our impartiality and our preparedness to render genuine service should not he questioned. —I am. etC " W. G. BLACK. Chairman of Central School Committee; President, Alanawatu and Oroua School Committees’ Association..