LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
THE APPOINTMENT AND DISMISSAL OF ASSISTANT-MASTERS.
(TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.") SIR,--Will you grant the originator of the memorial to the Endowed Schools' Commissioners space for a few remarks on this subject which "A Head Master" has so kindly and ably treated ?
The memorial will not be circulated till September, when the schools have re-assembled after the Midsummer holidays. No- one would be more delighted than I should be to find it rendered unnecessary, because no one shrinks more from throwing diffi- culties in the way of the Commissioners ; and the letter of "A Head Master" must considerably lighten their difficulties making any change in favour of assistant-masters, if he can per- suade other head masters to agree with him. At first sight, I thought that his views conceded to us more than we asked for : we ask only for an appeal against the decision of the head master ;. he seems to make the appeal the rule instead of the exception.
I have been discussing the matter for some months past with
head masters as well as assistants, and I have found the prevailing opinion to be that the appeal would only be of use in extreme- cases—cases, that is, where the head master was flagrantly unjust, where the master dismissed had been for many years on the Staff and the head master was a new comer, or where the head master- was in the habit of dismissing. In all other cases, the governors. would support the head master, or, at all events, it would be- better for the school that they should do so.
Now I am disposed to think that " A Head Master's" plan would
be unnecessarily embarrassing to head masters, where the case did- not come under any of the classes, and not so fair to assistant- masters as an appeal would be, where it did. In the first case, the- head master would be obliged to take the initiative in bringing the proposed dismissal before the governing body, which the assistant- master, if it rested with him, would probably have the sense to- refrain from doing. In the second ease, the assistant-master might be dismissed without having an opportunity of placing the- matter before the governors from his point of view.
With regard to the appointment of assistant-masters, I
am still more at variance with your correspondent. He seems- to regard the assistant-master as necessarily young and inexperienced. If he grows grey, he must conceal his grey hairs with the same diligence that a coachman does his "encum- brances." I am not surprised at this tone, however greatly, for the interests of education, I may be dismayed at it. But I pro- test, as an assistant-master of more than ten years' experience, against the absolute appointment by head masters, as I do against- the supposition that all assistant-masters who are worth anything must become head masters. Head masters rarely advertise, and hence assistant-masters can only move from one school to another through influence or undignified solicitation. There is no free- trade or open competition.
It will surely be admitted that the art and still more the science'
of teaching are in England yet in their infancy, and that this is- even more true with respect to the lowest than it is with respect- to the highest classes in schools, and surely no class of men are more likely to devote themselves to them, than those who are untrammelled by the cares of organisation of a large school or of a boarding-house. It will be impossible to provide such men with large rewards, but it need not be impossible to throw open the- best appointments to the best men, and to make their position a little more secure, say, than that of curates.
An important fact to be remembered is this, that the growing
tendency will be to annihilate small schools in favour of the large.. This will reduce the number of small head masterships, and in- crease the importance of assistant-masters. Already, the work done by many assistant-masters is of, at least, equal importance to. that done by the head masters of the smaller grammar schools, who, are, nevertheless, placed in a better position, in respect both of in- come and dignity, than the assistants in the most responsible. positions in the largest schools.—I am, Sir, &c., AN ASSISTANT-MASTER.
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