The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-09-24
TEACHER AUSTIN
Dismissed by Board Of Education
Yesterday.
RESULT OF INVESTIGATION
Bumped Pupils Head
Against Blackboard.
Routine M Matters Disposed of-Trans
fers and Appointments
Considered.

Minister Cooper, Mrs. Jordan, Pro
fessor Alexander, Mr. Bowen and Dep
uty Inspector-General Gibson were
present at the meeting of the Board of
Education yesterday when Secretary
Rodgers read the minutes of the pre-
vious meeting.
Mr.. Gibson reported on the condition
of the Beretania Street School, the re-
| port being suggested by a complaint
| that Chinese were f1ocking to the
school. The investigation did not bear
out the statement and no action was
taken. Mr.. Gibson suggested that all
schools be supplied with paper, pen
holders, ink, chalk and slate-pencils.
On motion of Mr.. Bowen the sugges-
ton was adopted.
The matter of teachers examination
was brought up by Mr.. Gibson. This
was to take the place of the eXami
nation at the Summer School. Mr..
Gibson thought notice should be sent
Easter would be a good time, and that
the examinations should be held si-
multaneously over the Islands.
Several applications for positions
under the Board or for transfers were
read, and the usual action taken. One
lady teacher complained that on reach
ing her school a few weeks since she
found her place taken by some one
else. She had not been notified of her
Il i e
1t was sent.
The School Agent at Kaunakakai re-
ported that two school buildings there
were unfit for use, and recommended
that they be sold. Mr.. Smith said it
might be scheme of one or two peo-
pie to put the buildings up at auction
for the purpose of getting the lumber
cheap. Mr.. Bowen moved that the
Agents recommendation be acted up
on; he made the motion through the
confidence he had in Mr.. McCorriston |
The motion carried unanimously Mr. |
Smith said he was satisfied, so long as |
the other members knew the Agent
Miss Zoe Atkinson submitted that |
she will have taught for 10 years on |
January 1 next, and asked that she be |
given life certificate. On motion of |
Mr.. Bowen, Miss Atkinson was notified |
that her request was denied for the |
reason that the rules governing such |
cases had been changed since she had |
entered the service of the Board
The next, and most important, item |
for consideration by the Board was the
report of Minister Cooper on the |
charges preferred against Harry a.
Austin, teacher at Lihue, Kauai. Be-
sides a typewriter report covering
several pages, Minister Cooper had on
the desk number of affldavits, peti-
lions, etc, bearing on the case.
The only charge taken up by the
board was that of striking a pupil so
that his head struck a blackboard.
thereby injuring him to such an extent
that the boy was confined to his bed
tor some days after. The statements
Ot the injured boy and several of the
were to the effect that the boy,
Who was at the blackboard, was asked
20 spell the word conjunction and
1eflne it. He was unable to do either
and when Austin found that the boy
was deficient in knowledge he first
pushed him and then struck him on
he back of the neck, forcing his head
against the blackboard in such a yio-
ent manner as to raise large IumD
he boy was sent to his desk by Ans
in and told to write the trouble-mak-
ng word 100 times, and when this was
accomplished the dose was repeated.
At the close of the day the boy went
lone, but said nothing to his parents.
or fear Of being whipped again. The
lext day he was too i'll to attend (:
chool, and on the following day Aus
in sent policeman to his home to
ook him up. On the road he found a /
Icrse nibbling at the grass and living !
unconscious in a field adjoining was [
he boy. When brought to his senses
e explained that he remembered moth
1g Of falling from the horse; his head ]