The Garden Island. [volume] (Lihue, Kauai, H.T.) 1902-current, 1916-07-04
BUSINESS TRANSACTED
BY CHAMBER Of COMMERCE
Mr.. II nry c. Brown,
Principal, Waimca School,
Waimca, Kauai.

| Irln'lpa', Nalmca school,
Waimca, Kauai.
Dear Sir:
The main purpose of Rule 81, on pag
% of the Course OF study, is to preven
the advancing Of pupils who were no
fully prepared to take up the work OF
higher grade. The wish on the part q
the principals 10 mold back certain pupil
who passed the examinations is quit
exceptional and does am sure. credit I
! yourself. As a matter of fact, il shops thd
your desire is exdeliy that Of the Department
namely, to prevent the advancement o
pupils in the grades for which they ar,
not fitted; a practice which, as yor
know, has been exceedingly common.
.Ns | stated, your case is almost a uni
que one and was, feel certain, not con.
sidcred to any extent when the rule
mentioned was framed. ! think, how
ever. that 1t will be well, in this respect,
to follow the practise which has been
followed with regard to the eighth grade
examinations as entrance examinations
III the High Schools. In this case, pupils
obtaining eighth grade diplomas are en-
titled to admission to the High Schools,
but are allowed to remain there only in
case they show themselves qualified to
do the work. In other words, the pass
ing OF the examination entities a pupil
to promotion into a higher grade, but
does not entitle him to remain there in
case his work shows that he is not up to
grade.
This can certainly not be con-
sldered case of Gisobedience on
Mr.. Browns part especially as up-
on the Superintendent's visit a
few months later he was told to
have the pupils in question pro-
LAo,ed at the eni of the term rath-
er than at that time. which was
done. We may add that owing
to the rather confused wording of
the latter part of the Superinten.
dents letter of October 18th, a
misunderstanding as to the mean.
ing of it arose which was explain
ed.
AS to the charge against Mrs.
Brown of insubordination at the
time of being requested by Mr..
Brodie the supervising principal
to take teacher S examination in
School Laws then it looks some
what more serious, and although
we do not consider disobedience
or insubordination at all lightly or
as matters that should be tolerated
or allowed to pass without notice
we believe, however. that the Of
fence was elimination of the
somewhat strained relations that
have existed between Mrs. Brown
and Supervising Principal during
the few years, and existing not a.
lone between them but between
several others of the more import.
ant Principals of theIsland. We find
that the objection to the examina-
ton was particularly because il
was believed to be an innovation
hot based upon nor, ito be found in
the rules and regulations promul-
gated by the Department, and we
are told that at least one of the
prominent principals of the Island
and Hilo teachers as well failed to
submit % a requirement which
they found Objectionable and some
what humiliating, and in connec.
tion with this incident we think it
is fair also to mention that the
Superintendent when asked if this
examination was part of the rules
ana regulations OF the Department
curtly answered that he objected
to being asked about it and that he
had 40 odd schools to visit and
had no time.
When referring to the dismissal
OF the Browns. we notice that the
Department carefully avoids using
the word dismissal and prefers to
say that they were only not re-
appointed and we find that this is
apparently done to evade the plain
contained in the con-
troct that a teacher enters into
with the Department. 1t says ex-
oil