Morgan, Mr Balfour
Balfour Morgan had the misfortune to be the teacher in charge at Bedellick school in 1903, when it burnt to the ground on 30th November.
At the end of the previous year, before taking up his Bedellick position, he had written to the Under-Secretary, J C Maynard, with the following explanation for his failure in teaching examinations, giving some insight into the challenges faced by a teacher(!):
"Explanation as to Failure at Examination December 1902</b>
I can only state the following reasons as to my non-success in Teaching Skill.
1. The large enrolment: 72 on Roll.
2. Irregular attendance at School of pupils
3 The continued enrolment of new scholars throughout the quarter
4. A large accession of ill-disciplined boys from Denominational Schools in the vicinity - There were eleven such in the class under my charge.
5 An overflow of truants, and the difficulty of restraining truancy owing to the new Postal Regulations
6. The intractability of the pupils as a whole
7. Cooped up between two other classes in a small room. My class merged into classes either side. There were about 200 scholars in the room".
Schools
- Bedellick
04/1903 - 11/1903