Arthur Newman Vickery Dobbs

Arthur Newman Vickery Dobbs (5 July 1915 – 15 October 1988) was a New Zealand public servant. He was a squadron leader in the RNZAF during the Second World War. He was Director-General of Education from 1971 to 1975, and chaired the committee responsible for integration of private schools into the state education system. He settled a libel case against the Minister of Education, the Student Teachers' Association and the Student Press Ltd after an article in the student teachers' magazine reported derogatory remarks attributed to the Minister. In 1976 he was appointed CBE.

Early life and education Dobbs was born on 5 July 1915 in Gisborne.

Career Dobbs joined the public service in 1934, where he was secretary to the New Zealand Army Board. In 1964 he was designated Deputy Secretary of Defence (Army). Dobbs was appointed as Assistant Director-General of Education (administration) in 1965, although this was not his first appointment in education as he had been seconded to the department as an administrative assistant in 1946 during the department's reorganisation. His major task was to chair the steering committee tasked with integrating private schools into the state educational system. He was replaced as Director-General in July 1975 by Bill Renwick, despite an attempt by the Educational Institute to invalidate the appointment.

In 1975 the student teachers' magazine Clamant I reported on a meeting between the Minister of Education, Phillip Amos, and student teachers in Christchurch on 11 April 1975.

Dobbs took a libel case for NZ$20,000 against the Minister of Education, Phillip Amos, the Student Teachers' Association, and the Student Press Ltd which had printed the paper.

The case was settled in December of the same year when Amos stated that he had never made such derogatory remarks, and "Mr Amos, as the Minister at the time, wishes to confirm the unqualified tribute to Mr Dobbs's services which he has already made in the House. The derogatory statements conveyed by the article are completely unwarranted, and he is glad to take the opportunity of saying so publicly." The Student Teachers' Association and Student Press both apologised for publishing the comments and shared Dobbs's costs.

Dobbs died 15 October 1988 in Lower Hutt, at the age of 73, survived by his wife.

Honours and awards

Dobbs was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 1976.

In 1994 Dobbs's wife left a memorial scholarship, the ANV Dobbs Memorial Scholarship, to be awarded annually to a Year 13 student from Christchurch Boys' High School who is going on to university study, with preference to those studying economics. The scholarship is administered by the Public Trust.