THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

Auckland Star, Volume IX, Issue 2716, 6 January 1879, Page 2

THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

POPULAR EDUOATTOM

(To the Editor),

Sir, — \ ou are hard upon, the Grammar School but not unreasonably or unjustly so. You say, and I believe with perfect truth, that "the present Grammar School is no better than others schools, which it destroyed." If Ido not gieatly mistake, Dr Kidd and even Mr McCrae himself, with many others competent to pronounce an opinion ou the subject, will concur with you on that point. In common with Mr Heale you wish to see presently the constitution of this school modiiied, so that it may be made a real bona fide kcliool for higher education alone, and that it should no longer remain as now, little more than a common school, with the high sounding name of a Grammar School. The management.of Government educational institutions is very apt lofall under the dominion of a clique, a ring which it. is very difficult to breakup. Unless 1 greatly err, this has been the fate of the Grammar School. Bismarck himself could not have treated a a subordinate more imperiously than Mr Macrae did his late head assistant. Independent and capabi ; men like Mr Heale and yourself may succeed ia placing it ova proper footing in theeud, but I will venture to predict you will fhul it up hill work. There are many and some powerful agcacies at work against you, which you will find it difficult to overmatch. I would even go a little further than you aud say that the present Government common schools generally are no better than many of the private common schools which they destroyed. These extinct private schools were many, and most of them greatly in want of improvement and Government secular inspection. But it would have been quite possible to have secured for them that, without destroying them all at one full swoop. It pleased the Government, the press, and the people, however, that a clean sweep should be made of all private schools, and a system of Government schools erected in their room. The Grammar aud High School is one of these. That, properly speaking, is not " the people's school." It is a school for the children of rich or well to do parents ; for the gentles, in fact, who are well able to pay, and ought to pay all the expenses of their children's education out of their own pocket, and not to come on public funds for the purpose to any extent, in my apprehension there is something mean and spiritless in a gentleman of position and wealth having his child educated in whole or in part out of public money. It is said the Grammar School is open to rich as well as poor. And so it is; but how many of the poor would avail themselves of it, or would have any occasion or inducement to do so ? Supposing it were a real Grammar School exclusively, and not as now, both a common and Grammar School. The Hon. Mr Robinson Governor of the State of New York, iv the course of an [i official address lately, said he looked upon it as a great blot upon the American Educational system, aud an injustice to the humbler ranks—that the higher classes should be provided with " higher education" at the public cost. I think it is equally a blot on our educational system here. It is fair and reasouable that the humbler ranks of society, the industrious labouring poor should be aided by you, and liberally aided when actually necessary, in their efforts to provide a good secular education for their families, suitable to their condition and prospects in life. But I cannot see the justice or reasonableness of the wealthy or well-to-do classes, receiving such aid from the Government. It they had a proper feeling of independence: aud self-res-pect they would not ask or expect or take such Government aid. Roman Catholics are now carrying on an active agitation for Government aid to all their schools, both common and for higher education. But that I apprehend is only because they see others now getting such an advantage. If no other classes were to get Government aid to their schools, Roman Catholics would be, if 1 mistake not, quite content to go without it. Though not rich they have quite money enough to provide suitable schools for their owa children, out of their own pocket. If they have not done so heretofore it has been for the want of the will, not for the want of money. But it is evident that now they

?e determined to make up foTw deficTen es, whether Government aid themo no he Hon. Mr Sheehan recommended so ttj t°r t, h-e Worki»gMenat theh l ate . festival. It lsa very desirable thin X that he people should be all well fed S> weU flothed comfortably lodged, and well ed" catea, but I cannot see why Government is under any stronger obligation to educaS them all, than to feed, clothe, lodge, or even amuse them all. To educate them S] seems to me, the first step on the part of Government towards .socialism. Secular ignorance is a frequent, but by no means the most frequent cause of crime and vice among the people. Vice and crime are not f«und to decline among the people as Government or secular education advances among them.—Yours &c, John Wood