The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1902. PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND THE ATTENDANCE ACT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 84, 10 April 1902, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1902.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND THE ATTENDANCE ACT.

For the cause that laoks assistance ' For the wrong that needs resistance Fop the future in the distance An-X the good that -we can do.

A difficulty has arisen in connection with • some of our private schools which demands a certain amount of attention from Itue general public The parents of children attending various private schools in the city and suburbs have been notified by the Truant Officer of the Education Board that unless they send their children to public schools they will be liable to prosecution in terms of the Education Act. The school most directly affected is the day school that 'has been conducted m connection with St, Matthew's Parish Church for nearly fifty years past. No one has 'hitherto attempted -to interfere with this denominational

establishment, and the parents now threatened with pains and penalties by the. Education Board no;t. unnaturally want to know why these rigor-

ous steps a-re beinjj taken now. At the request of variWs- parities interested, Mr Witheford appealed to rhe Minister of Education on the subject, but he got very little consolation for the parents. The Minister's reply is to the effect that he has no power to interfere, because the Act, throws the

responsibility in •such, eases upon the Education Hoard and the Stipendiary Magistrate. "1 can hardly believe," the Minister adds, with charming simplicity, "that bbith these authorities would act arbitrarily as regards

privaite schools."

It wil! be observed that, according to the present reading of the Act, the Truant inspector has now become an official clothed with vast and dcs-

potic powers. Not only may he, by threats of prosecution, compel parents ito sacriiice their strongest conscientious convictions by forcing them to send their children to such schools as the Education Board approves, but he may bring absolute, ruin upon many deserving men and women who have hitherto performed an important educational duty to'the community. The parents of children attending other private, schools besides St. Matthew's have received

similar notifications, and itihere is no reason why the 'same course should not be taken by the Truant Inspector with respect to the whole of our denominational and private schools.

We understand that there are two ways in which parents can obtain exemption from the operation of the School Attendance Act, 1901. In section :t4 of the Act it is stated that parents may escape the Truant Officer by obtaining from the district School Committee a certificate Ithat it is satisfied with the efficiency of the tinion received a-t such private schools. Section 10 of 'the Act also provides that teachers of schools attended by ten or more children can obtain from the Education Board a certificate that will permit attendance at their .schools, if they can satisfy the Board that they supply efficient and regular tuition to their pupils. But it is evident that the Board cannot request Its inspectors to certify to the efficiency of schools that they neither visit nor examine, and as a matter of fact several cases have already occurred in which teachers ait private establishiments have applied for such certificates, and- have been refused. The parents who desire ito send their children to such private schools are thus, in an Important matter cf conscience, left absolutely to Ihe inert-y and discretion of the local School Committee and the Education Board. Apart from the denominational question, no reasonable man can deny that a vast amount of real and valuable .educational work is performed* by many small private schools, whose methods would never saitisfy officials vyhose ideas of education s&ein bounded by the standard syllabus and by examination "results." If the Act is enforced' in its present form, ■not only will the community lose the services of many good teachers, but a large number of citizens 'will be compelled to submit their most cherished religious convictions to the discriminating wisdom of the Truant Officer, backed by ;thel ' Stipendiary Magistrate. To anany sensitive men; and women a public prosecution, even in suchi a cause as this, would involve inbolera/ble disgrace, and whatever their personal views about denominationalism, all citizens of a country that is proud of its freedom may well resent such a tyrannical and needless inerference "with one of the most cherished of our ti-a-ditional privileges. We trust that the Board of Education will be wise enough

fco allow some portion of its despotic powers to remain in abeyance until steps can be taken to modify the measure. When education is compulsory, the Staite undoubtedly has a right to see tiba,\ every child 33 being efficiently t&ugfiit, but such, a

pbwer oug-lit to ,be exercised with discretion,, and not in a manner thait is. obnoxious to .the public self-res-pect," or rtha't'interferes Sviitih the reasonable exercise 'of personal liberty.