SECTARIAN SCHOOLS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 17, 20 January 1916, Page 7

SECTARIAN SCHOOLS.

CLAIMS ON THE STATE. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. (By Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Some important points -of policy were mentioned by the Minister of Education (the Hon. J. A. Hanan), to-day, in replying to a deputation representinw the Catholic Federation, which interviewed h,m with regard to the righto of denominational schools. The deputation included Archbishop O'Shea. and the Bishops of Auckland and Dunedin, and the Bishop-designate of Christehurch. The speakers reminded the Minister that they had not yet received replies to all the points raised on a previous occasion, and they mentioned some of the recommendations of the Council of Education regarding scholanships and leaving certificates. "Under section 103 of the Education Act, 1914." said the Minister in the course of his reply, "it is provided that the holder of any junior or senior scholarship shall be required to pursue his studies diligently to the satisfaction of the director at a secondary school or its equivalent approved by the Minister. Acting on this section, the Minister of Education in the past, in exceptional cases, approved of a school of secondary education not coming within the description of a secondary and endowed school as defined by the Act. district high school or technical high school, on the ground that the educational standing of the institution was undoubtedly good, and its staff efficient, and that its curriculum conformed to all reasonable secondary school requirements. In view of the fact that privileges to private schools in the way of national scholarships have thus been granted under the said section 103. I am not disposed to recommend the national Government to amend the Act in such a way as to cancel all such concessions that might be given thereunder. SECONDARY SCHOOL CERTIFICATES. "With re*gard to leaving and other secondary school certificates, 1 am quite prepared, so far as is permissible, to adopt the recommendation of the Council of Education, and to grant these certificates where the educational standing is sufficient to warrant them. I propose, therefore, in anticipation of amending legislation correcting the limitation, which was really not intended to be made by the Act of 1914, to continue the practice followed in previous years, and the Department will accordingly be prepared to receive recommendations, as before, from recognised secondary schools for courses completed at the close of the year 1915.

INSPECTION OF SCHOOLS. "The national need of medical inspec- , tion of all children of the Dominion is recognised. A recommendation to Cabinet of an extension of the present system of inspection to all schools is deferred on account of the insufficiency cf the medical staff to undertake the work. This insufficiency cannot at present, for various reasons--, be remedied. There is no invidious discrimination in the matter of swimming and life-saving. The apparent discrepancy to which attention has been drawn arises out of the classification of swimming and life-saving as a subject of manual instruction, on which capitation, on the grounds of general principle, is pa>aWe in the case of public primary and secondary schools only. The matter will be kept in view for adjustment in the amending regulations under the Act. which will be issued as soon as financial conditions permit. BOOKS FOR GENERAL READING. "Before approval is given of books of general reading for class use, as proposed from time to time, by various education boards, careful scrutiny is made, so as to avoid as far as possible those that contain anything objectionable trom a religious or other point of view, and the same care will continue to _ exercised. It is not thought, however, that examples of literature of acknowledged repute, and generally recognised as of special interest to young people, should be reject-d simply because they reflect a habit o. .bought and feeling characteristic of th*. period to which the events they desi with relate, especiallyif the circu-n_»_ces are widely in point of time and otherwise from exiting circumstances. In any case to which reasonable objections might be taken to apply, representations made* to the edncation board concerned will doubtless be effective." The Minister said that the clanm that free places should be tenable in denominational schools and that tbe "School '•Journal" should be. issued free to scholars of denominational schools would to be considered by Cabinet.