THE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIPS.

Press, Volume XIX, Issue 2815, 10 May 1872, Page 3

THE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIPS.

TO THE KOITOB. OP THE PEES-. Sir, —The proceedings of the Board of Education, in reference to the examination of Jewish boys in Scripture, as reported in the Press to-day, seem to call for some comment. In their anxiety to render justice to the claims of two or three Jewish lads who purpose competing for the scholarships, the Board appear to be placing the overwhelming preponderance of Christians at a.disadvantage. The chairman is made to say, ''that, as he took it, the Jewish boys should be examined in double the amount of questions in the Old Testament, so as,' to equalise it with the amount of questions asked the other boys in the New and Old Testament." . Now au examination in Old Testament history cannot be expected to cover the whole ground, but must necessarily be limited to' questions concerning some few points. Boys, however, have none the less to be prepared in the whole subject, as tbey go up in ignorance of what the -examiner's selection may be. Thus it will be seen that the same time will be required to prepare for five as for ten questions. The Christian boys then will have all the work of the others and the New Testament besides. Parents whose children learn English history but not Roman or Grecian, might on equal grounds plead for a larger field to be opened to their sons in English history to place them on equal terms with those whose study in this branch is the most comprehensive. I am well aware that from the Jewish standpoint .it maybe objected to this, that no parents would exclude the teaching of Roman or Grecian histpry on religious grounds, and therefore it is in the power of the boys to learn it. Be this as it may, tbe relative positions of the candidates amongst themselves would, in the event of such a concession be exactly, what it is now. As a matter of fact, the larger tbe number of questions asked in a paper, the greater the probability of boys finding subject-matter for their replies, in which they are well up. 1 fear I am troubling you to too great a length in this matter; but I cannot help feeling that this is at the same time a dangerous precedent of equivalents, and an injustice to the Christian boys who intend to compete. , Yours, &c. - ■ P.M.C.