Correspondence.
EDUCATION. TO TUB WFTOB Off THX PBSBB.
Sib,—When honors are thrust upon cue which are neither looked for nor desired, the difficulty is to know what to do with them. Like another unearned thing we hare heard a geod deal about of late it is difficult to shake off, is of questionable value, and may be heavily taxed. Ones only chance it to repudiate it, and this I do. I have not the slightest intention of championing our country schoolmasters, or of handing compliments, pretty or otherwise with them. I admit for the sake of argument that they are all honorable men, brimfull of the loftiest eentimente, and that they are by no means ignorant of the value of two and two. But this is not the point. Our inspectors inform us that not one schoolmaster in ten is able to satisfy their requirements, although doubtless all are anxious and eager to do so. There must be something wrong then somewhere. The tri-weekly meetings of our Board further inform us that not only proleesional reputation but bread and butter, &c, depend upon these reports. As I have said our schoolmasters are fully up to the average of honorable men, but still circumstances are often pressing, the temptation ia strong, facilities are easy, while human nature is weak. It becomes then a mere qmestioß of mechanics as to what will be the resultaat of these forces. I will cay nothieg fuither on this matter, having little inclination to throw stones, for I have lived pretty well all my life in these glass houses, and know very well the brittle stuff they are made of, and the opportunities that present themselves. Aβ I said in nay former letter, the real evil lies not in the morale of our teachers, but in the exaction from them of impossible results. , ! Yours, &c., \ W. H. Wilson. June 23rd, 1884. I P.S.—The following items which I have extracted from the General Government report just published is rather significant on another point I have raised in my letters. I leave your readers to draw their own conclusions. The last column is my own.
CANTERBURY VICTIMISED ONCE MOBE. TO THB BDITOB OT TUB PBZBB. Sib,—ln your issue of to-day your Wellington correspondent telegraphs that the Selwyn County Council applied to the Government, under the Boads and Bridges Construction Act, for a grant of £4300, but got nothing, owing to informality of applisatien 1 Surely this cannot be correct. To begin with, who made the blunder by not conforming to,the regulation? Is it not beyond conception that such an important application should be shelved because the wrong application form was used? Preframing that SO per cent, of asked for would hays been granted, if application in correct form, the Selwyn County has lest .£2150, which means that the ratepayers have eith.r to do without much needed road repairs, sr submit to extra taxation to meet the required outlay. Bid the Government gladly avail themselves of the error to swell the unallotted amount on public werks allocation? I hope the chairman of the Council will explain hew " somebody blundered." Yours, &c., CotrKTBTMiN. June 19th.
*3 13 . p. . . © 3 io « m O _| Pt So 04 Education Dist. II 3-s *ci i P. 6 55 Wellington Auckland Wanganui -,.: Nelson | S. Canterbury ... Otago N. Canterbury ... 6.840 242 17,120 353 5,446 220 4,550 209 3,920 158 ,20,545 630 £7,7*7 279 137 53 92 97 65 437 44 56.« 15.1 42.0 46.4 41.0 52.6 15.7
Correspondence.
Press, Volume XL, Issue 5859, 24 June 1884, Page 3
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