ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 999, 14 December 1910, Page 5

ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS.

p . . EOJIAJi CATHOLICS AKD THE STATE.':, Speaking at St. Patrick's College prize-; :;'.' giving function last night, the Very Rev.t Dr. Kennedy, Rector of the college, niado; ; : aii interesting reference to the position.of. the college m regard. to tho Education , Board scholarships and the national education system in general... He was ex-, pressing the thanks of the college to the: .- ; subscribers of the Silver Jubilee Fund.of' JG2SOO, and he remarked that it.was. not. . surprish\g to find , that the great, of their offering came from poor Catholics. It was one more golden page in tliat long and wonderful record of. self-sacrifice- in the great cause of education. ' v ~, It was, however, surprising (continued.:;the Rector) that this remarkable and admirable record had not long since appealed to the noble British sense of fair play and ...-; justice, when there v;as question ot dis-. tributing public money for, education. They were, however, deeply grateful for ' one small measure of justice given, through recent. legislation,; which "liadi; ,; thrown open the various Education Board scholarships to .'the pupils, of Catholic schools. He could not help expressing . his deep regret and bitter disappointment v. ■ that the' Legislature had not also provided.. - for Catholic children to hold those, schol-.-; . arships at the Catholic secondary schools- ■ ' which enabled them to win them. It was quite evident that, vithout'that provision, the new offer, however well-inten- -v tioned and kind, must lead, awav many, of the best and brightest of the Catholio - : children from Catholic secondary schools..' ' The boards-had, however, power to allow the scholarships to be held either, at their:; own secondary schools or equivalent ih-.V stitutions. .- He hoped .that, if tlie Cntho---lic secondarv schools sncoeeded in preparing students to pass tho scholarship ex- ~ aminations, the board would look on them as at least the equivalent of Iheir secondarv schools, and would, in fair playjind ... justice, grant its approval to the holding .- of the scholarships in the Catholio schools. St Patrick's intended to prepare a num- ; ber of pupils for, these scholarships, and. knowing as he did the zeal and ability of ; the'-boys awl their kefn <iesire to do their . best for the honour of their college md, their religion, lie was confident that they, would be ablo to gain a number of scho ' arships. They would then put this mat. . tor to the test, and lie thought they would.;. (niccoed ill arousing public, interest in . • their success, and if tlie Education- Board h: did not grant them that small measure.,: of justice, there would lie indignation in tlw minds of a very great number of tho: Dublic. (Applause.) . .-