TUAKAU SCHOOL MATTERS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIX, Issue 4848, 11 March 1873, Page 3

TUAKAU SCHOOL MATTERS.

To the Kditor: Sir,— In tho Weekly News of tho 1st instant there is a report of a public meeting held in Tuakau to consider tlio present Education Act, which I may state was the largest and most influential meeting ever held in tho schoolroom. Your correspondent veiy ingeniously asserts that the removal of tho school into tho "reserve," as ho terms it, -wcmlcJ suit tho scattered population lying 1 around. Tuakau. Now, sir, for tho better information of your correspondent and tho public at Iarj^e, \ beg lcare to state that tho children of llarris?'llc, whom your corres* pondent seems anxious about, would, l>y tho removal of the school, have threa miles and three-qtiaitura to travel, which it is not likely they will do, aa at present they bare Eist; I'ukckoho school within two miles amcS threcr jiiarters of tbuin, and yet cannot atteuu it, which, I think, proves pretty plainly that Harrisvillo is o»ly used as a blind by one or two interested individuals for the removal of tho School. Tho rcscrvo 3 our correspondent speaki of never «aa got by the people as a school reserve. At a public meeting it was carried by a majority to bo a teacher s lionise ie°crve, but by some underhand t?ork of one 01 two interested individuals it novf tut 11s out it was as a school reserve, v hich the people of Tuakau, as the meeting of February 17 plainly showed, never will iceo£uiac ; but will endeavour by every lawful means »c\er to lot tbo school bo removed from its present site. The majority of the children attending the school at fvrescnl' have at least two milea to travel which in the vmiter tluy would not bo able to do, as thtf roads are so very bad and tho children all principally young. 1 think your correspon. dent's rcmaik very unfair regarding tho Tuakau people not being vrilling to support a school, as they havcfoi thelasb twoyearsrai&od £50 each year towards tho support of a teacher, which, with LjO from tho BoarJ r> makes up not a bad figuro for 20 houra' bboui dining the week and Bometimes less. Your correspondent seems in high glee about tbo now I'Mncation Act— the creating of Jai-go rtiatucts with efficient teacheis— but I hope- tho Act never will succeed, ai the tcachcis would bo too independent of tho people, who would havo to pay them— if not directly iudircctly. Our present teacher — according to L»st wcek'a leport of (he Central l)(iard meeting — setms anxious regarding the romoval of the ichool ; but.if it does not suit Ikt, theio are plcuty of woll-educated men and women who would willingly accept it, and, con<?eqnciitly, wo cannot buy her Bervices at the expenso of tho wholo district. — I am, , A Tuakau Scvvler.