THE WANGANUI COLLEGIATE SCHOOL. TO THE EDITOR.

Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 40, 17 February 1887, Page 4

THE WANGANUI COLLEGIATE SCHOOL. TO THE EDITOR.

SiR-^My attontion ha'i boon called to a letter signed "An Anxious Mother," in a recent i33ue of your paper, which is calculated to jnwluoo a vory unfavourable impression with regard to tho school over which I have tho honour to preside. Tho loftor is evidently written by someone who is imperfectly acquainted with the nature of tho University examinations; and, with yonr permission, I will ftate a few facts which will, I think, allay the anxiety of your correspondent, and at the fiame timo enlighten others as to the conditions of theso examinations. The University gives every year eight scholarships, open for com1 petition to the whole colony. The candidates are always vory numerous, and the competition very great ; it is, therefore, 1 very improbable that any particular school ' will bo always successful in obtaining one. That this is the case may be seen from the fact that Christ's College, Christchuroh, has ' not succeeded in gaining ono for tho ' past four years, Nelson Collego for ' two years has boen unsuccessful, while i Wellington College has this year ob- ' tamed the first scholarship that has fallen ' to its share for threo year 3. Now all ' theso establishments have been in existence ' for many years, and have therefore many ■ advantages in comparison with an mstitution like tho Collegiate School, whioh has : practically only been in existence as a • school for a period of four and a-half years. I However, wo pained our first, but not, I I hope, onr last scholarship last year. The ' Matriculation examination is quito distinct > from 'that for the scholarships, and simply • requires candidates to reach a cortain ■ standard. Last year five candidates went > up from this school, and all passed. Thia year five again went np and three passed. I may perhaps be allowed to odd, as a proof that the school is not in quite ho desporato a condition as "the anxious mother" foars, that 24 boys have passed tho Civil Sorvioe oxaminat'on during the last 12 months, and that within 18 months two of thorn have gained tho hiirhoßt number of marks over attained in the senior and 1 junior brandies. I must apologise for the length to whioh my remarks have ran ; but \ a lttter anch as that of "The Anxious ' Mother," if left unanswored, might lead peoplo who did not know tho facts to take 1 an entiroly erroneous view of the position 1 of affairs, I am, &0., B. W. Harvey. Collocate School, Wanganui, ; 14th February, 1887.