FREE SECONDARY EDUCATION.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 132, 1 December 1904, Page 6

FREE SECONDARY EDUCATION.

PROPOSALS BEFORE THE COLLEGE GOVERNORS. THE OLD CRY-"WAYS AND MEANS." The Board of Governors controlling the Wellington College and Girls' High School met specially to-day to give consideration, to a proposal brought forward by Mr. Lee, Chairman of the Education Board and a member of the Board of Governors, in the direction of increasing the accommodation at the College for the free »econdary education of children from the primary schools. There were present — Mr. A. de B. Brandon (Chairman) .Dr. Findlay; Messrs. C. H. Iza-rd, A. Warburton, and J. Young. Mr. Lee prefaced his remarks with the statement that just now the question was "in the air" as to what should be done to meet future demands of secondary education in our midst We had in our primary schools a large number of pupils who had qualified for secondary education. , The .object of his motion was simply this: The Education Board. had set up a committee to suppiy a report as to what should be done to giv« proficient primary pupils the free seats they had earned hi a secondary school. It could bu done in two or three ways : (1) The College Governors could enlarge their accommodatioD so as to take in these scholars; (2) or a- special High School could be established in Wellington under the regulations provided in the Act. If the Governors did not feel inclined to take up the question of secondary education of scholars from primary schools for reasons which might be sufficient to them, then it remained for the Education Board to endeavour to establish a separate High School. If the latter weie established in Wellington he need not point out that it would come into direct competition in several ways with the College. Under the present system, all scholars were drafted from the primary schools to the College, but if a High School were set up, then,- presumably, all scholarships holders, as well as others who were proficient, would be drafted into it. The Governors were aware that Mr. La Trobe, Director of the Technical School, had prepared a scheme for a preparatory secondary school. The Education Board had, however, suggested that the object could be obtained by the establishment of, say, 200 scholarships in connection with the Technical School and technical instruction. Mr. La Trobe's scheme would mean that a secdndary .technical education course of. instruction should be prescribed, containing^ essential subjects and a course of 'special subjects which would fit a boy for the particular trade or profession he had chosen in life. As the committee of the Education Board was about to present its report, he would like an expression , of opinion from the Board ef Governors guclt as would enable the committee to know the mind of the Governors on this important subject — to know whether the Governors saw their way to extend the College by giving free places in terms of the Act, or whether, in effect, the whole of the secondary pupils from the primary school*) should be relegated to a separate institution. He recognised that his motion, owing to the lapse of time since he. had given notice of it, would require some modification. His whole object was tp discover whether, in the case of those primary school pupils who did not care to take special subjects, but preferred a grammar school training, the Governors would or would not provide them with free places. The Chairman pointed out that Mr. Lee was placing the Board in a difficult position. He now wished the Board to ■ say definitely whether •or not it would give free places in the College — practically w.hether or not the Board would give effect to the Secondary Schools Act. The position with regard to that Act had been under consideration by, the Board for some considerable time, and had been the subject of many communications with the Minister for Education. To call on the Board in a "stand and deliver" fashion was really asking it to break away from the -position it had hitherto taken ' ip, and say at once that it would accept "'or" refuse, 'The Board had already indicated its willingness to give effect to the Act, but had^ pointed out practical difficulties in the way — difficulties relating to space and finance — and until some relief was given the Board was not in a position to give a. definite answer either in the affirmative or negative. At the present time they had neither room-space nor income to provide for fiee scholars. The College grants were small, and the Girls' High School had always been insufficiently endowed, . and its income . from endowments was not sufficient to even pay interest on mortgages. Successive Governments had promised money towards the High School buildings, but none had been forthcoming. Seeing that their income was so limited and that they were charged with carrying out their educational functions as far as possible, they would be jeopardising their resources by embarking in "experiments." Mr.' Brandon also reminded members that their; buildings were of wood, that the College building itself was old, and "deteriorating every day, and they had to take care that by the time the present building failed the present Board, or its successors, should be left in the position of being able to borrow for rebuilding. If they were to extend their College for_ the purpose of running both institutions at a loss, then they would be preventing themselves from getting into the position of being .able to replace the present buildings, and the institutions would gradually become exhausted for want of funds. Mr. Lee snid he was prepared to modify his motion, and on receiving leave he moved it in the following form : — "That necessary accommodation be provided for the free secondary* education of children from the primary schools who have passed Standard Six, and who wish to prepare for Victoria College work by taking up classical, mathematical, or literary subjects now taught in the Wellington College which are usually looked upon as grammar-school education, and which would not be more specially taught in the proposed preparatory technical school." Mr. Izard : Will you add "providing there are sufficient funds?" Mr. Lee was willing to add that proviso. Dr. Findlay said the whole question turned upon ways and means. (Hear, hear.) ' He thought they should also get rid at once of any suggestion that the Governors, or the parents they represented, had any fastidious objection to the admission of free students, based on social or other considerations. He believed they all felt that lads who had nothing to recommend them but their brains would be just as welcome in Wellington College as the lad* of wealthy or socially eminent parents. There was a suggestion that the attitude of the Board was based, not upon a genuine want of means, but upon considerations of the character he had indicated. Secondary education was in the air. The question was, upon whom should the burden of giving this education reet? If it was for the benefit of the whole country, then certainly the expense should be borne by the country, and not come out of the pockets of those-al-ready drawn upon. He did not consider it fair to ask the Board to drain their finances for free students. The answer to Mr. Lee'e question, should be that if

the public or country would provide the means the College would provide the education. Mr. Young : We have told them that all along. Mr. Warburton thought the financial difficulties of the Board should be known — that there were mortgages actually overdue, and they were liable to be called upon to pay up at any moment. Mr. Lee said that perhaps Dr. Findlay was not aware that there was a capitation allowance for these free students. The Chairman said it was not sufficient to keep the school going. It was not sufficient to pay the bare coet of education at the hands of first-class teachers. Mr. Lee was not disposed to dispute it. His object was merely to discover the practicability of letting in these pupils if it could be done. Mr. Izard: With your experience, do you think that the grant i» suffieien* to establish a High School in Wellington! • Mr. Lee admitted the inadequacy of the grant. He did not see why the Government should not provide a building. They made such grants to Education Boards. Chorus of members: Ah, that's another matter. Mr. Young : What with initial cost and interest, the Government owes us something like £11,000 on the Girls' High School. The Chairman suggested that in view .of the trend of the discussion Mr. Lee might perhaps see hU way to withdraw his motion for the present, so that members might go into details and give the matter further consideration. Mr. Lee expressed his willingness to follow that course. The Chairman remarked that the Board ( did not say the proposal was impracticable, but that it had not the money, and its first consideration must be the carrying out of its statutory educational functions to the best of its ability. The motion was accordingly withdrawn, and the Board adjourned.