TOO GENEROUS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 78, 28 September 1907, Page 3

TOO GENEROUS.

THE GOVERNMENT AND EDUCATION. [BT TELEOBJirn — OWN CfiIIEESPOKDKXTj AUCKLAND, This Day.; An interesting interview upon matters of educational and general interest was given by the Hon G. JTowlds, Minister for Education, to a Herald reporter yesterday. Asked whether, in view of the complaints as to children of the secondary schools ueing overworked, the Government had considered the question of a now syllabus, the Minister replied that his department was not, wholly responsible for the secondary school curriculum. Tue only thing was that thoso enjoying the benefit of free places had to pass an examination in order to get a senior free- place. That examination had necessarily to be set somewhat hi^h in order f.o enable a selection to be made. Tho intention was not to carry everybody through the secondary schools snd on through the university, but to muko it possible for a!l the brighter scholars to go through. Referring to educational facilities for the backblock districts, Mr. Vowlds claimed that tho Government was spending very much more in that direction now than ever before. The amount of the building' vote- for primary schools had gone up consider-•-ibly ia the last' four or five- yearsi and there was not very much cause for complaint He claimed that as Minister for Education he had been particularly generous duiing this last year with the backblocks schools; so much so, that the amount of money available Cor spending within the iiimneial year has been pretty well allocated already As to technical education and Government assistance towards same, Mr. Fowlds declared that thb Government had bean top generous, particularly as to buildings. For tho iuture they, would need' to 'curtail that expenditure and insist upon some considerable local effort to entitle any placo to buildings for technical education. As far as capitation went, it was qiuto clear that ' tho Government had there also erred on the sido of liberality, end it was a question whether they would not havo to reduce capitation in connection with some of the less essential branches and de\'ote more attention to the- purely technical or industrial side. Mr. Fowlds said he would like to take the opportunity of saying a tow words in favour of thu native school system. Here and there he had found people criticising this system. A good many of those who criticised it had never seen anything of the work. Our native school teachers were, on the average, of a very high standard, and in all the appointments made in the labt two or thrco years, the Government had insisted urion as high a standard of teaching ability in connection with native schools as in connection with ordinary primary schools of the same size. In most cases equally good results had been obtained. This last year he had applied tho same scale of staffing and halaries to the native schools as applied to tho primary schools; consequently th'TP ,wa.s just as good a selection of teachprs offering for each. The Government also insisted upon tho introduction of instruction in agriculture and carpentry in the native schools. During the recess Mi . Fowlds hoped to make an oxtended visit to some of the native schools in the Auckland district and down in the direction of Gisborne. Referring to the Government's Hospital and Charitable Aid Uoard Bill, the Minister said that it would, not bo proceeded with this year. When it was introduced he thought it would provide for tho election of members of boards diicct ty the ratepayers.