THE HIGH SCHOOL.

Evening Star, Issue 8506, 4 May 1891, Page 4

THE HIGH SCHOOL.

TO THE EDITOB. Sib,—On fcfaa authority of the Education Board report "Parent" writes to say that there were no unsuccessful candidates for junior provincial scholarships from the Boys' High School. As there were certainly none successful, I suppose that this is a roundabout way of saying that the school did not send any up at ad. This makes the case still worse. I now reword tho paragraph in question to read: At the same tjme .one cannot help wondering why there were no candidates for junior scholarship; Now, sir, I do not mean to contend that it is within the province of the High School to train boys for these scholarships; but I thinjs that if the school arrogates to itself a duty which is clearly that of the primary schools—viz., the training of boys of such tender age as those admitted to the lower class—then it ought to have to render an account of its stewardship. On account of the straits to which the High School has bees reduced both numerically and financially, this greas evil of overlapping has been allowed to assume enormous proportions ; and, although it be easily remedied, those in authority carefully shut their eyes to this faot, as the coffers of the school would thereby suffer. All things considered, then, I think that in his report Dr Belcher might have added a memo, to the effect that the boys in the lower classes were totally unfit to go np for any examination. And now let me add a word of advice to "Parent" and others whose zeal in this matter was worthy of a better cause. By continuing this correspondence they are only

keeping open an ugly sore, which would heal all the Boouer if left alone.

I leave the public to judge Belcher would remain silent if he were in a position to justify himself. There is no doubt that he has erred grievously in issuing a misleading report; but if he keeps the fact steadily in view that the Argus eye of the public is always on him, I do not think that he will again fall into the mistake of trying to impose on them,—l am, etc., Brutus. Dunedin, May 4.