The Star. THE SCHOOL INSPECTORATE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue 9261, 8 January 1907, Page 4

The Star.

THE SCHOOL INSPECTORATE.

ever settlers go the school shall follow them, and that children in all parts of the State shall be given the best educational facili ties possible on broad general lines lai«l down in the general enactment. But as. for the administration variety is not a bad thing, and better results may be expected from Boards representative of energy and enterprise in various parts of the colony than from one Government Central Department.

Delivered every evening by o'clock in Hawera Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangaioki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton Hurleyville, Patea, and Waverloy.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1907.

For some years past the tendency of the General Government has been to undermine the Education Boards and " to centralise administration in Wellington. But [ the new Minister for Education has disavowed .sympathy with such a policy, and we hope he will continue of the same way of thinking. The Educational • Institute, however, cannot be relied on to assist him in checking departmental tendencies. It wants among other things, to make ,the Inspectors Government officers, and if its wishes were given effect to another very serious step would be taken towards centralisation. The Inspectors -are the expert officers of the Boards. A Board may within its statutory limits devise and guide educational policy, but the Inspectors must be loyal co-workers with the Board*, confidential advisers of the Boards, if there is to b© any progress, or .success. A .separation of the Inspectors from the Boards must involve the destruction of the local government principle in 'connection with education. The Inspectors would look to the Central Department for appreciation, promotion, pay. The Board would have •no claim on the confidence and Wholehearted service of the Inspectors. The Board would cease to have any practical control of the schools or of educational methods. It would become a mere useless icxoresoenoo. We quite agree with those who hold that the great advantage of the Education Board in our educational system is that it brings to bear on educational policy and administration not merely a local oversight but diversity of view, and that it is a distinct advantage to tiho , colony at largo to have in various, centres gentlemen who in a sense are in rivalry with each other in their efforts to adapt education to the special needs of various parts of the colony. More variety and lesa uniformity is very desirable, and it does not seem to us at all to follow that a •system of education is not national because there is a variety of thought and -knowledge brought to bear in connection with administration. The national principle finds expression in the determination thatwher-