THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 11022, 29 July 1896, Page 3

THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION

CANTERBURY COLLEGE. A deputation from the Board of Governors of Canterbury College waited upon the Hon W. C. Walker, Minister of Education yesterday morning, and discussed the Biil now before Parliament. The proceedings were not open to the Press. Another deputation waited upon the Minister of Education in the afternoon, representing a number of Associations and School Committees, to urge that the Government should take up the Bill introduced by Mr G. W. Russell, member for Riccarton. The deputation was introduced bv Mr Russell, and Mr W. W. Collins was present, as well as Miss Sheriff-Bain (Canterbury Women’s Institute), Mr v\. Ensoiu (Progressive Liberal Association), and the following representatives of school committees t— Messrs H. G..E11 (Addington), J. M. Douglass (Woolston), G. Laurenson (Lvtteltou), J. Clarke (Richmond), T. Wake (St Albans), E. Adcock (Spveydou), R, P. Ellison (Opawa) and H. Atkinson. Mr Russell said the object of the deputation was to solicit the help of the Government iu the matter of improving the mode of election to-the Board of Governors. He traced the various steps which had been taken in Canterbury, and also what had been done to bring the matter before Parliament, They came to him as the Liberal leader in the Legislative Council to ask him to render every assistance to get the present Bill, which had passed the Lower House, through the Council. They would urge that at least the main features should remain as they were.

■ Mr Collins pointed out the Bill had been brought before all the school committees in Canterbury, and had met with the approval of the Canterbury members in the House; therefore they thought that they were not asking too much. Mr H. G. Ell explained that every school committee in the province had been consulted, and a conference had been held of representatives of these committees, with others from various Associations. An arrangement was .made by which alternative proposals were submitted to eighty-six committees, the great majority of whom agreed with the proposals, which were now embodied in the Bill just passed through the Lower House. He thought he was gafe in saying that the principles of the Bill bad received consent from one end of Canterbury to the other. Mr G-. Laurenson reiterated what had already been said, and his remarks were endorsed by Messrs J. M. Douglass, T. Wtike and K, P. Ellison. . Miss Sherriff>-Bain, representing- ■ the Women's Institute, said that that body was wholly in favour of Mr Russell's Bill, which gave Women the power to vote.at elections for members of the Board. Mr Russell would like to point out that the present Bill would bring the primary and secondary .systems of education more into touch. He was quite prepared to admit that the Bill had been considerably improved during its passage through the Lower House. The Hon VV. C. Walker said he was quite in accord with them in the opinion that the constitution of the Boaad of Governors wanted widening, but he could not agree that it was a good tiling to import election by school committees. The representation would be most unfair, as Cbristelmrcb, for instance, - would be disfranchised, and the country committees would have a,preponderance of voting power. He could not see his way to support Mr Russell's Bill. His own Bill would give a, much more equitable basis of representation. However, he would go into Mr Russell's Bill and thoroughly study it. •He thought that the whole system of representation under the education system required altering. After some further discussion upon the question of dissociating the Agricultural College from Canterbury College, Mr Walker undertook to compare the two Bills, with the object of embodying any in the one taken up whMi. were thought of value in the other. THE BTJRNHAM INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL. Mr Laurenson said the deputation would' also like to bring under the notice of the Minister the allegation now being made arte the treatment of the children in the Burnham Industrial School. They thought that there should be an inquiry into the matter, and if there was any truth in the statement, steps should be taken to prevent the recurrence of such abuses. If the allegations were untrue, the parties making them should be punished. Mr Walker presumed that Mr Laurenson referred to a number of letters which were now being published. These had caused him considerable uneasiness, and he was having a thorough inquiry made. - He might say, however, that his inquiries so far led him to believe that there was not so much in the matter as would appear by the letters.

The deputation thanked the Minister and withdrew.