Lake Wakatip Mail. QUEENSTOWN, THURSDAY, JAN. 31, 1878.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1053, 31 January 1878, Page 2

Lake Wakatip Mail. QUEENSTOWN, THURSDAY, JAN. 31, 1878.

In another portion of our columns will be found a report of the proceedings of the election of the local Board for the Queenstown division of the district. The district is that of Southland, and it comprises the Counties of Lake, Southland, Fiord, Wallace and Stewart Island. The proceedings of the election itself call for little comment. There was no display of factionno block voting. The Roman Catholics, as a body, took no part in the election. Hitherto in our local School Committee the Presbyterians have always been able to return a majority. In the present election this has not proved to be the case. The cumulative vote of seven given to each householder present upsets combinations or anything like a sectional vote being successful. It was stated that some such combination had been formed, but there was no evidence of it at the meeting. Indeed, except in two or three instances the block vote was not generally recorded in favor of any particular candidate. The selection made "by those present seems to be a fair one out of the names proposed. Many did not attend the meeting not caring to be bothered with school matters, and especially in connection with the inauguration of a system that is purely free ? secular and Compulsory. That the new Committee's action will be strictly scrutinised, and their proceedings carefully watched, is a matter of undoubted certainty. The putting into force of tie compulsory clauses will be sufficient to bring them into contact with the parents of Catholic children. They will watch the conduct of >he public school and see if the required standard of education is maintained. The District School Board elected by the several local Conmittees, will also keep a supervision over their proceedings, and see that the Act is carried out faithfully. The Committee meet to-monow and it will not be out of place to refer cursorily to some of the duties they will have to perform. They will have to see that the chldren attending the school are taught reading, writing, arithmeticgrammar and composition,geography, history, elementary science and draving, object lessons, vocal music, and in the caie of girls, sewing, needlework and the principles of domestic economy. In the matter of listory it is permissable for the parent or guardian of a child to object to its being taught this branch of learning. These and other regulations must be posted up conspicuously in the school building. They must also see that the boys are drilled. This and the vocal music instruction will be insisted upon. The play ground is not, if possible, to be less than a quarter of an acre, and the District Board may order other physical training to be also taught. No fees are to be received from the pupils but the District Board is empowered to receive special grants, endowments, subscriptions or donations, and to distribute them. Any such funds coming to the hands of the local Committee would require the approval of the District Board for its distribution. One piece of severe work for the Committee to carry out will be the maintaining of the standard of education. This will be shortly established under regulations issued by the Governor. This must be kept up. There is no easy Dunedin Board and its complying inspector to deal with. The inspectors will be responsible to the Minister of Education, who will be also sharply watched by the Assembly. No full grant from the consolidated revenue will follow any serious falling away of the teaching power. We need not deal with the questions of payment of teachers' salaries; of general expenditure ; of dismissal of these and other things the District Board has a controlling power. The compulsory clauses have to be enforced, and the local committee have to see that every child between the ages of five and fifteen years attends school for at least one half of the period in the year during which the school is open. This, we presume, means three months in the first half and three months in the second half of the year. This will probably be more definitely defined by the regulations to be framed under sub-section\2 of clause 100," for defining the principle on which the daily average attendance shall be calculated." There are several exemptions to the attendance of a child at the public school. The italics will point out more forcibly some of the duties thrown upon the Committee. It is empowered to grant a certificate exempting the child from such attendance, but the Committee hm to be satisfied " that the child is under regular and efficient instruction in some educational institution . . . in which reading, writing and arithmetic are taught on week days." It is this part of the Act that will cause the local Committee perhaps some trouble for the child has to be educated up to a fixed standard, which will be set forth in the regulations we have previously mentioned. The inspector can also certify that the child has reached such standard of education, and this will be also an exemption from his attending the public school. The various local Committees will i»o doubt in most cases look for this latter certificate and act upon it accordingly, either as to the matter of exemption from or forced attendances at the public school. In the case of parents or guardians refusing to send their children to school the Committee will have to enforce the penalties created by the Act. These are sufficient to cause compliance with the provisions of the Act. The first is a summons before any two Justices of the peace, who may order the child to attend as required. Neglect entails a penalty not exceeding 40s recoverable each week the child is absent.

Such, then, are some of the duties the new Committee will have to perform as regards the management of the local school. They have other important functions yet to fill. It will be their duty to watch the proceedings of the District Board, and to nominate suitable members for it. The election of them is another matter, but it is of the highest importance that they see that the educational reserves of the Southland District—and they are both extensive and valuable—are properly administered to, and that they receive their due share of the proceeds of this and other revenue. The District Board may divert funds into other directions than direct grants >to the local Committees. They may establish " fancy" schemes, and any tendency of these in this direction—and they necessarily will arise—will have to be keenly watched—not for the object of checking any useful proposal, but for the restraining of them within duo 1 rounds. The Committee will there-fore at first have plenty of work on Land-.