EDUCATION AND CRIME.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 17, Issue 17, 4 June 1895, Page 2

EDUCATION AND CRIME.

An ancient poet pronounced the man happy who could trace effects to their causes. The difficulty of doing so lies in the fact that usually the causes are numerous and sometimes remote. Statistics have been adduced in England which show that since National Education was established crime has decreased. What the statistics of convicted crime in New Zealand may show since the establishment of the present National system may be uncertain ; but one thing is undoubted, that in all parts of the country complaints are loud and frequent of the annoyance and mischief caused by crowds of larrikins ; and the judges in ear courts have spoken strongly regarding the large number of lads— all of them probably educated under our National system— who are brought before them charged with crime. If our system is serving its intended purpose, we should see^very different results. No doubt, there are other influences at work which go towards forming the character of the young. Much is said by some of the effects of heredity, so that they would regard crime as a disease, and have it treated accordingly. On that score we think they go rather far. There can be no doubt that the influence of evil surroundings at home and of bad companions will tend to draw the young into crime. Whether our Education system supplies a corrective to these evil tendencies appears to most to be doubtful, or, we may rather say, it fails very largely in achieving the success which its supporters expect from it. "Various expedients are proposed to make it more effective, and as the present system has already had a lengthened trial, it is worthy of the consideration of all who take interest in the subject, to make trial of one or other of them. It is satisfactory that there is a very general' agreement as to the propriety of maintaining the National system. The only matter in question is whether it may not be improved. We refer not now to the intellectual quality of the education imparted, which is, do doubt, capable of amendment, but to the moral training, or want of moral training, which now prevails. At the annual meeting of the Kindergarten Association in Dnnedin, held recently, it was alleged that if the Kindergarten system was prefixed to the present National system, great moral improvement might be expected in the pupils. We are not at all so sanguine. The Mayor who presided gave out boldly and clearly as his opinion that what was needed in the schools was the teaching of the Bible. The same opinion is evidently largely held in many parts of the country. We observe that the Anglican bishops in the North are moving \n the matter of seeking the introduction of the Irish Scripture Lesson Books, and are asking the co-operation of other denominations. The Presbyterian Church of Otago and Southland has been working in a similar direction ever since the present system was introduced, and at the present time is seeking the co-operation of other denominations to have the Scripture Lesson Books read in the schools. What the public feeling is on this subject, will be shown by the number who petition Parliament for this purpose. If the general feeling of the parents is for it, we cannot see that it will in any way interfere with the National system, but rather tend to strengthen it. It would remove the objections presently entertained by a very large number, and probably be the means of preventing the introduction of denominationalism, which at one time was sought by the Anglican Church. IE the people are in earnest in seeking the small concession of liberty to use the Lesson Books referred to, they should put the matter to the test before Parliament meets. Parliament may then judge of the state of feeling by the numbers who sign the petitions. If by this slight amendment of our National system the morality of the pupils may be improved, and the progress of larrikinism and fijtima checked, all will rejoice.

opinions given regarding the Government's conduct by the speakers who addressed it. Mr Earnshaw and Mr Morrison stated the money allocated for Ofcago had not been spent. On the other , hand, the Premier in bis telegrams has declared that the appropriations have been already exceeded, and that he can do no more for the unemployed. He has arranged to take 20 men off work and put 20 others in their place, although he i expressed the fear that the discharged 20 would simply rank themselves among i the unemployed in Dunedin— which is ! very likely. We are not ia a position to judge with certainty whether the Premier's statements, as to the money expended, or those of the private members be correct, but in the face of so much I distress and in view of the Government's professing to have a surplus of between L 300,000 and L 400,000, it would not be unreasonable to expect that Government would do more than they are doing to relieve it. Apart from the foolish profession by Mr Reeves, and silently endorsed by the whole Government and generally believed by the working man, that this Government would find work for all unemployed — the duty of relieving distress of such a nature lies rather with the Government, who receive taxes from all of them in the form of customs duties, than with the corporation to whom they contribute nothing. From our point of view, we should say that this duty is doubly imperative, seeing that it is very largely owing to the reckless legislation of the Government regarding property that this crisis of want of employment has been reached. The destroying of the confidence of property-owners and employers generally, caused by meddlesome legislation, has prevented much improvement and enterprise, which would have absorbed labor now crying for assistance. The Premier's repeated but foolish assertion that many refrained from employing labor simply to spite the Government, hardly needs reply. People attend first to their own interest. Politics — except with place-hunters— is a secondary consideration.