EDUCATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1401, 14 May 1868, Page 5

EDUCATION.

To the Editor of the Herald. Sib, —Up to the present date, where it has been attemted to introduce the " Kducation Act, 1868," the latest bantlings of our Proviucial Council, failure has been the result; and we may, I think, fully anticipate that such will be the case wherever it may be tried. Docs not this prove most conclusively, that the said Act h not worth the paper it if written upon ? Many teachers who, by the way, are still waiting for their last December quarter's salary, have kept on their schools, receiving only the feeß (when they could get them) in the hope that something would be done by means of the Act to give them - a decent maintenance, but they must by this time be certain of no aid from that quarter. Both for the anke of the neglected children in our out-diatricta, and the teachers who have be=n thus deprived of their means of livelihood, something ought to be done, and that immediately, before the best and most intelligent of our teachers retire from their work, and seek either new fields or new labour. It was stated at the meeting of the Mount Albert District by Mr. Buchanan that " ho knew a man (teacher) of great ability who was living on something like 10a a week." The j writer of this letter knows for a fact that the teacher in one of the moat thriving country districts derives | only about 18a a week from his school fees, and it is probable there are many distsicts where still less is obtained. £40 per annum was offered by the trustees of the Wairoa school the other day for the services of a teacher. Can we suppese that if timet mend, and the services of intelligent trained men are in greiiter requisition in other walks of h"fo than teaching than at present, that they will continue to hold their schools at the miserable pittances they now receive ? Another speaker at the meeting alluded to above (Mr. Baker) stated "he believed that a first class teacher would not want scholars j" a statement which, I believe, if he lived in a country district he would never have made. The question then seems to bo, " How shall we in thinly populated districts secure a maintenance for the teacher?" _ It iB quite evident that he cannot make a decent living for himself and family from his school. I suggest then, why not make him Postmaster, Collector of Kates, &c, &c. P His Saturdays are always at his disposal, and some other days besides when ho could perform the necessary duties of any office which would call him away from home. The combined emoluments of these office? would perhaps add an additional £25 per annum to his income, and be very probably the inducement to retain his situation. If something be not done to educate the growing youth around us, bitterly, bitterly will New Zealand repent in the days to come.—l am, Ac, SOHOTiiSTICUS. May 11, 1868.