AUCKLAND GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4484, 28 March 1876, Page 3

AUCKLAND GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

. ... To .the Editor of the HEEiLD. Sot, —Your comments of the lltii* March I in reference to my.letters on the Auckland Grammar' School are rather severe, aud I think in several instances wrong, and I will endeavour out your mistakes. It ' is not to be wondered at that_this subject "has failed to evoke'any answering senti-, ment" among the people of Auckland, who have in' the past manifested such an auiouufc of apathy ou this subject; but this may bo accounted <for from the fact that thero is no possible; nieans of remedying the evil. Ido remember a great flourish of trumpets being made some years ago in the matter of reform, but, with tho dismissal, or rather the hint to resign, of several of. tho teachers, no change was made. You say, "At the present time it stands high in the confidence of the public, and is faithfully performing its fuuctions of imparting a good education, .it a comparatively low rate, which places! its advantages within the reach oven of the working classes."" You will find this confidence _is, confined to those w,ho are connected in one way or other with it, and that outside tho town of Auckland the general public, or rather those who take an interest- m the cause of education, have, very little respect for it.. If j'ou consider the rate low, that the working classes can tifford to "take advantage of it, you must surely have been misinformed on the'subject." The'rate, I believe, is £2 per quarter for even. _the lowest division o£ the school, and if the working elates can take advantage*" of tliis, then they must bo betteroff than they are generally represented. You will find, by making inquiries, that what I said before is nearer the truth; that nine-tenths, of.'tho pupils , attending tho Grammar School are the sons of the wealthier classes. If you can prove it otherwise, lam willing-to "apologise. The 'comparison yon 'make be.twfeen the Auckland Grammar School and the. higher schools of Dunedin, in, no way alters what I have said in reference to the Grammar School. Two blacks never make a white ! Comparisons are at all times odious, and in this case most so. Tho people pf'Otago.have provided well for the cause of and if they have richly endowed one or two of, their higher schools, they do not require to go begging for their common schools. You saymauy of my objections are incorrect, and point out one iu reference to tho number of masters. I quoted from the Educational Gazelle. You say there are only seven regular masters, with two "occasional" ones, and ,tliat'the head master is included in the seven ; but that he cannot tako a class regularly; having a good deal o£ scuool.business to attend to. What school 'busiric-s ? This then would give an average of "2l four-seventh to eachmaster. Providence help the poor unfortunate teacher of a common school who could only average thi3 number even in'the city of Aucldaud. I ciunot understand how the head teacher cannot take his regular class like the other masters. Whether such a state of things exists in those institutions you refer to or not, I cannot say, but I think a person paid at the rate of £700 a-year should be able to take his regular class as well as attend to any other school duties required of hiin. Such a state of things does not exist in those institutions'! refer to; and if the Auckland Grammar School was conducted, on the same principle, such a state of thiug3 would not exist. Those institutious, numbering three to four hundred pupils eacb, have no such<paid principal. There lie has to take his regular class, either classics or mathematics, and is responsible for the success, not only of his .own department, buto£ the whole school, and has to' conduct all the other "school-business." In the lower department,, you say, there is an average attendance of 105 to three masters, which would give an average to each master of 35, which you must admit is ' not a high ■ average...-This would, leave .40. for the other 'three masters and the Jiead master, which, including the head master, would give an average of < or, without the head, master 15 J. There, are the two "occasional" masters to be.,accounted for; 'but,; no :doubt, they find plenty of employment... You'remark very wisely, "that in the department the attendance. migUt, no doubt, be increased without. increasing the staff." I hope these remarks of yours will be attended to in the proper quarter. You .do not .think the scheme I propound is applicable to a place like Auckland; but this is where themistakeis made, confiuingtheeHtablishment to the town of Auckland. It should be the receptacle for all the more advanced boys of the province, and should be viewed in the light of a; provincial school, not merely a city school. I still maintain ■there will - be-.little increase ,in its attendance' while it is conducted on it 3 present principle. I quite agree • with you, in, saying that "the efforts o£ every settler should be devoted to improving the' state of our educational institutions," but am sorry to see you consider my motives different in thus writing about the G rainmar School. I can. assure you that such motives actuate me, and no other. . Until a change is made in the conduct of that school, the settlers, as a rule, will take very little interest in it. I care not who is ollended. I still maintain the Grammar School has not fulfilled the trust in imparting a high class education to those who weie unable to pay the high class fees of the higher schools, or iu other words, it has failed to give a high class education to the working classes ; and there is an abuse of public money in spending nearly £3COO to educate some 151 boys, the majority of whom are the children o£ the wealthier class, or at least, of those who are able to pay the higher fees demanded at the higher Echools.—l am, &c, Robt. at. Houston. Mongonui, March 20, 1876.