Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5636, 9 December 1879, Page 4

Thk weak point, in our otherwise excellent system of Dation.il education, is that of liuauce, and how long the colony will be able, with its enormous indebtedness, to devote over a quarter of a million sterling to this one object, is a moot p->int. An attempt wns recently made in the House, in the erratic efforts of private members at retrenchment, to reduce the educational vote, but it was defeated; still the item is a tempting one for attack, and will yet be assailed again and again by the enemies of the system. A huge department is growing up, with its inseparable officialism, strong

by unity, compactness, and solf-iaterest, and that cannot fail to have a potential influence in making matters pleasant for the teaching profession in the pay of the State. Abuses have already crept in, both North and South, which show the nccessity of the department being subjected to whole some and legitimate public criticism, in the interest of the colouial taxpayer. The experience of New Zealand ii precisely that of Victoria, where the secular system is now on its trial, and Major Smith, the Minister of Education, has declared that the.e is a dauger of the scheme breaking down under tbe weight of its expenditure. He states that the question of expense requires to be steadily confronted, as the outlay has grown, and is growing, out of all proportion to the increase in the number of scholars. From 1573 to IS7S tbe attendance ha 1 increased in the Victorian State schools 15 per cent., but during the same period the expenditure had risen nearly GO per cent., without reckoning a large building account. In England the steady increase of educational expenditure in excess of the ratio of increase of population has also attracted public attention. From IS7O to IS7S the expenditure per child hai risen 40 per cent. In the former year the Government grant amounted to 9s 9d per ch Id ; in the latter it figured at 15s 3d, and this year it is 15s 9d. Tbe extravagance of the L-ndon School Board has latterly become proverbial, ar.d has been the subject of very unfavourable comment in the British Legislature. It behoves all the well-wiahcrs of our national aud unsectarian system of education in NewZealand to see to it that it does not give occasion to the enemy to b!a pherae by injudicious expenditure, but that under its auspices the blessings of "a good schooling*' are brought to the doors of the humblest in an eff ctive and withal economical manner. So far as our province is concerned, tbe cost 1113 been muob increased through the necessary expenditure on new buildings.