PARNELL PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5760, 4 May 1880, Page 6

PARNELL PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING.

The ceremony of opening this uew school building, of which we hava given a full description, took place ye3terday, in the presence of several members of the General Assembly, a large number of ladies and gentlemen of the district, and the parents of the children. Mr. Jonathan Winks, chairman of the school committee, presided, attended by the members of thta committee : Messrs. Wood, Robinson, Clark, and Speight. On the platform we observed the Hon. George Maurice O'Rorke, Speaker of the House of Representatives ; Messrs. Moss, M.H.R.; Hurst, M. H. R.; H. H. Lusk, the Mayor of Parnell, and other gentlemen. Letters ofapology were read fromDr.Campbell, Mr. R. G. W oud,M. H.R., Dr. Wallis, M.H.R.; and Mr. W. Swanson, to the commencement of the ceremeny the visitors were shown over the school by the headmaster. The children were all ranged in order, the full average number being in attendance. The magnificent accommodation was therefore manifest to every person. Mr. Crauwell put the children through their singing exercises, in which many of the visitors seemed to take the greatest interest. It should be stated that the number of children on the roll is nearly 300. The Chairman - , in opejing the proceedings, said : Ladies and gentlemen,—ln virtue of my office as chairman of the Local Committee, I am here to-day to welcome you. We are very much pleased to see so mauy ladies and gentlemen present in the interest of education. We have to thank the Central Board for the very handsome building we now occupy. I must say it is an ornament to Parnell, and I h o pe it will prove the meaDs of making many ornaments to society. We also have to thank our worthy member (Mr. Moss) for the part he took in obtaining for us the site from the General Assembly. I will n»t detain you with any j further remarks, but will call on Mr. Moss to address yon. Mr. F. J. Moss, M. H. R. : I have been called on by the chairman to address you, and he has referred to my conduct when assisting to obtain this site for educational purposes, in terms of praise. I can only assure him and you that I am proud of the humble part I took in obtaining for education the site on which this building now stands. But I would not be doing justice to the other members of the Assembly from Auckland if I did not take this opportunity of stating how cordially they helped me, and how little I alone could have done without their aid. It is extremely gratifying to think that so good a cause has been so far successful; that public men have not hesitated to appropriate public money for it, and that so noble a building as this should be devoted to so noble a purpose. I can travel back in my own mind to the early days of the presont system of education in this province. I was secretary to tho Education Board when it was established, about seven years ago (1573). I had been previously a member of the Board of Education iu Otago, and. I was more than astonished when I observed the contrast which existed between the facilities afforded in the South of New Zealand and those which existed in this province. You must all remember how small the resources of the Board were ; how it depended almost wholly on the household rate, so obnoxious and so hardly wrung from those who had to pay it. You had no such district schools as are now scattered over the country. Even in Auckland the buildings were inadequate, and the accommodation they afforded wholly insufficient. There was a great deal of difficulty, but it was met in a kindly spirit by those to whom, I am glad to say, the ultimate success is due—l mean the sehool committees. I wish to say a word particularly referring to school committees. 'JChi3 is a matter of which I have had some experience, and therefore I speak strongly upon it, I therefore say that without the willing support of the committees it would have been impossible to work the system. Unless their power is rather increased than curtailed, the Act will not work so well in the future. (Hear.) Before the old Act was two years in operation, the Board of Education was obliged to come in with a report to the effect that it was absolutely necessary to refuse admission to any more children, out of consideration to the health of those who were already in the schools. Money at that time could be got for anything but a school. Public works were then going on in all directions. A sum of £50,000 could be got for a pumping association, bHt not a farthing for a school. All that has been changed. We have now hundreds of thousands of school children, school buildings erected all over the colony, and though last mentioned, not least, we have this tine building in Parnell, where your children will be educated in the future. Speaking of tho struggles of education in the early days, I should be doing an injustice if 1 omitted to mention the name of a gentleman to whom a very large share of the success has . been due. 1 mean the Inspector of Schools —Mr. K. J. O'rfullivan. He brought his ability and experience to bear on the whole subject. He found tho brains by which the general work of the schools was ordered. Mr. O'Sullivan had shewn himself to be the teachers' true friend, while strictly doing his duty, and through hi 3 vigilance all have been made to co-operate i in the school work. I thought I should not let the occasion pass, without doing some justice to, perhaps, its most responsible officer. He has done his work so well, in so quiet and unostentatious a manner, that he attracted little notice. Then, as regards the teachers, I may state that they should be encouraged in the thought that they are fitting their pupils to enter upon life, and if a higher education be required, to receive it with advantage. There is a great deal said about secular education, and there is a good deal of controversy about its want of being a complete system of education. I can only apeak my own experience, to the effect that it is not necessarily limited to mere instructions. The child properly taught is not one who is merely crammed with technical knowledge. If he is properly taught and his teachers discharge their duty he will be taught to be courteous, polite, honourable, and truthful in all he does and says. If this be the kind of teaching adopted in secular schools, what could better fit them to profit by the higher teaching which it is the office of the clergy to bestow ? For I think that it is upon the shoulders of the clergy the responsibility of the higher teaching of the people will in the future rest. There could bo no better way of preparing a child for such teaching than by education in the observances which will contribute to his own happiness in this life and very much to the happiness of those with whom he will have to live. I would not have any system of cramming, such as that alluded to by the distinguished German poet Goethe, who said to his countrymen, "We are adopting a system by which we becomo overtaught but not educated." Teachers, I hope, do consider that their presence among the children contributes much to the future manners and habits of their pupils. They should have a care of the sources of all culture, the dispositions and capacities of their pnpils. It is not only book-learning that they are expected to teach ; they are expected to teach those entrusted to them the importance of praotical wisdom, in the observance of

honourable conduct and truthful speech, and io that way stall trustworthy men and women be reared, and good citizens be raiaed up to the public good. (Hear, hear.) I would say a word in conclusion to the parents of children. They should take care that their children attend regularly. Without regular attendance on the part of the children nothing can be done. The blame of auy shortcoming on the part of the teacher lies, in most cases, at the door of those who did not not send their children to school regularly. .. Mr. H. H. LtJSK said : I can scarcely tell why I have been required to address the meeting, except tbat it was because of my connection with the earlier public movements in respect of education. It was quite true 1 was prominent in the beginning of the educational movement, and had a hand in bringiog it into operation. I was member for Parnell in the Provincial Council a good many years ago, when the iirst steps were taken to lay the foundation of that system of general education which has resulted in the raising up of this elegant building. Although large sums of money are being expended in education, and raising such edifices for the purpose, it is hardly to be expected that this would have been the case had we not in the olden time put our shoulders to the wheel and taken such steps as would eonviuce those who had the distribution of public funds that we were thoroughly desirous of having the children of the people educated. It is therefore pecu'iarly gratifying to me, a3 I have no doubt it is to others, to see that out of such small beginnings such considerable results have proceeded. I hope we will not remain satisfied even with our present position, notwithstanding that the present positii a of public education is so far in advance of what it was seven or teD years ago. I hope that the position of education ten years hence will bs as far in advance of what it is now. I think it must be a source o£ satisfaction to all of you to know that your children havo the means pat within their power of obtaining a thoroughly sound education, such as will enable them to discharge the duties and responsibilities that will devolve on them in after life. I should like to hear from the representative men present soma assurance that the system will not be shipwrecked. I hear it whispered that in view of the present financial condition of the colony, an attempt will be made to take the money from this object and apply it to other purposes. It becomes all persons to take care that this shall not be done with their as3ent. It is far more important that in the future all the children of this country should be educated than that some particular railway should be made. I. hope that we shall not manifest a retrograde movement by our neglect or want of appreciation of the blessing which a public education gives. I have ceased to have any potential voice in public affairs. I have spoken in this way because the member for Parnell has said nothing on this part of the subject. I hope that any public man who may follow me will give ua some assurance that, s» far as he at least is concerned, this splendid system is safe from political assault. I have to congratulate yon on the possession of this splendid building for educational purposes. (Hear, hear.) The Hon. G. ' Maurice O'JRorke : 1 can assure you that yon owe the possession of this Bite to the energy, to the vigilance of your member (the member for Parnell) Mr. F. J. Moss. Had it not been for his zeal, for his steadfastness, there was not the slightest chance that \ ou could have got this site. Indeed, Mr. Alos3 is so energetic in the performance of hi 3 Parliamentary duties that he inspires others with the spirit of his example. The people of Parnell have got the benefit of this Parliamentary activity, and so did their children. (Cheers). As to the children, I hope they will tarn to tho fallcst account the advantage this splendid edifice affords, and the efforts of their schoolmasters and teachers. It is hardly necessary that I should remind parents of the importance of giving their children every encouragement to avail themselves of the benefits of this noble system of education. Professor Huxley has said that the education of the people should extend from the gutter to the university. It is true there are no gutter children in .New Zealand, but there are many people to whom a thoroughly-organised system is the greatest boon the colony can I bestow. It will be far you to make the best use of it. (Hear, hear.) ; Mr. Hurst, M.H.R.—I was one of the

persons who took a humble part in the introduction of a system of public education into this province. X am proud of that. My honourable friend, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who was, at the time, Speaker of the Provincial Council, knows very well that there were in those (lays no school buildings ; no proper appliances. Difficulties surrounded the whole question, and every step in advance wa3 attended with the greatest anxiety. But that time has passed. You have now magnificent buildings, abundant appliances, and all school requisites. With regard to the probability of any attempt being made to interfere with the present system of education, I can only say, that during the present Parliament at all events, there is not the slightest danger of any interference with the present system. lam glad to see such interest taken in a ceremony like this. lam glad to observe the intelligence of the children as displayed in their singing. I congratulate the hon. member for Parnell, the people of Parnell, and the children, on the magnificent building in which their school is for the future to bo carried on. The Mayor of Parnell : I think it is our duty to return our heartiest thanks to tho Board of Kducation for this fine building in which we are at present assembled. 1 will not mention any struggles that we in Parnell hid to get the accommodation we required. We have every reason to be satisfied and thankful. I would not do justice to my own feelings or yours if I were to encumber this vote of thanks with mere words. The vote was duly seconded aud oarried by acclamation. The Mayor of Parnell formally declared the building open for school purposes, and called on the children to give three cheers for their head-master, Mr. Lennard, which were rendered with great cordiality by the scholars. A vote of thanks was given to the chairman, aud the ceremony was concluded by the children singing " God Save the Queen."