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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9080, 14 June 1888, Page 4

What is understood to be a Minis-terially-inspired article has appeared in the Wellington Times, as we are told by our correspondent in another column. It deals with the education extravagance; and it coincides so exactly with the contention in our article on the subject, of a few days ago, that Ave would say the Ministry had itself been inspired by the Herald, if we did not consider Her Majesty's Government to be altogether above being influenced by the newspaper Press. Whatever its source, we very cordially endorse the reform proposed, which is the raising of the school age to seven, free education to the fourth standard, and the charging of school fees for standard five and upwards. This, with the abolition of the Education Boards, the making of School Inspectors colonial officers, and the making of teachers' salaries uniform throughout the colony, would, we believe, not only save £200,000 a year on the Education vote, but render our system of education incomparably more efficient than at present. The irregularity in the scale of teachers' salaries, and the absence of a recognised system of fair and equitable treatment in this regard, bearing some relation to the standards of qualification, have constituted the clamant scandal of the administration of education in this district: and we notice that this discreditable condition of things has not been confined to the provincial district of Auckland, but is found generally throughout the colony. It has been often said that the depression has been to the colony a blessing in disguise, in bringing people to their right senses, and in tending to reduce everything to a sound basis. But this is likely to be proved in an especial manner in relation to education; and if these views are really the views of the Government, and they are put into practical force, then not only will the burthens of the people be relieved of nearly a quarter of a million hitherto annually thrown away in spoiling education, but education itself will occupy a position of efficiency such as it has never held in this colony before.