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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9103, 11 July 1888, Page 4

While from the country generally comes up a voice responsive to the efforts of those who would reform the extravagance of education, the Thames true to its instincts some would saypronounces for the continuance of the reign of extravagance. There has been a meeting of the joint school committees there; and, though their joint deliverance exhibits a joint ignorance of the question at issue, it has the true ring of " set all you can," and " keep it too " It was resolved that " this meeting deprecate any interference with the school age as by law established, or any curtailment of the rights of children of free tuition in the higher standards." It is needless to say that nobody has attempted to interfere with the school age "as by law established," nor the " rights" of children conveyed in the same way. The school age "as by law established" in respect of the matter in debatenamely, the compulsory period on the one hand, and the free education on the other, is from seven till thirteen years ; or from seven years till the fourth standard is passed : and it is for the strict maintenance of this that the reformers have been striving. One of the speakers gave expression apparently to the thought that was uppermost in the minds of all when he said, as we see reported, that hi 3 " committee were unanimous in the opinion that the Act should not be altered." That is precisely our way of thinking, nor have we heard of anyone among those who are moving for reform of the extravagance of the system advising that " the Act should be altered." What is asked, as we take it, is that the Act in spirit and in letter should be rigidly adhered to, and that it.should be purged of the clauses which bureacracy and selfishness going hand in hand have heaped on it to the great and needless burthening of the taxpayers of the colony. But the Thames committees naturally look at the matter only in a Thames light, and deal with it in a Thames spirit, which was admirably expressed by a Mr. Stevens at a meeting of the committees, who advised "taking all we can." But it is all very well to advocate "taking all we can," but where is the money to come from if everybody ignores his obligations to the State, and riot only " takes all he can," and in any way he can, but sticks to it whether rightly or wrongly. This is a difficulty which these guardians of education and of the morals of the rising generation at the Thames should consider; for if repudiation becomes general, and the State has to pay down, all that it has lost by trusting people, there will soon be no money to pay for education or anything else.