FREE SECONDARY EDUCATION

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12193, 12 February 1903, Page 5

FREE SECONDARY EDUCATION

THE PREMIER'S VIEWS.

[BY TELEGIIAPH. —OWN COItKESPONDENT.] Wellington, Wednesday. In tho course of his speech at Levin, Mr. Seddon said he believed all parties would unite in striving that all tho children should have the opportunity of going from the primary schools to the university. The secondary schools' endowment brought in about, £50,000 a-year. It was never intended that tho benefits of those endowments should bo restricted to the children in the centres, but that the children in the country should get tho benefit also, and he declared that tho high schools of the colony were occupied by the.children of parents who could afford throe times tho fees. Our high schools were simply class schools, and the high school governors said they had no room for the free scholars proposed by the Education Department. Out should go the children of tender years now attending these high schools, the children of parents who looked down upon those who sent their children, to tho public schools. He would like to see the bright boys and girls from tho public schools provided with free education iti the high schools, so it would be necessary that there should be a Royal Commission appointed to go through the colony and inquire as to each of these schools, and place before the people of the country their true position. Then there should be a conference of those carrying on the high schools and thoso controlling the public schools. The evidence collected by the Commssion should be placed before that conference, and then let the whole question be referred to Parliament. Tho result would be, he was sure, for the good of the country, and place secondary education in such a position that they could claim that Now Zealand was in advance of any part of the British Empire. (Applause.)