INSPECTION OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10263, 22 January 1895, Page 3

INSPECTION OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS.

At tha meeting of the Education Board last Thursday, the following letter was read :--

Gentlemen,—Section OS of tho Kducntion Arh provides that "where the totclior or manapu- »f »ny private school desire to have tht-ir schojl l:.sp<>eted by an iusjieetor, such tracheror maim;,«v r.Ji'.y apply to tho board to authorise such iusiii.-::----tion, mul tha aams when authorised shall lir runriiictcil in liko manner us tha inspection of public Schools."

On behalf of Iho schools we represent, and ns tYKHvagcirs of tho same, we, tho undersigned Catholic A.rchoi3ho|> mid Bishops of New &>.ilaud, unite iv a simultaneous application to the rchool boards of tins colnuy to authorise the Inspection of tho private schools under oar respective wanLkgemunt and located in their respective districts.

We accordinily hereby request that you would authorise tba inspection of those private schools wituin the limits of your district which are under ftuv i'et>l}(?etivti ui.^iKi^etuunt.

We remain, gentleman, yours faithfully— t Francis Redwood,

Archbishop of Wellington. t P. Mohan,

Bishop of Dunedin. t John Edmund. Luck, Bishop of Auckland, t John J. Grimes, Dishop of Curistchurch. tlTr" Frusun inquired what the opinions of the Cljairmnn on the subject were.

The CnAiRMAN (Mr ,T. Green) replied that the matter to a large extent was decided by the past actions of the board. A littlo tinio ago the inspectors made representations that they wen- too heavily worked, and asked for the assistance oE an additional inspector, but that request was rofaseJ by the board. As the hoard had declined to appoint an additional inspector iv the place of Mr Richardson, who had been in the habit e£ assisting the inspectors, ho (the chairman) was bound to assume that tho board's schools ruuat further suffer if more work was now thrown on to the innpoctors. If, l\owcv«r, the Government increased the grant for inspection, be would say yes to the present application. The board had always dealt liberally in allowing their scholarships to be opon for competition, irrespective of whether tlia Trnpils attended a public or private school; snd that, he thought, was the right course. The granting of this application would mean an increased coat to the board for inspection, as it would sooner or later involve the employment of another inspector. As, however,- the inspectors hftd already intimated their inability to overtake tha work of inspecting the whole of the bo.ird'a schools, be thought the board ought to decline this request; but under the circumBtancL'S, ifc was now for the board to say whether or not they would appoint another inspector, for tint was really what it amounted to.

Dr Stenhouse had very great pleasure in fnoviug that the request be acceded to. It was certainly a step in the right direction. At one time he was opposed to the Government giving any grant to any school other than the board schools until such time as these schools hud undergone Government inspection; but since the Roman Catholics were willing to submit Jheir schools to that erdeal, hi 3 objection was removed. Every member of »v education board should be glad to know that education throughout this colony was being carried on as pfliciently as possible, irrespective altogether of denominationalism; and fc.ere wes an opportunity of proving that by initiating a comparison bstweon the system of education adopted by the Roman Catholics and our own. Not only Bhould they bo agreeable to thia course, but they should welcome it with a certain amount of gladness. The reason advanced by fcho chairman for not acceding to the request Bhould not stand for very much. It the thing was right it should be granted as a matter of principle. It would entail a very small expense Co grant it. Mr T. Mackenzie seconded.

Mr Fraskr proposed to move as an amendment— " That the board regret that they cannot see their way to grant the request, on the ground of the additional expense it would entail on the board."

Dr Stenhouse : Th&fcwould be merely shuffling the question; it is not a straightforward war of dealing with it.

Mr Feaser replied that it was a straightforward coarse. It did seem somewhat extraordinary to him that a member of the board, who sat there to protect the national system, should sacrifice as it were his feelings to such an extent an to sit there when his declared sympathies were in favour o£ supporting a denominational system. Yet it was that member of the board who accused the other members of truckling and time-serving. Tna board's inspectors complained of being fully worked alresdy, yet Dr Stenhouse wonld have them to undertake this additional work. Tfco Chairman : They have said they cannot overtake the work. Mr Phaser admitted that the Catholics bad established excellent schools. Dr Stenhouse: But that is called in question. Mr Fbasee : I am, however, prepared to say that myself. Mr BAatsAT: We don't know anything about it. The Hon. Mr MacGregor : I don't know it. Blr Fraser said at all events it was the outcoma of centuries of work by the Roman Cotholic clergy, and the results of their school Eyntcm were excellent. There was another point to be considered. Suppose that the board's inspectors didgo into these schools, and as the result of their inspection condemned the teaching in unqualified terms. Were they prepared for the howl that would be raised then p Would not the colony ring from one end ts the other with reprobation of that action, and wonld they not ba accused of abusing the confidence that had been reposed in them, of jealousy, sod of seeking to strike a blow at the Catholics' educational institutions ?

Mr Clark : 'i'h&t is what I fear. Mr Fbasec : In a word, our inspectors say that they cannot do it.

Dr Stenhouse : I don't think there is anything at all in that. I believe that theie were only three or four schools in the whole of Otago that were not inspected last year.

Mr Fbaseb: You have no power to_ order your inspectors to act as suggested; their contract is to inspect the board's schools.

Tho Eon. Mr MacGeegob : No. MrFHASER: Butlsayyes; I do not know cf it being done anywhere else.

Mr Cohen : It has been done for some time under tbe Marlborough Board.

The Hon. J. MacGbegor said the inspectors aad representsd some time ago that farther assistance wss required to enable them to overtake the inspection of the-schools. Since then, However, the syllabus had been modified for the exprsES purpose of reducing the arduous character of the work of inspection. He had so doubt that now the inspectors would be able to overtake the additional work of examining the Catholic schools, but whether that was so or not the statute contemplated the examination of private schools by the board's inspectors, and that being so additional expenditure, if required, would be perfectly legitimate. He would be loth to sanction further expenditure for inspection, but there was no absolute necesEity for all the board's schools being inspected every year, and they could instruct the inspectors to examine the Catholic schools even if some of the board's schools were neglected evary year. He agreed with the motion. Mr Cohen said the regulations regarding inspection had the force of law, and effect mu»t bo given to them; but ho was with the Hon. Mr J&aeGregor so far as the desire to ccc the system materially altered. He wanted the colony to adopt what was known as absolute freedom of classification on the part of the teachers. That system had now been in operation in the United Kingdom sufficiently long to enable those in authority to pronounce aa unqualified verdict in its favour. He could cot for the life of him understand how a body of experts like the inspectors sitting in conference could reject a proposal of that kind. He was satisfied that it they considered the matter they would affirm a principle which coonsr or later was bound to be adopted. The only question now appeared to ba one of tipence, and he believed the number of Catholic schools was not; so large as to put any great additional burden upon the present inspectorial staff. Their first duty, howsver, was to their own schools, and if the motion was amended and the inspectors reported that there was no reason why this additional duty should not be cast on them, he would give it his support. The inspection would, of course, be confined to the secular instruction given, and he had no doubt the reports would be recognised aB valuable. If the reports showed that the Fchools were well taught ho was sure all would be glad of the information. One good result would be that the hand of the Minister would be forced to give absolute freedom of classification to the teacher. This matter did not in the least affect the question of denominational education, for he would be the last to vote a penny for the support of denominational education.

Mr Mackenzie said that in supporting Dr Btenhouse's motion he did so because it was lhe right thing to db. It was no doubt the intention of the Legislature that these schools should be examined by the board's inspectors. He did not think they should be influenced by tho question of cost. The cost of inspection wss nothing compared with the amount Roman Catholics contributed to the consolidated revenue of the colony. He believed the Cathojie schools were doing excellent work as vrell ao imparting religious training* which he considered of great importance in schools, all hnugh they could not give it in eonnectien with State schools. Be should support the motion.

Mr Bamsay said he should support the motion for reasons already mentioned, but he desired to join Mr Coheu in saying that ho did not do if oat cf any feeling of sympathy for denominational education.

I)r Stekhousi? having replied, tho motion was put and carried without dissent.