ST. MARY'S ORPHANAGE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14281, 1 August 1908, Page 14

ST. MARY'S ORPHANAGE.

SIR,-our school histories do not picture the Stuart rulers in the best of colours, yet one wonders if (hey used their powers more arbitrarily limn the majority of the Charitable Asd Board. There is an aot of uniformity, and the board deems it only right that ail-.children should be brought under its control. Why docs it not ask for the prosecution of all the children attending the several girls' schools of. Dunedin? Perhaps somoof them do not teach everything asked for by the "new syllabus." , I feel.certain that the Charitable Aid Board, has as much rig-lit to interfere with the aforementioned private schools as it has with. St. Mary's Orphanage, The law on the subject ia as follows;-"The Education Act, 1804," section 142, clause b, states that children are exempted from the. Patios' of the compulsory causes of the aot- if ".the child is under efficient and regular instruction, elsewhere." Then, if the orphans of St. Mary's School are receiving "efficient and regular instruction" what right have Dr Batehclor and his confreres to oompol attendance of these said orphans at the public schools? The beard does nob provide the money; one would think that the members were out of pocket by the contributions made on behalf of the destitute. Is it not strange that if a child is committed by a magistrate the cost to tho country is almost double that asked by the Anglican Church? And such child must lie brought, up in the faith stated by tho magistrate. No act. of uniformity here! A foster parent gets 7s 6d per week for each child till it -is 14 years of age. The Education Board afeo gets from £4 to £6 per annum through, its attending the. public school of the" district in which it may reside. Then, because the Anglican Church desires to do such work for Ss per week the Charitable Aid Beard desires to sten in and say that these poor children shall" not be subject to the " narrowing" influence 'of the teaching of the Church's sisters! How liberal! Almost as much so as the forbidding of the use of the Book of Common Prayer.—l am, etc.. _ , A. Mor.ms Barxett. Kakamii, July 29.