THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15064, 10 February 1911, Page 4

THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.

The uncompromising utterance in which the Minister of Education yesterday expressed tile determination of the Government to stand by tho existing system of education will bo welcomed by the great majority of the people of th* Dominion. Tho declaration, unequivocal as it is in its terms, -constitutes the reply which the recent speech of Archbishop Redwood, advancing anew the Roman Catholics' claim for State assistance towards the maintenance of their denominational schools, ejnphaticall}\ demanded. The New Zealand Tablet, the organ of the Roman Catholic body, expresses in this week's keuo its gratification at " the reviv<il of what may be called the old Catholic fighting spirit on the education question, and of a rallying of the Catholic forces for a much-to-be-desired forward movement." The supporters of the cisting system cannot, for their part, we think, regret the revival of this "old fighting spirit" if the effect should he, as we anticipate, to inspire the supporters of the present system afresh with a, firm determination to resist any and every proposal of which the acceptance would lead to tho introduction of the evil of denominationalism. For Mr FowMs indicated unerringly what tho consequence would bs if the Stats were to give any countenance to the claims of the Roman Catholics when ho expressed his distrust of any proposal that would tend to take u> back to dangerously unsatisfactory paths of (Jenominationa-lism. The New Zealand Tablet brushes this criticism, as employed by us a few days ago, acide with' tho observation that our "contention Would hold if thoso only who used tho State system were compelled to contribute the money which pays for its maintenance and upkeep," and that, "as everybody knows, the position is otherwise." It is, however, surely obvious that tho recognition of the Roman Catholic claims would servo as a precedent, from the application of which there could bo no legitimate escape, for the advancement of similar claims on behalf of other religious bodies, and that the destruction of the present system of education would ba the necessary outcome. It would be impossible for the State to refund to the Catholics their quota of contribution to tho general education fund and to refuse to other denominations that might establish their own sectarian schools, as they might be expected to do, a refund of their respective contributions. Tho issue is, therefore, clearly one between the maintenance of the existing system and ths establishment and State-endow-ment of a system of denominationalism, and wo do not doubt that the community may be trusted to realise this.