INSPECTION OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15384, 22 February 1912, Page 11

INSPECTION OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

DISCISSION liV EDL'CATION BOAltl). A keen discussion was started in tl:o ICducatioit lioard yesterday by a letter from the authorities ol Si. Gerard's Convent, .Ueumlra, lliat tlieir scliiml sliniild be examined lvgiilarly by olio of ihe Iward's inspectors. It was iiiniiidiately pro|wsed tlun the rei|uvsl lie agreed to, uml ll.c school b.! placed on the list. Mr J. MiU'hcll said ho had been on the board at the time when they a|>Teed lo inspict these schools, and one of the chief arguments in favour of undertaking this was that il would atford them opportunity oi ascertaining wheilier or not u proper tni'itsiiro of idiifatioii wis being given in tlieso schools. lie suggested that tho reports upon tfcem sliould lx- submitted lo thu mtmliers of llio I ward just as the reports upon their own schools were. They ought t<i know whether these schools were fllllilling their their function or not. •Mr Israel usked if tlio board hail any authority over private schools, and referred to a caso that had come under his notice of a child from a private school going lo tho primaly department of a public scliool entirely timi|iii|>prd. Tim lion. T. Fergus paid they wore raisinir a very large question indeed. They would interfere willi every denominational school in tho district, jf they wore to go and bo arbiters as to whether they weie giving proper education in these iciiools or not they were running themselves into a great big jamb. If llicv wero going to examine all tlio children in privato and deiioinihiitional schools they would need moro inspictors. Mr MiUVII said lhat .my child nttomliii;( a privnti! fcliool must j[i't ft certifiialo llmt lie was being c-liU'iit.-<l. That wart the law, and they wanted lo know—they were justilied in demanding that they should know— whether the certificate supplied was a truthful one or a falso one. His opinion wa3 that every school for which exejiiption certificates were claimed should bo examine'!. Tlio Slato had declared that every child in this (<niinlrv should receive education. (uui tiie onus was very largely tliroini on the Ix-ard to sfo that that requirement was complied with. If there were private schools taking in children and not giving them an efficient education, the Isoard was actually winking ;it an evasion of the act. It was an evasion o( tlw duly oast iii»n them of swing that every child got a fair incisure of education. Mr Israel said that Mr Mitchell was perfectly oorivet, and to emphasise it ho wanted to say that tho only sect — Tho Chairman: You are getting quite uv.av from the subject under discussion. •Mr Kerens: Notice of motion should K' given of this. If il is lo U* discussed it will Inho somo considerable time. Mr Israel said he would give notice of motion lhat if it was within tho (xiwer of Ihe Ixianl ail primary and privato schools should l>o examined. Mr Mitchell said he would prove that all mado by their iusjieeton bo supplied lo llio lionrd. » The board formally agreed to grant the request of tho Alexandra Convent, and passed on to Iho next business.