DESTITUTE CHILDREN,

Otago Witness, Issue 920, 17 July 1869, Page 2

DESTITUTE CHILDREN,

It is said that the merits of their Edu-, cational system were first made known

to the people of Otago, by the favourable comments of strangers who happened to become acquainted,, with it. It was in this manner, we are told, that they discovered the superiority of their own system to those which prevail in other communities. The story may or may not be true ; but at least its truthfulness will not appear improbable to those who read the letter on the subject which we publish in another column. The writer, urged by motives of the most creditable character, calls attention to the fact that a large number of destitute children are [ growing* up in our midst without any tincture of education. He is evidently unaware of what has already been done, and of what is now being done, to remedy the very serious evil he alludes to. 'It is quite probable/ he suggests, 'that there may be some regulation by which the children of very poor people can receive gratuitous education. . . . If it does exist, it is not known to the persons most concerned.' That persons so concerned as the parents of the children in question, and those who take a benevolent interest in their welfare, should not take the trouble to ascertain the facts of the case, would appear strange — if it were not infinitely stranger that they should be ignorant of the facts. One of the most conspicuous advantages of our Educational system is its extreme liberality. It is based on the principle that Education ia not a commodity to be purchased, but a blessing to be distributed with open hands. The doors of our elementary schools are as open to the children of the poorest as they are to those of the wealthiest. If one child in the land is suffered to grow up totally uneducated, it is owing to the culpable negligence of its parents or guardians rather than to any defect in the law. There are now three Free Schools in operation in this city, established for the purpose of meeting such cases as those dwelt upon by our correspondent. The last Report of the Secretary of the Education Board shows that there wero 411 children in attendance at these schools during the past year, the average daily attendance being 179. These children belong to the classes described by our correspondent ; they are the children of widows — children whose fathers went lonfl ago to tho West Coast and have not dinco been heard of — children whoso fathers are worthless and helpless — children of deserted wives. In addition to these, tho iTjrioiiH District Schools havo been and are largely attended by destitute children, many of whom havo been passod on from tho Freo Sohools. No child in turned away from the doors of the District Schools because no money ia forthcoming to pay for bis or her education. If tho parents aro un« able to pay, tho ohild will bo reooivod and educated at the School, on a proper representation of the facts being made. Ah it is nocessary to separate the childrenof diareputablo parents from those of a bettor olass, the former are sent to the Industrial School— established in accordance with, tho Neglected and Criminal Children Act of 1807— whjilo tho latter ore educated in tho District Sohools. Tho JUt mentioned was pasted for tha purpose of making- pror vision for destitute children, which fo

i'c^^^rot.^wo'' classes-— n|f|l jecjsej^ '' Un^l^^iiaiiial.',' i The,i police are^£m4 pcmer^llp^jjprelieiid without -warrant j arid, to ; m'^^|fpre^^'O". Justices^ of' the Peace, ianyliilld t whom /they may, find 'neglebted'-i-tha^is to say, (1) any child found beggingi or (2} : wandering iabout ! without Ji'avin'g ( ' any" 1 home ' Demeans of subsistence, or (3) residing' in any. Brothel 1 or a^ociating" with Jtf ;r& puted# c thief, 1 prostitute, 1 drunkard', oti convicted vagrant. ■ The ; Justices may then- send any child 'so apprehended to the' lndustrial School of the ' province; and orcler his or her detention there for not less than one year nor more than seven- years. ' The Industrial School! of Otago was 1 opened by proclamation" in" January ; last, and is now in good working • 'order, with a considerable <: attendance. it is the only Industrial School 1 in ' the cblony,— a circumstance arising, 1 We presume, from the peculiarly large nuriiber of deserted and destitute children in the province. 'The machinery provided by the law for the education and training of this unfortunate class; ( appears to be 'a$ complete as we can expect 1 it to be. If it is defective, its defects are inevitable so long as parents' are left to decide whether their children shall or shall not be educated. That there are many children in this city to whom the advantages of education in any shape are denied, is a natural result of what we may term our voluntary " system. It is the case everywhere. The prejudice against a compulsory system prevails in all British communities ; but the disastrous effects entailed by that prejudice are sufficient to condemn it. The Act to which we have referred is a step in advance towards the establishment of a system comprehending all classes of children. By recognising the duty of rescuing * neglected ' children from the fate which would otherwise await them, the Legislature has asserted a principle which logically includes all cases of the kind. If it is right and proper that homeless and vagrant children should be arrested and sent to an Industrial School, it must be equally right and proper that children who are purposely kept away from school by worthless and mercenary parents, should also be sent to school whether the pvents like it or not. The Legislature is bound to provide for the welfare of the community. In neglecting to provide for the education of those whose parents or guardians are either unable or unwilling to have them educated, it indirectly encourages the growth of a criminal class.