District High School Privileges for Dunedin and Oamaru. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2511, 30 April 1902, Page 29

District High School Privileges for Dunedin and Oamaru. TO THE EDITOR.

Sni, — As reporters were absent when the Education Board agreed to my motion re district high school privileges for Dunedin and Oamaru in the modified form which Mr Borrie seconded, I beg to put before yout readers who are inhabitants of these places «oine of the reasons which I gave for the motion, and also why I adopted the modified form of it. There are in the schools in and mound Dunedin about 4-00 pupils who have passed Standard VI. For them there is not provided such a three-years' course of free education in secondary subjects, leading to commercial life or to matriculation, as in now supplied to the children in the country centres. Standard VII work is not an equivalent ; for it depends entirely on tho caprice and probably uncertified ability of the head master, and is frequently only a repetition of the work of Standard VI. A Standard VII is often a drawback to all the work of a primary school. In every district high school, however, the head master must hold a high-grade certificate, and an extra assistant must be nppointed to help him. The department* annual allowance, for a school of even 200 (£1230), would admit of the employment in Dunedin of three or four expert teaehera specially set apart for the work of a three* years course. In and around Oamaru there are from 60 to 80 pupils that have passed Standard VI, and the. probable income (£270) from, say, 40 of these would pay an extra assistant £85 and leave £185 to be divided among the other teachers helping with the work. Such schools and classes can be carried on without reference to the high i-choota already established at Dunedin and Oamaru, but, iv all probability, not without ultimate detriment to ihcm. Hence, when the chairman and Mr Bc;:;ie. who represent th« board among tho uoveinoiv. of tho Otago and Waitaki .High Schools, asked for a modified form of llie motion in the meanwhile, F was willing to acquiesoe. My desire, and. I lake it, that of every member of the bonrd, i* to see justice done to all. but more especially that the pupils referred to should have, as early as possible, free •secondary education. There may be some pecuniary difficulty with the department in mepting the demands of large constituencies in this matter, and thai without trenching on established rights of endowed schools; but, unless (iovernmonl has taken hold of a larger business than it knows how to handle honestly, there is no reason why the larger ronstituencios should not demand the sama privileges in have been granted to thfc smaller, and that without delay. It should be a question at all householders' meetings in city and suburban schools how the privileges are to be secured to them, or how to strengthen the hands of tht^ hoard in influencing the Minister of; Education to grant free secondary education to their children. — I am, etc.. R. Pkattie.