THE COLONIST. NELSON, FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1872. HIGHER EDUCATION FOR GIRLS—MEANS TO ATTAIN IT IN NELSON.

Colonist, Volume XV, Issue 1496, 26 January 1872, Page 3

THE COLONIST. NELSON, FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1872. HIGHER EDUCATION FOR GIRLS—MEANS TO ATTAIN IT IN NELSON.

Whbk the Trust Fund of Nelson Province were established, for promoting education, religion, and jteam, it is perfectly clear, that in a moral, if not in a strictly technical light as well, the benefit to be derived from the application of these funds, was intended to be shared by the whole community without distinction of class or sex. This becomes at once apparent in the matters of aid to religious bodies, and steam subsidies. In advantages flowing from these all share, none are excluded; why, then as in the College matters, should girls be prevented from participating in them ? It is true that as we are informed the Trust Deed speaks only of the higher education of the youth of the Province of Nelson (then eneluding what is now Marlborough which still participates), and we know that, grammatically speaking, youth and maiden are equivalent terms for the different sexes, and with the customary strictness of educational trustees, they of the Trust Funds determined to construe the reading of the deed by the letter, and rejust the interpretation that the common phrase youth of boti sexes would imply, which would thus include girls also. However, the evil, so far as the past is concerned, is accomplished; but it is none the less an injustice to the girls, who, bb a part of the rising generation have, in all justice, a right to share in the provision thus made on behalf of education.

The object now to be attained is, to find a remedy for the injustice which we have pointed out, and we believe such remedy is within reach. That remedy is the appropriation for a Girls' College of the sum of £3000, which is the proportion falling to the College Governors of the balance of the Trust Fund* recently divided, and which is now falling in. If this money were so applied, the feminine portion of the joommunity, hitherto precluded from educational advantages to which they are justly entitled, would then obtain their rights.

All tbat is necessary to carry tbis proposal into effect is, that a short act should be passed by the Colonial Parliament, authorising the application of this £3000 to the purposes of a girls' school of a similar grade as the College. t The Nelson members in the Assembly can easily carry a measure of this kind, and we do not suppose the Governors of the College, in the face of the justice of the claim, would be disposed to dispute such an allocation of the funds.