The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 1895.

Timaru Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 1665, 19 January 1895, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 1895.

The Rev. George Barclay writes us a short letter, stating that at Thursday's meeting of the Board of Education he did not hazard an opinion as to which class of schools — Board or Roman Catholic — gave the most efficient teaching. It seems that m our report of the proceedings he was credited with having made that remark, but we suppose that our representative failed to catch the i exact words which Mrßarclay used. However, Having noticed the small error, let us pass on to the subject upon which he was speaking on the occasion m question. There is a desire on the part of the Roman Catholic Bishops of New Zealand that the Catholic schools shall share m the benefits of regular periodical examination by the Inspectors of the Boards of Education. We do not know the reason of this new departure, but the fact is interesting, and the request that has been made should be favourably considered. It is based upon the provisions of the 98th Section of the Education Act, 1877, which is as follows : — " Where the teacher or managers of any private school desire to have their school inspected by an Inspector, such teacher or managers may apply to the Board to authorise such inspection, and the same, when authorised, shall be conducted m like manner as the inspection of public schools." The Roman Catholic schools are private as contradistinguished from those established under the Education Act, and these applications which have been made to the various Boards of Education are therefore such as the Act contemplates and the Boards are empowered to grant. The result of the discussion at the meeting of the South Canterbury Board was the carrying of a resolution that before replying to the request, information be asked for regarding what schools, with their ayerage attendance, would require to be examined. The resolution was m no sense hostile. The Inspector has a large amount of work to do m connection- with the Board's own schools, and before an answer can be given to the Roman Catholic clergy, it is necessary to know apr)r< Y *'iiTifl.ff*ly wh&t-will-bQ-tW-QX-tent of the increased burden placed on his shoulders m the event of the examinations being determined on. Very likely the Inspector will be able to find time, and so arrange matters that the discharge of his ordinary duties will not suffer. If it can bo shown that the work can be conveniently done, the Education Board will probably assent to the arrangement, but it is clear that m that case the Inspector should receive special remuneration for his trouble, because the examination of any schools not under the control of the Board is beyond the scope of his agreement. We notice that the motion as originally drafted contained an enquiry as to what proportion of the cost of the examination would be contributed by the authorities of the Catholic schools, but it was struck out. The sum total will not be much, and we would suggest that if the arrangement for examination be,auih,orifed, the Board bear tW expanse; Only one member .of the Board • expjassed himself 'as^adverse to the request being granted, and the reasons which he gave did not strike us as being of any weight whatever. The first reason, was that if shortcomings were discovered m the Catholic schools, excuses were sure to be forthcoming. That may be so, but the public would be judges of their bona fides and sufficiency, just as they are the judges of excuses made by any unsuccessful State schoolmaster ; not that we anticipate the necessity for excuses m connection with the Catholic schools m South Canterbury. The other reason given for declining to allow the Inspector to examine the Catholic schools was thajt the reports would not be published. The objector could have had no special information onj that point ; and, if necessary, the Board could stipulate for publicity, and the results of the examinations could be embodied m the Inspector's annual report. It would : be advisable that they should be so ! published, and there is nothing m the Act to prevent its being done. If the Catholic clergy demurred to that course being adopted, there would be excellent ground for refusing to grant their request. But we don't believe for a moment that they desire secrecy; on the contrary, their object, or one of their objects, most likely is to show the public that the Catholic schools are doing their full share m the work of educating the rising generation. Certainly the public, whether Catholic or Protestant, are greatly interested m ascertaining by an impartial test what standard is maintained m the Catholic schools, for the numbers educated m them form an important portion of the population.

In the second test match, Biockwell of the English team, had a ball, bearing a Suitable inscription, presented to him for the best bowling average.