Mr Stout on Education.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1782, 13 January 1886, Page 2

Mr Stout on Education.

Mb Stout, the Premier of the colony, has made a bold and trenchant speech in defence of the existing Education System. At the dinner in connection with the New Zealand Educational Institute, held recently at Dunedin, Mr Stout referred to the charge made respecting the costliness of the Education system. The real question, he said, was could we afford to have a worse system ? Bather we Wanted a better. If so, bow wss it to be paid for ? If it were to be made cheaper it could only be done by the re-imposition of fees and by taxing the poorer classes to pay for what the whole community should pay for. When people came to understand the real issues involved they would not attempt to make the system weaker or lay the burden on those who could not bear it. We entirely agree witu this view of the case ; so far as it refers to Primary Education. The State should provide a good eoand primary ednea tion free of all charge, as is done at present. To impose school fees would simply place a special burden upon the poor which they are unable to bear. But with regard to the higber kind of education, we hold that while the State may assist iu supplying it, yet the chief share of its cost should fall upon the parents of the young people who are seat to the High Schools and Universities.