THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

West Coast Times, Issue 622, 21 September 1867, Page 4

THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

TO THE EDITOB OP THE WBST COAST TIMES. Sib — I observe that an advertisement has been inserted in your paper, bearing the signatures of the Chairman of the Board of Education and of five of the other members of the Board. lam extremely glad to find that something is to be done at last by the Government in the matter of Education. There is, however, one part of the advertisement which puzzles mo somewhat. The words I allude to are these :—": — " The Board cannot administer the funds which have been voted, in rewarding the past efforts of school managers — no matter how meritorious ; but the information now supplied may become a good basis for a grant of aid aftebwabds." With some difficulty I have obtained a copy of the " Westland Board of Education Ordinance," and on reading it very carefully I can discover nothing in it which can be quoted by the Board as an evidence that the members of if have the slightest grounds for saying that " the Board cannot administer the funds which have been voted, in rewarding past efforts of school managers." As far as I am aware, the Board have not yet made regulations under the 7th clause of the Ordinance, and I presume, that at the present time the Board acts simply under the Ordinance itself. The Bth clause of the Ordinance is as follows : — " The Board shall entertain and decide upon applications for grants of money for establishing, or aiding the establishment of new schools, and for aiding existing schools." And again in the 10th clause we find the following words :—": — " The Board shall administer all funds voted by the Provincial Council for the purposes of Education in Westland, subject to any appropriation that may be made by the Provincial Council." These two clauses are the only ones in the ordinance in Which provision is made for the expenditure of the sums voted by the Council, and I certainly am of opinion that there is nothing in either of them which can warrant the statement made in that part of the advertisement to which I have alluded. If the Board had said "they will not administer the funds which have been voted, in rewarding past efforts of school managers," &c, anyone might understand what was meant ; but the expression " cannot" might lead the uninitiated to supposethafjthe provisions of the Ordinance would not permit the Board to expend any sums of money in any other way than by voting money for the future maintenance of schools. I have been induced to make these remarks because I fancy I can foresee certain results which would be extremely detrimental to Westland, if the present intention of a portion of the Board were carried into effect. During a former session of the Provincial Council, the sum of LIOOO, for educational purposes, was placed on the Estimates, and passed in the Appropriation Ordinance ; and, as we all are aware, the money was devoted to other purposes ; and during the past session the sum of LISOO was granted — viz., LIOOO for educational purposes, and LSOO for the expenses of the Board. If LSOOO had been granted it would have been nearer the mark. I imagine that the Board wish to dole out the miserable pittance of a few pounds to certain of the schools, and in a manner which will make the grant extend over a period of many months, or, in other words, up to the 31st of March, 1868. If, during next session of the Council, any of our members should be so unreasonable as to suggest a further grant for Educational purposes, they would be met by the statement that the schools in Westland were provided for, and probably that there were funds in hand. This should not be the case, and I earnestly hope that the members of the Board will not regard any official hints which may be given them on the subject, for the purpose of creating a surplus revenue. The sum of L 7700 has been granted for Educational expenses in Eastland, and why should we be put off with a paltry LIOOO. Our juvenile population is daily increasing, and it is of the utmost importance that their moral culture should be attended to. When I think of the number of schools established at the present time in Westland, and the number of scholars ■> attending them, I am lost in astonishment at the ridiculously small sum granted by the Council. The question of Education in Westland becomes more important every day, and it is highly proba ble that the future lives of thousands may be influenced detrimentally by the parsimonious conduct of our natural enemies the Eastlanders. In saying this I mean, of course, that if children grow up without receiving something like a fair education, we may, judging from analogy, expect to see round us in a few years a population similar to that of some parts of the Australian Colonies, where neglected education has caused probably more actual crime than all the spirituous liquors consumed. I trust, sir, that the importance of the subject will be a fair excuse for my having thus trespassed on your space. I am, &c, Paterfamilias.