EDUCATION.

Wellington Independent, Volume V, Issue 392, 14 July 1849, Page 2

EDUCATION.

chapteh iv.— (Continued,) _ In regard to the Machinery of Educa tion it remains to consider in what man ncr the State Schools should be support" ed; whether by endowment or taxation • and when by taxation, whether general or local.

The inducement to create a permanent endowment for schools in a new country is strong. The means are at hand in tho waste lands, a portion of which may be set a part for the purpose—either reserved from public sale, or sold and the proceeds invested. The advantage, if it be one, follows, that posterity at least, if not the existing generation, is exempt from taxation for educational purposes. But is this an advantage ? let us enquire. It is certain that the tendency of a permanent provision of that sort is to create neglect in its administration. The people no longer feeling its periodical abstraction from their pockets, cease to regard its application with interest—it is abandoned to the care of trustees or government boards, who perhaps think more of their own ease or profit than of the object for which the endowment was made; abuses at least creep in, if the fund be not altogether diverted from its original intent, or wasted and jobbed away. Instances of this are to be found in tlie endowments made by private individuals in past ages, for educational purposes in England. Of 500 schools with an annual income of nearly £400,000, founded in this way, (chiefly during the first century after the Reformation,) the greater part have fallen into decay, though the funds continue to be paid over to sinecure holders of the masterships. Again in many of them, and Eton among the number, where the endowment was originally for " poor and indigent scholars," the bounty of the founder has by some singular (perhaps classical) interpretation of the words come to bo usually bestowed upon the children of persons of the first consideration. Besides these school endowments, there are charity endowments in England to the annual amount of above a million sterling, equally illustrative of the neglect of the public, and of departuro from the intention of their bequeathers. Another instance exists in the Clergy reserves of Canada, where a portion equal to one-seventh of all the lands of the colony set apart for Protestant Church purposes, have been productive not only of little or no good, but of many great and positive evils.

In the United States of America it has uniformly been a part of the Land Sale System, to provide for public schools, by investing a part of the proceeds of the lands of tho State, and tho endowment funds of several are very large. This policy has been styled "a noble and beautiful idea of providing wise institutions for the unborn millions of the west; an anticipation of their good by a sort of parental providence." But others have considered that the endowment fund of some of the States has operated injuriously by reason of its magnitude. " It does," says Mr. Orville Taylor, as quoted by Chancellor Kent, " too much for the people or not enough. It damps all individual efforts for the common schools, and the establishment cannot do without individual effort. It defrays the expense of the district schools for six months in the year, and for the residue of the year they aro sadly neglected." Another authority, Mr. Beers, speaking of Connecticut, says that •■the school system there had fallen into feeble and irregular action, and a wide spread apathy prevailed in regard to tho condition and prospects of the com-

mon schools ; that the reliance on the public funds (i.e. the endowments) had led to tho almost entire abandonment of property taxation." Part of the evils, however, ho charges on the manner in Avhich the fund had been distributed, and admits that under more judicious management in New York, Ohio, and Pensylvania, similar bad results had been avoided, and it also appears that Mr. Beer's report has led to great improvement in the Connecticut schools. The conclusion at which Mr. Chancellor Kent arrives is that common schools, ought to rest partly on local assesments and partly on state endowments. That which costs nothing, says he, is lightly estimated, and people generally will not take an interest in the common schools, unless taxed for their support.

In this conclusion we are inclined to concur. If a State fund could be formed, the proceeds of which might be applicable to the erection of schools, while the townships were rated for their maintenance, it would perhaps be found to meet the two objects which we should keep in view, stability of provision, and vitality of the public interest. We should, however, loudly protest against a Government constituted as that of New Zealand is, presuming either to lay upon the people taxation to the amount of a single penny, or to make any reserve (were it in its power, which it happily is not), from the land sales fund. If from the revenue already at its disposal, or from the Parliamentary Grant, it were able to contribute towards public education, we might suffer the act to pass without censure; but let Sir George Grey's Council of puppets beware how they attempt to lay upon us any new tax, even for the purpose which all free men have at heart, the education of the people. We must have better guarantee for its due administration. »

As to whether taxation for educational purposes should be general or local. On the principle of the people feeling the greatest interest in what they feel they pay for, we should in every case, where practicable, prefer local assessments, to aid from the general revenue. Where, however, the district was too small, or too poor, to defray the expences of a school, and yet it was desirable to maintain one, aid should be given from the general revenue towards the local contribution. But in no case would we remit the latter entirely.

In d'scussing the machinery of education, it might have been expected that we should specify and examine the various sorts of schools—infant —primary —superior—normal; and that we should weigh the different methods of instruction — Pcstalozzian, Monitorial, and Magisterial. But though fully awake to the importance of adopting right practice in all these particulars, their discussion is foreign to the scope of the subject which we proposed at starting —the political bearing of the Educational question. Our readers will then understand why these interesting topics are, for the present at all events, passed over.