EDUCATION.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3153, 21 March 1871, Page 3

EDUCATION.

* — ) 10 THE EDITOR OF THE INDEPENDENT. Sic, — Arbitrary measures in the ordinary ) concerns of life are ever objectionable, and it r is therefore gratifying to Bee that the Assem< > bly has adopted a "principle" in tßb'aMfov * tionment of the Government grant. 'Th&i 3 principle is a capitation grant. The! duty— i the function — of a Government, is to cotfdiaex t the country as a whole, to help the weak, tc ■ maintain the helpless. It cannot, therefore, be argued that the Government should give > back exactly what they receive to those from * whom they receive it — it oannot be argued ac an imperative rule*, that the capitation grant should be equal everywhere, in the towns ac * well as in the country. If the ohildren in the country receive £2 per head, the children in the town cannot demand the Bame. If ■ they could it would be possible for some , schools to be supported entirely by the r Government grant, and tho parents would pay nothing. In the country districts, on the contrary, parents, &c, would still have to pay i a large sum— in this distriot they are paying ■ about £& per head. Would it seem fair that town people should pay nothing, while country people paid £4 per head ? I think not. But that country people — especially those wbo owned large sections — should pay higher than ■ town people, will probably be readily admitted. , It is here that the capitation grant -will work bo well — the capitation grant being understood to be in proportion to. the amount raised per head. As in this case, the townspeople will raise a less snm and receive a less grant, while the country people will raise a higher sum and receive a hibger grant. I beg the honor of calling your own and your readers' attdntion to the reason why a distinction should be made between country schools aud town schools in allowing them even a capitation grant. If there is no distinction made — and . of course only ono maximum allowance — then town schools may get exactly the same allowance as country schoola ; but as country schools, it is admitted, should receive a larger Government grant than town schools, they must be pre--1 eluded (they being in more fortunate circumstances) from receiving as much as country , schools. Suppose the maximum grantto be £2, per head, and the amount to be raised by districts necessary to obtain this to be £3 per head ; then it will be possible for every town school, on raising £3 per head, to obtain the highest Government grant ; and as country schools can get no more they will simply be on on equality. As it is admitted that they should not be the maximum grant should be higher for country schools than for town schools — in proportion, the principle, being still the same. That is, there should be two or three maximums for different classes of echools, the proportion, one-half, one-third, &c, being still the same for all. And, Sir, the application of this principle of the capitation , allowance should be allowed to pervade tho whole state. It should be allowable for parents to bring their ohildren that have been educated at home to the periodical examination of the nearest public Bchool, and if they shall have passed a satisfactory examination . then they should be entitled to the Government allowance. If, however, the views of such gentlemen as Mr. Andrew, Mr. Bowden, and Mr Hamilton are adopted, Government encouragement will.be restricted to those districts only where an average attendance of from twenty to thirty scholars can be obtained. By this means the extremities will be neglected, combination and organisation will be discouraged, no sympathy will be felt, and no sympathy given — one part in matters educational will be vigorous with power and life, and another, smaller, will be comparatively dead.. As these extremities, rural district*, have a right to Government aid, I hope it will not be withheld, especially from views, such as I believe the gentleaian 1 have mentioned take of the question, for if highly qualified teachers cannot be got to fill these rural schools, moderately qualified teachers can. It is better that these rural districts should have a very moderate education than none at all. In conclusion, let me remark, as a teacher, that it iB not by a lavish expenditure of money, that good teaching can be got bub by a gocd system, permanency and promotion or encouragement. T. Wakemn. P.S. — I have just received and read your ibbuo of the 28th. I beg you will aceppt my acknowledgments of your very kindly interest, »ofc ouly in education generally, but in the teachers. So far as my expedience goes, I can bear out the truth and aptness of your remarks. lam glad to see that the indirect reflection against the ministerial party for mixing up education with provincialism were to a great extent uncalled for. I hope your Californian correspondent may be able to keep his