The Waikato Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1572.

Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 82, 7 November 1872, Page 2

The Waikato Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1572.

In our issue of the 31st ult. we gave a list of the ' schools in this district, with the number of scholars attending each, and other particulars. It will , be seen *j roference that there were only 251 scholars attending our ten schools. This number is certainly not more than one-third of the children who should hare been in attendance.. Probably from the distance of residence from the nearest school-house many could not do so, even allowing that their parents were desirous of affording them the elementary education which is as necessary to the future well-being of j their offepring a* the supply of clothing and nourishment. In scattered districts such as th», it has always been looked upon as :v necessity that the children of out-settlevs should grow up in ignorance, and-nothing.in consequence line been done. This is not a creditable state of affairs, neither is it one tuat ■ iionld exist in an English cotany in the nineteenth eeutury. Let us consider what can. he done to nmdy this-erying evil. We hare given-this-matter much "earnest thought, and the only means that ■ suggests itself of removing the disgrace at present resting upon our shoulders is somewhat as follows: In each district, in connection with a eentraUy-aftiatai-school already established, a building suitable for theWamodation of those children who are unable to attend on account of the distance of their residence from the nearest school-house should be erected. A iaung-rconiaud dormitory for each. sex. aid a. sickroom

in ea»e of illness would be all that wo*ld be required. This department to be presided over by a matron with'such domestic' aseuitanco an from the number of /esidentscholard- idund riuccasary. Tue wuo e, of under the of tue school-master aud midtresd, wiilose residence siiouid be afct&cued, uhd wiiu tihould be-iield responsible for conduct of tbe wuole. 'To support mvu an establislunent would, of course, outad an expense for supervision beyond that winch' it would be reasonable to aok parents to contribute who , belong to what ia usually U-rmed the working classes. We make the suggestion that a fee of ss. per ehdd per week snould be paid by by |,a.entn for boa.d, lodging, and education, and tiie oaiancu of tne expense borne by the Government. Tue practicability of this suggestion hangs, of course, upon the imposition of a provincial tax lor educational purposes. In a previous article we .pointed out the absolute necessity for the adoption oi this course at the ensuing sitting of the Council, we will, therefore rut now allude to this branch of the question. The local Board should have the power to exempt parents from payment who from their poverty are unable to do so, their children being admitted into the school at the expense of the Government. In some cases ifc might only be neceseary to induce the amount of fee. Great care would have to be exercised in the use of ihis discretion, as there are many parents who are unwilling to do their duty to their children and the State at any personal inconvenience. This class is b lad of the that there is no school to which to seiiii lii'Jii: (J;. , lus'iu ; ;l icl.c.ves them from the j reproaches of their neighbours, and makes their consciences quite easy. If such an establishment were formed, this excuse would not exist, and it would soon be looked upon by the better disposed of the population as a disgrace to allow their children to grow up in ignorance. Any etain upon peoples' character which intcrlcres with their social position, no matter what that position may bo, is, as a rule, a greater incentive to good than the silent dictates of conscience. Let this be as it may, it is undoubtedly the duty of every thinking man aud woman to bring their influence to bear to compel our local legislature to adopt some broad principle of educai ion which, of necessity, shall not exclude any one of the population from receiving such instruction as shall fit him to mix on an equality with his fellows when he «rows into manhood. We have not entered into details as to cost, &c. ; that is not our business; we have suggested what appears to us a practicable scheme and now leave it to our legislators and paid ollicials to consider its details. It is to be hoped that the next session of the Assembly will produce an Education Bill for the whole Colony which will contain a stringent clause polling parents to educate their children to the best, of their ability, and in the event of that ability being nil, that they shall bo educated at the expense of the state. Such an establishment as we have suggested would render compulsory education possible ; it gets over bhe great dulioulty incidental to the education of a sparse and scattered population. A good deal ei j sentimentality will no doubt be indulged in by the opponents of the scheme. It will be argued that it would be unjust to remove the cuildivn from the fostering care of their parents, and such like twaddle, in reply lo them, we would a»k :. Wnat is the worth of the parents' care, when, for the sake of their own convenience, they arc willing to allow their cmidren to grow up in ignorance ? Aud some lanaiic will have sometumg to say about tne religious diili-

culty. Wβ must listen to none of these ; we have a "viy-delined duty to perlorm, and if we are men cleu. , Vr i- uj our heads and proclaim ourselves and lit to ho.- * . , ~ , a credit to the great ?*™ °* ™ an intiniteni-Mal part, we shall do :!-without flinchuig ; w« bear the necessary and 1 .., n • ,- i fi,,f wp m" , only doing our duty ' doing so, leel that we aw j & . j w|iu -i. country, and ourselves. to our G-od, ou. — ~~ - Steam Company's ~ at -*/y,