The New Zealand Tablet Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1878. THE NEW EDUCATION SYSTEM.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 249, 8 February 1878, Page 11

The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1878. THE NEW EDUCATION SYSTEM.

-♦- VEKY little honour seems to be very highly valued in Dunediu, if we may judge from the way in which some, at least, of the recently elected School Committee regard the number of Totes recorded in their favour. The Press has favoured the public, during the last few days, with a good deal of correspondence on the subject, from which it would appear that the honour of heading the Ifct is hotly contested. One gentleman thought he was at the head, and -accordingly gave jubilant expression to his feelings of exultation. His chagrin is consequently in proportion to his joy, at discovering that a greater number of the 198 householders voted for two other gentlemen, and that his majority resulted from plumpers. Were the minority to adopt such tactics, no one would be surprised, or feel annoyed; but it is not so, when a candidate belonging to the majority, in order to secure his election instigates his -friends to avail themselves of the cumulative principle of voting, and plump for him. "We are not surprised, then, at the annoyance expressed in certain quarters at the tactics which, it is supposed, were employed at the late election of the School Committee, in order, not to secure a representation of minorities, but to. glorify certain busy-bodies

who habitually thrust themselves forward into public places bf prominence and responsibility,' to the exclusion of really capable and qualified men. ; -: ' - : r Well, the School Committees have been elected, and, in most instances, the nominations for the School Board havebeen made. In almost every instance the Committees have named two from their own body. In a few cases only have nominations of outsiders been made. As the new Boird must consist of nine gentlemen selected out of those now nominated, the public are enabled to form a judgment as to the qualifications of the new Hoard. Very many of those who found favour with the Committees are unknown to fame outside their own districts, and aro not calculated to inspire public confidence. Indeed, it appears to us, that it will not be possible under the circumstances to elect a Board that will give satisfaction. As the selection must be made of nine gentlemen out of those named by the Committee's such selection is already condemned. It is lamentable to see the want of wisdom and justice displayed by those to whom the people have delegated the power of legislation on the most important subject of education. For years there were systems which, one after the other, broke down. The legislation of last Session is a public, solemn, and authentic acknowledgment of this. Else why have we new legislation at all ? It used to be said that the system of education prevailing in Otago was "almost perfect." This perfection is beautifully illustrated 1 by the demoralisation that has paralysed the Dunedin High' Schools^ and the insufficiency of the accommodation of the primary schools in this city. And if at head-quarters, under the very nose of the Board of Education, these things have happened; it is easy to draw a correct conclusion as to the state of educution in the country districts. For years it has been the policy of the Government to discountenance all private and denominational schools ; and, for this purpose, to maintain Government schools at a lavish expenditure. During the last two years about £100,000 have been spent on Government education in Otago alone f and what is now the result ? Onethird of the children of the school age cannot be accommodated in the public Government schools of Dunedin, the High School is not in working order, and were it not for private and denominational schools which Government has systematically endeavoured to destroy, more than one-third of the children of Dunedin would be absolutely without the means of even a primary education. This result; though probably very surprising to some, does not astonish us in the least. On the contrary, it is only such as we had anticipated ; and, were it otherwise, we should be a good deal astonished. It seems to be the delight of Government, now-a-days, to set itself energetically to the task of destroying all education, except such as it chooses itself to give the masses. In this unnatural and tyrannical attempt a lavish expenditure of money is not grudged, no qualm of conscience is felt at imposing one-sided taxation on denominationalists, subjecting their public schools to all sorts of rates, and imposing on them various disabilities. Government schools have been built, teachers paid, scholarships established exclusively for Government scholars, and yet the Government system of education has hitherto been an expensive failure. Are things likely to improve under the new colonial law? Hardly. This law is almost a transcript of the Otago Ordi- | nance, which used to be designated as " almost perfect," and which, nevertheless, has produced the results enumerated j above. Then, as to the administrators, the very men whose labours have so signally failed in the past, are, for the most part, to administer the new system. What, therefore, can be expected ? We may here say that we have observed that no Catholic has been anywhere nominated for the Board of Education, This is mentioned, not for the purpose of complaint, for we rejoice it is so, but to point to a fact, and to ask the two or three Catholics whose names we observe on » few committees, how it is their fellow committee men have come to ignore .altogether their official existence? In our humble judgment these Catholics have made a grievous mistake in permitting themselves "to be placed on theser committees.