THE VICTORIAN EDUCATION ACT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 265, 31 May 1878, Page 7

THE VICTORIAN EDUCATION ACT.

Only very recently we had occasion to direct attention to the utter failure of the Education Act in the Catholic districts surrounding Ballarat, and to the senseless waste of public funds in maintaining in those localities empty, or nearly -empty, State schools. A further illustration of this folly, at the bottom of which it must be that there is a feeling of blind hostility to Catholic education, has come under our notice. A slight allusion to.the subject is made in the following paragraph taken from the Star :—: —

" During the course of an interview between the -Vtinisterof Education and several members of tho Bungaree Shire Board of Advice on Saturday, it was stated that the attendance at a new Stato school at Wallace was two, while at the Ormond school, where the list only numbered about twenty, the teacher was paid for an attendance of 150 children. The Bungaree people evidently do not appreciate the beauties of the Education Act. Major Smith stated, however, that he had quickly put a stop to this state of things." Deferring for a moment comment on the latter portion of the paragraph, we shall supplement the inf omation with a few additional facts which represents the subject in a more startling light. The following is an extract from the Catholic schools' rettirn for the quarter ending the 31st March of this year : —

The State schools mentioned in the comparison have been opened since January, with the object of providing a godless education for the children in the Catholic schools. The former are more than large enough to accommodate all the children in their respective localities ; teachers of reputation were placed over them, and every possible inducement was held out to Catholic parents to send their little ones to the condemned, godless establishments. But all in vain, as our comparison demonstrates. As the Star says of the people of Bungaree, the Catholics of the three districts mentioned do not appreciate the "beauties" of the Education Act. It would be hard for them indeed, to perceive what has no existence, as the Star satirically implies; but they do see the evils of the act, for these are of an alarming character, and,seeing them, they avoid them. Their faith is as precious to them as it was to their forefathers ; they love it more than they do the small sum they are called upon to pay for their own school; they are prepared to make even greater sacrifices for it than the state now imposes on them ; and while this spirit lasts the Education Act in relation to Catholics must be what it is now —a failure. Mr. Smith had remedied, he said, the state of things that had been brought under his notice. How? By taking the children from the Catholic schools, or by closing the godless establishments? — Advocate.

Place. Catbol On roll. loorabool Creek ... 132 r allace 125 'IIC SCll laool. Ay. at. 90 75 Stat BoLl. 7 nil. te school. At. at. 3 nil.