THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 34, 29 May 1891, Page 18

THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

NGLAND and heroldest and most powerfnl colony, Canada, are giving in the present an example of wisdom and justice on this question, which, we are sorry to say, the younger, smaller, and more inexperienced colonies in Australasia are not following. No system can be fairer or more just than the education system which prevails throughout all the provinces of the Dominion of Canada, and England is every day making progress towards evenhanded justice to all denominations of her people as regards schools. In England proper denominational training schools, and, indeed, in this country there have been none other, have firom the beginning been on a footing of equality. Until a few months ago, a different state of things, to be sure, prevailed in unhappy Ireland. But this is now changed ; here, at last, denominational training schools have been put on a footing ot equality with the central training institution in Marlborough street, Dublin. Even the most rabid enemies of Catholics, the old Tory ascendancy party, have come at length to recognise the shocking injustice and cruelty of compelling men to pay for the maintenance of a system of education under which they are placed at a disadvantage in comparison with their fellow-citizens,' and under which a stress was put upon their consciences, and their religious Christian principles outraged. But whilst in these respects an amelioration is daily going on in Great Britain and Ireland, here in Australasa, and in New Zealand in particular, under a rampant democracy, the bad old Tory system of exclusiveness and tyranny in its worst form is maintained and insisted on by the major ty. This only shows that the exercise of tyranny and plunder is not confined to individuals and despots but is equally patronised and exercised by multitudes, and that between the tyranny and plundering spirit of the mob on the o«e hand, and of the king or aristocracy on the other, there is little to choose. And here in these countries where people never cease to boast of free institutions the tyranny and injustice of secularists in power, are as heartless, as oppressive, and odious as ever they were in the worst times of the past. Here we see a system of education established, whose primary object is to destroy every vestige of Christianity, above all to trample on everything Catholics hold dear, and which, owing to the support of the majority of the electors , does not hesitate to rob Catholics and other Christians, to wring taxes from them which are shamelessly expended for the avowed purpose of injuring them most seiiously and insulting them most deeply. Is there not manliness, is there not a sense of justice m the country sufficiently strong to put an end to this reproach of our civilisation, to this damaging commentary on the candour and common sense of the country ? We shall soon see. An opportunity will be given in the next session of Parliament for the reconsideration of the Education Question, which is the one most earnestly demanding revision at the present moment. There are several ways of opposing this question in Parliament, one, the manly way, is to discuss in Parliament and vote against justice to Catholics and the denominations, another would be to dodge it, and by scheming and chicanery prevent it from coming before the Legislature by a dishonest use of the forms of the House of Parliament. We shall wait and watch, and our readers may rest assured that we shall not fail to supply them with all necessary information on these heads . So that they may be enabled to form, their own judgment, and at future elections prepare a warm reception for their enemies.