CATHOLIC EDUCATION IN WEST AUSTRALIA.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 51, 19 April 1895, Page 15

CATHOLIC EDUCATION IN WEST AUSTRALIA.

(From the Monitor.) Birttop Gibney, nl Perth. W. A,, smr>* to bftve beld recently the vary same position as that which Biehop Moran bad to face, when yearß Bgo, io older to combat falsehood, calumny, and misrepreßentat;on relative to Catholic affaire in the Preßß, he established a Catholic paper. By a coircidence Bishop Moran 'b journal, the New Zealand Tablbt, and Bishop Gibnfy'e, the W. A, Record, are each in their twenty-second year of publication. Both of them hare accomplished a very large amount of good, and both have now to wage a vigorous war, c ffeneive and defensive, against the foroes of secularism and bigotry arrayed against them. The most vital question at issue is Catholic Education. There is, however, a difference in the circumetrices. Ju N. Z. Bishop Moran is fighting for a proper recognition of Catholic claims. In W. A. Bishop Gibney is single-handedly fighting against the bigotry and envy which wonld abolish the system of assisted fchook, under which Catholics, in the larger centres at lea9t, may give their ohildren that education which their conscience will rest satisfied with. We may rrp?at here that according to the Act in force in Western Australia denominational schools are assisted on certain conditions, mainly on the grounds of efficiency, to the extent of £1 16s per head annually. Now while the beads of other' religious denominations seem, to say the least, somewhat apathetic the Catholics on the other hand are taking full advantage of the provisions of the Act. As a matter-of-fact their schools have been marvellously successful and for efficiency and general excellence they stand unchallenged by any in the land. It is interesting to note that the Je schools are attended not only by Catholics but the children of con-Catholic parent?, who appreciate the standard of education in these institutions. In some places the Catholic assisted schools have proved strong rivals to the State schools, and, as Bishop Gibney recently declared, " the assisted schools at Geraldton have a majority of four pa pi's to one over the Government schools." It nas been again and again pointed out that while the maximum annual subsidy to the assisted schools is set down at £1 15s per head for children taught in them, not less than £4 10s per head is annually spent in the education of children attending the State schools. It would be, therefore, difficult to account for the spirit of antagonism which the Bishop has to face, were it not that we knew it springs fro n the envious bigotry of some and the secularistic spirit of others. On the authority of a secular paper, we have it that the Anglican Church has completely surrendered its position on the educational question in West Australia to the advocates of " free, compulsory, and secular education." The Anglican authorities have sold to the Government their chief school, aud in the words of the Bunbury Herald — " There are now only th-j Anglical orphanages which receive aid from the grant ; the whole of the remaining assisted schools, acknowledge the supremacy of the hot-headed, warm-bearted Bishop Gibney." This is, we think, an eloquent tiibute to Catholic efforts in the cause of proper education for the young. We hope that Bishop Gibaey will succeed in overcoming all the obstacles raised by the bigots and secularists, who, having nothing to lose themselves, unite in the endeavour to aim a blow at Ca holicity by indirect and dishonourable means But, as the secular jonrnal previously quoted from saya— " It Buems almost certain that the Catholic schools are too efficient and wellfounded in this colony (Waat Australia) to be wiped out by the wi hdrawal of the Government grant."