WANGANUI.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 9, 27 February 1902, Page 5

WANGANUI.

(From our own correspondent.) February 21. Miss Bridget O'Connell (Convent) and Master V. Noble-Beasley (Marist Brothers') have passed! the Junior Civil Service Examination for 1902. The Very Rev. Father Le Menant des Chesnais arrived in town last Saturday, and spent a few days with the Very Rev. Dean Kirk. Before taking his departure he visited the Jerusalem Home, Wanganui River. On Sunday morning he preached on the gospel of the day, and in the evening delivered a fine sermon on the Holy Catholic Church, It will be remembered that Miss N. Dwyer, a pupil of the local convent school, recently won a junior soholarship under the Wanganui Education Board. Her parents are desirous that she should continue her studies under the direction of the Sisters, and Sergeant Dwyer made application to the Education Board, asking that his daughter be allowed to take out her scholarship at the Wanganui Convent School. He enclosed with ihis application a letter from the Very Rev. Dean Kirk, who pointed out that the Convent was a high school, that the ability of its teachers had been clearly shown by the success achieved by their pupils at the public examinations, and thought that the Education Board could not well refuse to allow his daughter to take out her scholarship at the Convent High School, as it permits boya under similar circumstances to take out their scholarships at the Church of England Collegiate School, Wanganui. Mr. Dwyer's application came up for consideration at a meeting of the Board held a few days ago, when it was decided that his request could not be acceded to, as the Convent school was a ' private ' institution. The Very Rev. Dean Kirk has written to the local Press, explaining the position, showing clearly that the Wanganui Convent is no more a 'private' Bchool than any other secondary school. The attitude taken up by the Wanganui Education Board is most unreasonable, and no impartial observer can fail to notice the injustice of its decision.