The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1914. THE SCHOLARSHIPS QUESTION: A SUCCESSFUL DEPUTATION

New Zealand Tablet, 9 July 1914, Page 33

The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1914. THE SCHOLARSHIPS QUESTION: A SUCCESSFUL DEPUTATION

TIE Catholic Federation is to be heartily congratulated both on the conduct and on the outcome of the important interview with the Hon. James Allen, Minister of Education, which took place on June 29, particulars of which are given on page 45 of this issue. It is not necessary to add anything to the clear, concise, and altogether admirable statement of the Catholic grievance made by his Grace Archbishop O’Shea, ably supplemented as it was by a very persuasive plea from Mr. Martin Kennedy. The full facts regarding the scholarship question, with detailed history of the various legislative enactments on the subject, have, in point of fact, already been given more than once in our columns. It will be sufficient for our immediate purpose to say that under the existing legislation candidates from Catholic schools are free to compete for State scholarships, and are free, also, to take out such scholarships at a Catholic secondary school, provided they can induce the local education board to declare the particular Catholic college educationally ‘ equivalent to the State secondary institutions. Under the Act, the. boards * may ’ so ‘ approve ’ of private secondary colleges, but it is left entirely to their- own option. In some instances the Catholic application has been granted at once, as in the recent case of Miss Mary Clare Moore, the bright young Catholic girl who carried all before her in the public examinations at Greymouth, In other districts— as Wellington—the request for ‘ approval ’ for scholarship purposes has been stubbornly refused, not because the particular Catholic college was not entirely ‘ equivalent ’ to any educational institution of its kind in the Dominion, but solely because it is a denominational institution. It was to ask for a remedy for this anomaly and to secure redress for this injustice that the deputation waited upon the Minister. They asked specifically that in the new Education Bill which was being introduced this session a provision should be inserted ‘that would make the practice of the boards uniform and ensure that scholarships won at private primary schools should be tenable at private secondary schools (such as the Catholic schools) provided that these were educationally equivalent to the State secondary schools. They wished this to be the only condition and' desired that a. decision in the matter should no longer depend upon the whim of a board.’ * Since becoming- Minister of Education, Mr. Allen has not at any time shown himself hostile to the Catholic demand for justice in the matter of public Scholarships. When the question was brought up in

the House two years ago by Mr. G. W. Russell (Member for Avon), the Minister intimated that he did not propose to alter the law at that stage because he held that it gave unmistakable power to the education boards to recognise denominational secondary schools; but ‘he would see how it worked out during the next few months.’ Mr. Allen might very easily have anticipated how this optional provision of the law would work out, for we have already had experience of the working of this kind of purely permissive legislation in the matter of State inspection of private schools. The original legislation on this subject enacted that education boards ‘ may ’ send their inspectors to examine private schools on written application from the managers of such schools. On behalf of the Catholic schools, application was made in every education district in New Zealand; with the result that a few of the boards promptly and willingly complied with the request, while several large and influential boards persistently and stubbornly refused. In the end, it was found necessary to amend the law in the direction of changing the word ‘ may ’ into ‘ shall ’ ; and now education boards are compelled to send their inspectors to examine all private schools whose managers make written application to that end. What happened in the case of optional legislation in regard to inspection of private schools has happened also in the case of optional legislation regarding private secondary schools : and an amendment of the law is absolutely required, which will place the whole position of the denominational secondary schools on an assured and definite footing. * Now that it has been made sufficiently clear that the present Act is unsatisfactory, and, indeed, practically unworkable, Mr. Allen showed himself quite disposed to do the just and reasonable thing. 4 As they knew,’ he said, ‘he was bringing a Bill before the .House to amend the Education Act, and in drafting that Bill he would give every consideration to their representations. If there was injustice to Catholics, from some of the boards ' treating the matter from a denominational standpoint, this would have consideration at his hands.’ That is as near to a promise as a responsible Minister ever ventures to go. It is interesting and perhaps significant to note that the Minister’s attitude has the endorsement of some of the leading Government journals. The Christchurch Press, of June 30, for example, thus comments upon the interview : * The question brought before the Hon. Mr. Allen by the Catholic Federation yesterday is happily one upon which there need be no deep or serious quarrel. Mr. Allen naturally did not commit himself, but he was very sympathetic, and held out hopes which we trust the Catholics will see realised. They make real sacrifices for the education of their children, and it will not be a great return to amend the law to provide that any secondary school whatever which is passed by the inspectors as educationally equivalent to the State institutions may be selected to give the secondary instruction to the winner of any board scholarship.’ In regard to other matters alsosuch as the free supply of the School Journal to Catholic schools and the giving of facilities for physical instruction to Catholic teachers — Mr. Allen displayed a willingness to remedy existing disabilities which did him very great credit. Altogether, the members of the deputation, and the Catholic body whom they represented, have reason to regard the interview as.,eminently satisfactory.