The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. FRIDAY, JULY 16, 1886. The Education Scare.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1290, 16 July 1886, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. FRIDAY, JULY 16, 1886. The Education Scare.

The report of the Committee appointed to enquire into the condition of education in North Canterbury was further considered at yesterday’s meeting of the North Canterbury Board of Education and, after a prolonged discussion, was adopted on division by five to three. The minority —Messrs Bowen, Chrystall, and Booth —supported the following amendment upon the motion for the adoption of the report, viz:—“ The Bor rd desires to thank the Committee for their able and suggestive report on the condition of the schools in the North Canterbury district. The Board recognises the necessity of reform in some direction, and generally adopts the recommenda tions made by the Committee as to administration and the manner of making appointments. But, at the same time, the Board regrets that the short time at the disposal of the Committee has led them, in some instances, to draw inferences from the evidence which are overstrained, and to condemn too sweepingly the valuable work which has, up to this time, been done in the North Canterbury Educational dis-

trict.” When we noticed the presentation of the report, some two or three weeks ago, we observed that the constitution of the Committee ensured an exacting and impartial enquiry, and now having, by the courtesy of the Secretary to the Board of Education, been able to peruse the report of the evidence, we are compelled to express our complete concurrence with the conclusions arrived at by the Committee. There is not a single statement in the report that is not fully borne out by the evidence, and we fell satisfied that excellent results will follow on the labors of the Committee. It is established beyond a doubt that the execu-

tive system of the Board has been' at fault, that incompetent teachers have been retained long after their inability was made known to the Board and the Committees concerned, and that the syllabus and method of teaching are capable of considerable improvement. We have already detailed the reforms proposed by the Committee, and we will not, at present, refer to them again, beyond pointing out that those teachers —a very large majority of the whole—who have given diligent, conscientious and intelligent attention to their duties have nothing to fear from this new departure by the Board. We trutt the Board will sec the necessity of at once acting upon the report it has adopted by making renewed efforts to organise its forces, economise its means, and improve the condition of the children and ptimary schools entrusted to its care.