TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11493, 28 January 1903, Page 5

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS.

Sir.—l have lead with much interest the proposals regarding the admission of primary school children to tiie High School, and the reports of Mr Bevan-Brown ana Miss Gibson thtieon. The former, in his report, .says:—"Probably tlte great majority of these would not come for secondary education, but merely to put in a year or two until they obtained situations. This would tend to lower the status of the school and deteriorate the quality of the education given." Now, I should very much like to know what he means. As he is admittedly speaking of a class of children who will have shown g.ood mental qualities, he cannot possibly refer to their mental equipment.

I quite agree with. Mr Opie that tb? only reasonable inference is that Mr Brown is indulging in a sneer at the probable social position of his prospective scholars.

The remark that the presence of a. number of the brightest of the primary school children would "deteriorate the quality of the education given " is too childish to deserve serious consideration.

This is & democratic country, and the sooner Mr Brown learns that the High Schools belong to the people and are for the use of the people the more comfortable will be the future tenure of his position. — Yours, etc., ENGINEER.