EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 481, 14 April 1909, Page 10

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS.

AUSTRALIAN CENTRALISATION CRITICISED. "NOTHING TO LEARN." (BY TEI.BGBArn.—STECIAL CORIIESPONnRXT.) Christchurch, April ll'. During his recent visit to Australia, Mr. G. W. Russell, M.P., who is also chairman of tho Board of Governors of Canterbury College, spent some time iu inquiring into the education system of Victoria and New South Wales. What struck him most, lie told a "Press" interviewer, was the total absence of responsibility, and thereforo of control, by the people of the education of tho country. There are no school committeees and no boards of education as we understand them. In Victoria and largely in Now South Wales the whole system is controlled by 'one central board.

In Victoria thoro are what arc called boards of advice consisting of five members, but how elected or appointed Mr. Russell did not remember. A member of one of those boards told him that it had taken months to get three out of the five members appointed. The system appeared to be that of centralism run stark mad, and Mr. Russell was not astonished to find that there is absolutely no public interest in connection with tho schools He found the heads of tho Education Department keenly interested in educational work iu New Zealand, but when one spoke to them of the plan by which in Now Zealand we have succeeded in connecting primary, secondary, and university education they expressed astonishment, while tho information ho was able to givo them as to the work of the Education Committee of the Houso of Representatives and tho propelling forco that tho Committeo provides which enablos important measures to be pushed through also astonished thorn, and ho believed struck them with admiration. The Director of Education in Victoria, Mr. Tate, appeared to bo a most able man, but was naturally hampered by the great responsibilities which rested upon him. Mr.. Russell understood that a scheme for the establishment of something in tho nature of district high schools would be dovised, but in tho meantime virtually tho wliolo of tho secondary education is in the hands of the churches.

In Now South Wales the system seemed more advanced, but even there, judging from the. conversations ho had with the university authorities, there appeared to bo a very conservative spirit and a want of a sense of responsibility as to tho duty of the State in connection with tho higher education of the masses of tho people. "Speaking generally,"- said Mr. Uussell, "my opinion is that in education New Zealand is far ahead of anything that I saw in Australia as regards the liberality of tho State to tho rising youths of tho couutry, and I believe that the effect of our advanced system will bo certainly to giro New Zcalandcrs a lead in almost every department where education comes into play."