THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 550, 3 July 1909, Page 14

THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.

SUGGESTED LOCAL EATING. abvebse criticism; (By T»le(TaDh/-BpeeUl Oorreepo&deat) ■ 1 . Chrlstchurch, July 2. ■ Interviewed by the Timaru representative of the "Press" in regard to tho speech- de--livexod by tho Minister for Education at Ad-' dington last Saturday, , Mr. > Alexander BeH (secretary to tho South Canterbury Board of Education, and ono of its inspectors) said ho feared that tho proposal to havo education supported by local rating would not work out at all well in practice, and it would create a 'good deal of dissatisfaction. In the first place, it would mean a lack t formity in 'education.' in different districts,assuming that it ( was left to the local autlfo- | rrtios to determine what rate should bo struck for educational purposes, as in rich and proe- ' parous districts, whore the other rates wero not high, they would be ablo to etrike a bigger rate for education than in poor and unprogressive districts. It followed that wnore the most money was available there would the best education be obtainable, and the children' of ono district would bo at a disadvantage compared. with tboao in another. Another point against the new proposal was 'that under it Boman Catholics would have' to contribute directly to education in two ways. They would not have to pay any moro perhaps than-they did now (through tho Customs and other national taxes) for general education, but if the tax were made a direct one it would seem more. Tassivo resistance, , ' which had been so groat a trouble in England, would bo imported into New Zealand. Ho supposed the rate would be collected through the local bodies in the same way that the latter collected tho harbour rate in South Canterbury, and rate notices with an increased demand would'be most unpopular. This system would be unfair, as thoso who owned no property would pay nothing for the education of theix children, and the extra burden would fall wholly on the property owners, who already "'had quite/enough to pay in tho'shape-of rates and taxes. Under existing circumstances the coet of education was evenly distributed. The revenue of the South Canterbury Board of Education , last _ year was £85,000, and if such a stun ae this had'to be cotlocted direct from tho people 'of this district they would havo something unpleasant to say about it. The Minister had not'explained how'he proposed to pay teachers under the n«w' scheme. To place this business in the bands of the board would bo a' decidedly retrogrado step, and one which would tend to decrease, instead of increasing, the standard of efficiency in our schools, as it would probably m«m a reversion to tho odd , order of things when they used to see cases 1 of a teacher in one school, receiving, say, I £150 per annum, while a few miles away another teacher of no more ability, and with no more work to do, would bo in receipt of £200 a year. ■ In making bis'new proposals, tho Minister's idea probably was to get rid of a lot of tie retrnosts that were constantly being made to him—roqueste for new sohoois, etc.—and to curtail the expenditure on education. In limiting extravagant demands local-taxation would hove a'good effect, but against this thore would be' a lack of uniformity in the education eiven m different districts as well as less officienoy, owing to lack of sufficient money caused through members boing returned with a pledge to keep down flio rates.